Shaping a Porcupine Defense Strategy for the Philippines: The Role of Maritime Autonomous Systems
This podcast discusses our report which analyzes the Philippines’ “porcupine defense strategy,” emphasizing its reliance on maritime autonomous systems (MAS) and distributed lethality to deter aggression in the South China Sea.
It highlights the Taiwan-Philippines-Japan strategic triangle and the critical importance of the First Island Chain and Luzon Strait for regional security and global trade.
The report details how U.S.-Philippines military cooperation, including fast boat bases and the deployment of unmanned surface vessels (USVs), is transforming naval operations through a “kill web” paradigm and mesh fleet concept.
Ultimately, the strategy aims to make the Philippines a formidable barrier by distributing defensive assets and leveraging technology, offering a blueprint for smaller nations facing similar geopolitical challenges.
Maritime autonomous systems (MAS) play a pivotal role in transforming naval warfare and enhancing deterrence by shifting away from traditional, capital ship-centric operations towards distributed, networked approaches. This fundamental reimagining of naval strategy allows for greater resilience, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness in contested environments.
The podcast was generated by NotebookLM and contains one error for correction. Chris Morton is the Global Industry Director for Aerospace and Defense at IFS.