Voyage to the Island of Hope: 3 Days with the Philippine Coast Guard - USNI News news.usni.org/2025/06/04/v...

This story rules. What we get from the SCS is either conflict, "rising tensions" mishmash or sterile photos of U.S. ships with the Chinese cropped out. @aaronmatthewil.bsky.social slips through vignettes over three days with the crew of BRP Malapascua for a study of their day-to-day. Tremendous!

Had the experience of a lifetime with the Philippine Coast Guard on the South China Sea over the last week. Learned a lot about the lives of these men and women in the West Philippine Sea, as well as the struggles they face. Story going out soon.

Could’ve been a worse four years, thanks for everything American. Many thanks to the professors that cleared absences in support of my defense journalism coverage and a number of interesting classmates. Now it’s time to get to work. See you soon, Manila.

“The Department of the Navy is looking to lease a climate-controlled facility between 19,000 and 33,000 square meters near Subic Bay and Clark for the storage of equipment in the Philippines by 2026 under a ten-year-long lease.” My latest with USNI News: news.usni.org/2025/04/21/u...

“The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment’s Medium-Range Missile Battery will send Naval Strike Missile-equipped Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems to the Luzon Strait during Balikatan 2025…” www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

U.S. Marine Corps anti-ship missiles will deploy to the Luzon Strait, a strategic first island chain chokepoint between the Philippines and Taiwan, during Balikatan 2025 🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🚀 #NMESIS story by @aaronmatthewil.bsky.social www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

[Video] General Atomics Unveils Bullseye Long-Range Strike Missile 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 General Atomics and Rafael aim to deliver a long-range, precision strike capability to U.S. forces through the new Bullseye missile. #SAS2025 story by @aaronmatthewil.bsky.social www.navalnews.com/event-news/s...

[VIDEO] CoAspire presented a low-cost cruise missile designed to bring cheap, 3D-printed, long-range munitions to the U.S. and partner Air Forces at Sea Air Space 2025. #RAACM #SAS2025 Story and interview by @aaronmatthewil.bsky.social www.navalnews.com/event-news/s...

Behind the scenes.

Sea, air, and space.

Finally made it to 🇵🇭 embassy after all of these years. Had an insightful conversation with some great hosts.

Japan’s maiden participation in Balikatan 2025 is the culmination of years of defense and security cooperation between Tokyo and Manila 🇯🇵🇵🇭 Story by @aaronmatthewil.bsky.social www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

“The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment will debut the new Littoral Rotational Force-Luzon at the Balikatan 2025 exercise in the Philippines, USNI News has learned.” “When you think MLR, you think of the Philippines.” My latest with USNI News: news.usni.org/2025/03/27/m...

“After 32 years, an American military presence is set to return to Subic Bay under a new Marine Corps prepositioning program that will see the service stage equipment in the Philippines.” My article with USNI News on new 🇺🇸 Marine Corps staging efforts in 🇵🇭: news.usni.org/2025/03/17/u...

Serco, DARPA Launch NOMARS USX-1 Defiant NOMARS envisions a cost-effective USV concept for the U.S. Navy through a design philosophy that excludes all crewed features 🇺🇸 www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

The Charles De Gaulle Carrier Strike Group joined the maiden Philippine-Franco joint patrol in the South China Sea in one of the largest bilateral drills between the two nations to date 🇫🇷🇵🇭 By @aaronmatthewil.bsky.social www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

Combat Art Gallery, National Museum of the Marine Corps

Manila announced that the Philippine Navy will receive two submarines for the defense of the country’s archipelago in the largest and final stage of its military modernization program 🇵🇭 Story by @aaronmatthewil.bsky.social www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

General Atomics is looking to deploy drones through a system derived from EMALS on land and on a number of warship types at-sea 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇯🇵 👉 Type 45 DDG 👉 ESB 👉 Izumo-class 👉 Queen Elizabeth-class Story by @aaronmatthewil.bsky.social www.navalnews.com/event-news/s...

Lyndon B. Johnson will be the second ship in the U.S. Navy to deploy hypersonics amid the service’s efforts to up-gun its Zumwalt-class destroyers with Conventional Prompt Strike 🇺🇸🚀 #SNA2025 Story by @aaronmatthewil.bsky.social www.navalnews.com/event-news/s...

First day of Surface Navy Association 2025 with the team.

2024 was a year of many firsts for me. Some highlights include a tour of the Pentagon, boarding a Los Angeles-class attack submarine at Norfolk, getting flown across the world to cover the Philippine Navy at Subic Bay, and interviewing leadership in Manila.

Happy New Years from Manila!

Held a demo of Littoral Commander on a roof overlooking the rainy Makati skyline tonight to an awesome group of people that will put this copy to good use for 🇵🇭 policy. One of the more memorable meetings I’ve had on this trip for sure.

Another newsroom

ORD-IST-TPE in one week. Next stop: MNL.

Behind the scenes

A newsroom

Some Republic of China Navy ship spotting at 🇹🇼 Keelung Harbor today: -A Tuo Chiang-class corvette -ROCS Chung Yeh (LST-231) -ROCS Chi Kuang (PFG2-1105) -ROCS Da Juen (ARS-556) Photos by a friend who has a better phone camera than me.

Taipei

🇹🇷🇹🇼🇵🇭🇰🇷 starts now.

“WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Navy is planning a lethality upgrade on both classes of the Littoral Combat Ship that includes the ability to launch larger missiles like the SM-6, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said on Wednesday.” news.usni.org/2024/12/11/l...

My 100th story with USNI News: news.usni.org/2024/12/03/c...

Goodbyes

Home

The semester went by really fast, can’t believe I’ll be back in Manila a month from now.

“The Pentagon has revealed the existence of a forward-deployed task force in the Philippines focused on supporting Manila’s maritime operations in the SCS.” 🇺🇸 TF-Ayungin has been supporting 🇵🇭 with drone training and intel. My latest with USNI News: news.usni.org/2024/11/21/u...

Thales pitches its comprehensive CoastShield Maritime Surveillance system to Philippine forces looking to enhance their monitoring in the South China Sea 🇵🇭🇫🇷 www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

The 🇵🇭 Navy is now the operator of American-built unmanned surface vehicles through a 🇺🇸 military aid program that aims to strengthen Manila’s capabilities in the SCS. My latest with Naval News with commentary from Collin Koh on these new drones. www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

Naval News The Philippines has received MARTAC MANTAS T-12 unmanned surface vehicles from the U.S. within the last year to bolster its maritime security capabilities in the South China Sea 🇵🇭🇺🇸 Story by @aaronmatthewil.bsky.social www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

Subic Bay with the @navalnews.com crew circa September 2024.

“🇺🇸 and 🇵🇭 officials inked an intelligence-sharing agreement and broke ground on a new command center in Manila today as the two countries tighten defense and security relationship amid SCS tensions.” news.usni.org/2024/11/18/u...

Hello to all the new followers, my accounts primarily covers: -My stories with USNI News and Naval News (+D.C. defense shows) -🇵🇭 defense and security, specifically 🇺🇸 cooperation and AFP modernization -Stuff I don’t feel like posting on X

HD HHI pitches frigates, corvettes, and offshore patrol vessels to Manila ahead of Philippine Navy and Coast Guard modernization projects 🇰🇷🇵🇭 Story by @aaronmatthewil.bsky.social www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

Can’t wait to head back