Defense Secretary Ash Carter will use the meeting of Southeast Asian defense ministers this week to “seek to clarify” the Philippine position on joint exercises, following comments from Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte that his country may not support future joint exercises. A senior defense official said the US has received “different messages” from the Philippines about the future of joint exercises. Carter, during a speech Thursday in San Diego, said the US-Philippine defense alliance has been “ironclad,” though Duterte’s comments put the future in question. The partnership has lasted more than 60 years, and will “continue to survive” regardless of administrations, the official said. The two countries earlier this year signed an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, that includes US help in building up infrastructure. This focuses on five locations inside the country, including Basa AB where Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said USAF is helping build the base and could send future rotations there.
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan flew an unusual trilateral flight with two U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bombers escorted by two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and two ROK Air Force KF-16 fighters—both countries’ respective variants of the F-16—July 11. That same weekend, the top military officers of the three nations…