Pitz Defense Analysis @DefensePitz

From us in Pitz Defense Analysis, we enjoined our fellow Filipino people in celebrating the 128th Independence Day anniversary, commemorating the sacrifices made by the revolutionary forebears who fought for the country's freedom. As one nation, the citizens of this republic must continuously strive to secure its national sovereignty and safeguarding the future of its future generations, ensuring that each and every Filipino enjoys the benefits that the country's national resources have, protected from both foreign and domestic threats. It is with its citizenry, united with one cause, that the Republic of the Philippines will usher in and improve its place among the group of nations, especially in its place as an essential part of the greater Indo-Pacific community. Images from RTVM. #PDA #PitzDefAnalysis #Kalayaan2026 #PhilippineIndependenceDay #FightForPH

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PRESS RELEASE Statement of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea 09 June 2026 | Manila, Philippines The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) confirms the information released by AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo S. Brawner Jr. yesterday regarding the presence of a floating structure in Bajo de Masinloc. Aerial monitoring by several agencies has confirmed the presence of a 6x6-meter floating structure with what appears to be an antenna. Latest imagery obtained by the AFP likewise shows the presence of personnel on top of the structure. Recent PCG monitoring further indicates that the platform is currently located within the shoal, with individuals observed onboard. The NTF-WPS is closely coordinating with relevant government agencies to monitor developments and further assess the nature, purpose, and implications of the installation and related activities within the shoal. Inter-agency efforts are ongoing to establish a complete and accurate picture of the situation. The Department of Foreign Affairs has already undertaken appropriate diplomatic action with the government of the People’s Republic of China in connection with the illegal presence of this floating structure. The protection of Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction remains a paramount consideration. The Philippine Government will continue to take appropriate actions consistent with international law and in defense of the country's national interests. The NTF-WPS remains steadfast in upholding the rules-based international order, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award. We reiterate that Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippines and falls within the country's maritime zones as recognized under international law. We encourage the public to rely on official government sources for verified information. Further updates will be provided when they become available. ###

Philippine Navy Miguel Malvar-class frigate BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06) in Guam - June 9, 2026 SRC: WarshipCam

This shows that China expands far beyond its nine-dash line claim, disregarding the agreements that both Philippines and Japan have in delienating its maritime domains. #PDA #PitzDefAnalysis

SeaLight @SeaLightFound

3 days ago

🚨THE BASHI BREAKOUT: 🇨🇳#China has, for the first time, pushed a paramilitary sovereignty assertion past its own "10-dash line" & beyond the First Island Chain to challenge a maritime negotiation it isn't party to. On May 28, 🇯🇵#Japan & the 🇵🇭#Philippines announced they would

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The Philippine Navy's newest offshore patrol vessel to date, the BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS21), has been commissioned as part of the 128th founding anniversary of the Philippine Navy. More details from its christening to this specific event is accessible in a link below. #PDA #PitzDefAnalysis #PhilippineNavy #BRPRajahLakandula #OffshoreCombatForce updates.pitzdefanalysis.net/2026/06/09/brp…

Images: As the Philippine Navy celebrates its 128th Founding Anniversary, the future BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS21) is highly expected to get commissioned today into active service within the Philippine fleet. Just as reported previously, President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr is expected to attend this event as the guest of honor and speaker, and will likely take part during the commissioning ceremony involving the Philippine Navy's second Rajah Sulayman class OPV. This will increase the number of the OPVs active in the fleet to two (2) units, with four (4) more still under fitting or construction in HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan shipyard in South Korea, where its completion will take place all through 2028. Images from Radyo Pilipinas. #PDA #PitzDefAnalysis #BRPRajahLakandula #RajahSulaymanClassOPV #PhilippineNavy #OffshoreCombatForce

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Great meeting with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary @SecLazaro and Ambassador Babe Romualdez. Our Pax Silica partnership is built on 80 years of U.S.-Philippines friendship —and we're just getting started.

