Manila’s northernmost territories will host an element from the Philippine Marine Corps BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missile-armed Coastal Defense Regiment, extending the reach of the force’s newly acquired maritime strike capabilities to the strategic Luzon Strait.
Assigned to the regiment’s shore-based anti-ship missile battalion, the 273rd Marine Company was activated at Camp Cape Bojeador, the headquarters of the 4th Brigade. Shifted from the archipelago’s southern reaches to cover the country’s northern areas in 2022, the brigade’s primary base on the northwestern tip of Luzon is expected to host a variety of new facilities to strengthen Manila’s defensive efforts amid concerns of a Taiwan contingency spillover to the Philippines. Social media posts from the brigade indicate the planned construction of a base for the Coastal Defense Regiment’s BrahMos missiles.
While the company’s role within the regiment has yet to be specified, units assigned to the dedicated coastal defense unit are expected to operate the missile, radar and command and control vehicles. The Coastal Defense Regiment will operate three batteries of BrahMos, with each battery consisting of at least two launchers – equipped with two missiles each – and associated radar and command trucks, according to media released by the regiment.
Despite the relatively small contingent that comprises the 273rd Marine Company, the ceremony was attended by the force’s Commandant, the Indian defense attaché and personnel from the U.S. Marine Corps. American and Indian delegations regularly attend milestone Coastal Defense Regiment events due to their key role in allied archipelagic defense efforts and their fielding of India’s first exported cruise missile system. The unit’s shore-based air-defence battalion has also eyed the Indian-made Akash surface-to-air missile system in their search for a capability to guard their BrahMos batteries.
The sale of the BrahMos missile batteries in early 2022 marked the first procurement by Manila of a land-based anti-ship capability and the inaugural sale of New Delhi’s domestically-made supersonic missiles on the international market. Half a decade later, the first BrahMos base is located within range of Scarborough Shoal. The Marines also debuted the system’s operation during their anniversary ceremonies last fall.
Implications for Northern Luzon and Strait Defense
With a new presence in Northern Luzon, the Coastal Defense Regiment has expanded its reach from its initial operating base on the island’s western coast.
“The activation of this unit signals the Marine Corps’ effort, as a central branch of the Philippine military, to strengthen its organizational structure and sharpen tactical readiness,” Georgi Engelbrecht, a Manila-based Senior Analyst with International Crisis Group, told Naval News.
“Such systems, whether BrahMos or similar assets, could be deployed across the archipelago—not only in Ilocos, but also around Palawan, Mindoro, and the northern Philippines facing the Luzon Strait. This can happen on a permanent basis but also for training purposes,” Engelbrecht said.
If stationed at Cape Bojeador, or relocated via roads across Northern Luzon, the Coastal Defense Regiment has the potential to strike vessels in the Luzon Strait. In recent years, Philippine political and defence leaders have voiced their concerns over the status of strategic islands near Taiwan in the event of a contingency operation. Alongside these sentiments, Manila has also stepped up its unilateral and allied defense initiatives in the region.
In recent years, the coastal provinces and islands across Northern Luzon have become a key training area for American forces during exercises such as Balikatan and Salaknib. Manila has permitted the deployment of U.S. high mobility rocket artillery systems, unmanned naval strike missile-launchers and the intermediate-range Typhon. Also known as Mid-Range Capability, the ground-based Mark 41 vertical launching system has the potential to strike targets in mainland China with Tomahawk cruise missiles or moving maritime targets in the Luzon Strait with Standard Missile 6.
Manila plans to procure additional BrahMos missiles for its Marines and Army troops. Last year saw the activation of the Philippine Army’s first dedicated land-based missile unit, which is expected to mirror the Marine Coastal Defense Regiment in organization.
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