Phl, US sign military intel-sharing agreement

The Philippines and the United States yesterday signed an agreement on sharing classified military information and technology, further deepening cooperation between the treaty allies.

- PIA LEE-BRAGO

Visiting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) that will enable real-time exchange of classified intelligence and information with his Philippine counterpart, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., during a ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo.

The Department of National Defense (DND) said the military intelligence-sharing deal is "a critical step to enhance information sharing and deepen interoperability between the Philippines and the US."

The GSOMIA will serve as a framework to facilitate the exchange of classified military information between the Philippines and the US, according to the DND.

"Not only will this allow the Philippines access to higher capabilities and big-ticket items from the United States, but it will also open opportunities to pursue similar agreements with like-minded nations," DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said.

During the US-Philippines 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington in April last year, top diplomatic and defense officials of the two nations agreed to new steps to bolster mutual defense, expand intelligence-sharing on key challenges confronting the US-Philippine alliance, including through the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness initiative, and the conclusion of a bilateral GSOMIA with the goal of enabling real-time information-sharing and technology cooperation across domains.

The Philippines recently ramped up its military ties with the US and allowed greater US access to local military bases that angered China.

After the GSOMIA signing, Teodoro and Austin led the groundbreaking ceremony of the Combined Coordination Center (CCC) at Camp Aguinaldo, which the US defense chief said "will enable real-time information-sharing for a common operating picture, and it will help boost interoperability for many, many years to come."