In preparation for its proper commissioning ceremony next week, Philippine Navy's newest Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessel BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS21) is seen mooring near the Philippine Navy headquarters in Naval Station Jose Andrada, Roxas Boulevard. As previously reported, the commissioning ceremony will be attended by President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, where it should have been taking place on May 29, 2026 when it took postponement due to the president's busy schedule, as he is the Guest of Honor and Speaker (GOHAS) of this event. To recall, the ship took its christening ceremony on May 26, 2026, as part of the Philippine Navy's tradition ahead of the commissioning ceremony as now scheduled accordingly, and will take place in the Philippine Navy headquarters instead of its homeport in Naval Operating Base Subic. #PDA #PitzDefAnalysis #PhilippineNavy #BRPRajahLakandula #RajahSulaymanClassOPV #HDP2200 #HDHyundaiHeavyIndustries

Keen Sentinel @Keen_Sentinel

6 days ago

The future BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS-21) is at Headquarters Philippine Navy for its upcoming commissioning ceremony next week. This also marks the first time that one of the navy’s newest large warships was able to moor at the base, following recent dredging in the area.

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I stand fully behind Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Filipinos are a grateful people. We do not forget genuine help, and we say salamat when thanks is due. But gratitude is not a price tag on our sovereignty. No vaccine, no shipment of fertilizer, and no infrastructure project buys the right to violate our rights in the West Philippine Sea, to harass our fishermen, or to aim water cannons and military-grade lasers at our Coast Guard vessels. The Secretary did not “bite the hand that feeds.” He simply refused to let that hand cover our eyes while the other hand takes what is ours under UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award. To question whether long-term good faith exists is not ingratitude — it is honesty. And if assistance is given only so it can later be waved in our faces to demand our silence, then it was never kindness to begin with — it was leverage. True kindness is never thrown back as a debt. The moment help is turned into a weapon, it ceases to be kindness and becomes coercion. China is most welcome to be a true friend of the Philippines. But a true friend does not ask you to surrender your sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea as the price of friendship.

Philippine Coast Guard and Navy partner with navies of Italy and Singapore on a Multinational Group Sail to Guam, as part of the upcoming Rim of the Pacific exercise (RIMPAC) 2026. More images here: facebook.com/share/v/1coc2C…

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The future BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS-21) is at Headquarters Philippine Navy for its upcoming commissioning ceremony next week. This also marks the first time that one of the navy’s newest large warships was able to moor at the base, following recent dredging in the area.

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The Taiwanese and Chinese Coast Guards were engaged in another tense standoff near the strategically located Pratas Islands at the top of the South China Sea, Taiwan said reut.rs/3RGhaGF

West Philippine Sea belongs to Philippines, not China. Period. @MalayaIrredenta @mrbcyber @leisbeth_recto

@Dang_Kuo PN is better to get either the Mogami or the Korean HDF-6000 in this case, for long term fleet growth purposes.

Basically, the capabilities pointed out that both the Asagiris and the Philippine Navy's Miguel Malvar class frigates have almost similar capabilities. Might as well invest and buying newer hulls by adding more Miguel Malvar class frigates on top of two already in service, plus two on order. #PDA #PitzDefAnalysis

Adrei Aldovino 🇵🇭 @Drethegrater

6 days ago

I have no energy to list all the reasons why the Philippines shouldn’t acquire the Asagiri-class, aside from it being a COGAG and requiring a 220-crew complement, but here’s my comment on Reddit from 74 days ago explaining my reasoning.

