Although the agreement was reinstated, trust between Washington and Manila remained low until Marcos’ victory in 2022. In April 2023 Marcos granted the US access to four additional Philippine military bases in an expansion of the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) that was signed in 2014. Marcos has claimed that this measure was taken

The collapse of this alliance comes ahead of the 2025 midterm elections in which all 317 seats in the House and 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate will be contested. Both dynasties are fighting to create a favourable situation for themselves in preparation for the 2028 presidential elections. Marcos has proposed extending presidential term limits bey

India has cultivated robust strategic partnerships, unlike China, which finds itself increasingly isolated in the Indo-Pacific. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)—comprising India, the United States, Japan, and Australia—has emerged as a significant deterrent to Chinese aggression. Regular joint military exercises, intelligence sharing,

In contrast, the Indian Army’s history is steeped in high-altitude warfare. Decades of deployment in Siachen—the world’s highest battlefield—and the gruelling Kargil conflict at 16,000 to 18,000 feet altitudes have honed Indian soldiers into specialists in mountain combat. The Kargil War, fought on steep, rocky terrain under extreme weather

The lack of qualified people, a general problem in industry, also affects the Swiss defence sector. The Federal Intelligence Service alone reports it needs 150 more staff. Army planners are even more concerned about the overall demographic trends in the country. “According to the army’s own projections, in the 2030s we will not be able to muste