MANILA, Philippines — As the Philippine military gears toward a minimum credible defense capability, the United States vowed to assist its Southeast Asian allies to be militarily stronger.
Speaking at the Marine Corps Air Station in California on Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said that a cornerstone in the American military's shift to the Asia-Pacific is to built capabilities and capacities of its allies in the region.
"This will become more and more a critical component of our own strategic interests as we continue to help our allies build their capabilities," Hagel said, as cited in a US Department of Defense report.
The Philippines is the oldest and one of the closest allies of the US in Asia.
Hagel said that while Washington will provide support, the countries should "do it as well."
"We can't take on all of the challenges by ourselves," he said.
Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines (OEF-Philippines), Washington's codename for its mission, has shrunken in size the past years but remains active with a battalion-size unit, reports say.
A sizeable, but undetermined, portion of the US military's $18.1 billion budget request for operations outside Afghanistan for 2015 will support OEF Philippines.
The US and the Philippines have also forged an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement last year granting US access for rotational troops.
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