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🚨SCARBOROUGH SHOAL UPDATE 🛰️A 2nd commercial satellite image further corroborates the previously reported object near Scarborough Shoal's entrance, and also shows a linear feature across the entrance consistent with a floating barrier. In our 1 June post below, SeaLight was first to release satellite imagery of the small object at the mouth of Scarborough Shoal referenced by Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro. At the time, we noted that we had reviewed an earlier commercial image but were unable to share it due to licensing restrictions. Those restrictions have been resolved, enabling us to release this image captured by @vantortech (via @SkyfiApp) on 27 May 2026 (corrected from 26 May in our original post). What this image adds: 1) Corroboration across date and provider: a small, bright object visible at the same location. Together with the 28 May @Satellogic image we previously released, this confirms the object was present across at least 27–28 May 2026. (We do NOT yet know from available imagery whether the object remains in place today.) 2) Floating barrier at the lagoon entrance: the 27 May image shows a curved linear feature spanning the lagoon entrance consistent with a floating barrier, similar to access-control measures previously documented at the shoal. Since our first post, @TeamAFP's Chief of Staff Gen. Brawner told @navalnewscom's @Frances_Mng that his analysts estimate the object at 6x6 meters, and are still determining whether it is floating or fixed. Likewise, SeaLight still cannot confirm whether the object is fixed or floating, determine its function or conclusively attribute it to any actor. However, as China has exercised effective control over the shoal since 2012 and has increasingly restricted access to the lagoon entrance since 2024, attribution to any other actor is very unlikely. SeaLight Director Ray Powell: “The 2002 Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea was meant to stop parties from increasing tensions by changing the status quo on contested, uninhabited features. Yet instead of addressing this object directly, China's SCS "think tank" @SCS_PI has dismissed Philippine concerns as ‘imagination and speculation’ and ‘random nonsense.’ But if China truly believes its signed agreements still matter, this is exactly the kind of development it should be willing to clarify openly: who placed this object at Scarborough’s entrance; when was it placed; what is its purpose; and when can we expect its removal?”

SeaLight @SeaLightFound

a week ago

🚨 SEALIGHT EXCLUSIVE: Commercial satellite imagery shows the "possible structure" at #ScarboroughShoal referenced over the weekend by 🇵🇭Philippine Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro On 30 May while at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Secretary Teodoro said the #Philippines is reviewing

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Coast Guard and naval vessels under the Multi-National Group Sail conduct flag-raising and sailpast exercises as part of the Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2026 (RIMPAC 2026) while en route to Guam on Saturday (June 6, 2026). The participating vessels include the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Gabriela Silang, Philippine Navy’s BRP Miguel Malvar, Republic of Singapore Navy’s RSS Steadfast and Italian Navy’s ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere. | via Froilan Hernandez Jr. (📷: PCG)

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🚨 Great #OSINT report by @PCIS_Guam & worth zooming out from the 🇵🇼#Palau incursion to capture the big picture. JI DI (极地, "Polar") is 🇨🇳#China's newest research vessel, purpose-built for polar work & commissioned in 2024. Its previous voyages have gone north above the Arctic Circle. This one went south into the tropics. The ship left Qingdao on May 7 & reached the Philippine Sea by May 13. Her voyage since then breaks into 4 phases: • May 13–14: Two stations at 13.2°N / 132.6°E — the anchor point she returns to later. • May 14–27: Lawnmower-pattern survey grid. For nearly two weeks JI DI ran parallel east-west tracks at a steady 9 to 10 knots, sweeping back and forth between 132.5°E & 136°E. This is the signature of seafloor & water-column mapping, which produces bathymetric & acoustic data useful for submarine operations & detection. In total it covered a 35x220 nm rectangle in the West Philippine Basin, about 550 nm east of the 🇵🇭#Philippines & 295 nm north of Palau. • May 28–31: Palau incursion. After completing the grid, JI DI dropped south into Palau's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on May 30–31 — roughly 13 hours along the northern arc of the EEZ, on the seaward side of Palau's northernmost reef & near the path of the Belau Submarine Cable (Palau's only major international internet link). Unlike the systematic grid to the north, this was a single multi-hour loiter. • June 1–tonight: The northward run. JI DI returned to her 13°N anchor, moved east & began a slow trip north with multi-hour loiters every 50-80 nm. She is still on station tonight at 16.3°N / 134.7°E, about 600 nm west of 🇬🇺#Guam, working the seafloor zone where an undersea ridge gives way to a deep basin. This is high-value terrain for mapping acoustic conditions around the underwater approaches 🇺🇸US submarines would use to deploy from Guam toward 🇹🇼#Taiwan and the #SouthChinaSea. Palau's government delivered a formal diplomatic protest via the Chinese Embassy in the 🇫🇲Federated States of #Micronesia on June 3, naming JI DI & citing "questionable research-related activities without authorization." This makes JI DI the 5th Chinese research vessel documented in Palau's EEZ without authorization since 2020. Interestingly, Chinese state media covered every previous JI DI deployment in detail, but this voyage has gone unreported thus far.

Pacific Center for Island Security @PCIS_Guam

a week ago

x.com/i/article/2062…

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