US Admiral Signals Expanded Special Forces Drills Across Asia

The commander of US Special Operations Command has indicated that American special forces are prepared to increase the scale of combat-readiness exercises with partners in the Philippines and elsewhere in Asia. Admiral Frank Bradley made the remarks during a visit to Manila on Thursday, where he met with Filipino military officials.

Bradley framed the planned expansion of drills as a core element of deterrence. "The best way to deter conflict is by being able to demonstrate convincingly to any adversary who may want to start a conflict that they won't be able to win," he said. He added that strong, cohesive alliances are the most effective safeguard against war, noting that "together we are stronger and together we can prevent those conflicts from coming to us."

The admiral's trip to the Philippines follows a visit to South Korea and precedes talks in Japan. He is the latest in a series of senior US military leaders to tour key Asian allies in recent weeks, a move seen as an effort to reaffirm Washington's security commitments to the region.

Bradley's command, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, oversees roughly 80,000 personnel and is responsible for some of the US military's most sensitive operations. He noted that the majority of his forces are currently deployed across more than 80 countries.

Discussions with Filipino counterparts centered on the Philippine military's modernization efforts, the intensification of joint exercises with the US and other allies, and the strengthening of a network of security alliances to address China's increasingly assertive actions in the South China Sea.