The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
U.S. Asymmetric Aid Program Transfers Unmanned Vessels to the Philippines, Plans Attack Drone Transfer by 2027
English Summary
The U.S. is significantly upgrading Philippine military capabilities through an 'Asymmetric Aid Program,' focusing on transferring autonomous underwater and surface vessels and planning future lethal drone transfers by 2027. This initiative expands beyond the Navy to include the Marine Corps and Army, equipping Manila with advanced, low-cost unmanned systems for enhanced maritime domain awareness. These technological transfers are explicitly designed to strengthen the U.S.-Philippines alliance's ability to monitor and deter China’s expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea. The deployment of these asymmetric capabilities reflects a broader regional trend toward adopting modern drone warfare tactics to counter great power competition.
中文摘要
美國透過「非對稱援助計畫」（Asymmetric Aid Program），正大幅提升菲律賓的軍事能力。該計畫重點轉移自主水下和水面載具，並計劃在2027年前進行致命無人機的後續轉移。此項倡議已擴展至海軍以外，涵蓋了海兵隊和陸軍，為馬尼拉配備先進、低成本的無人系統，以增強其海上域感知能力。這些技術轉移明確旨在加強美菲聯盟在南海監測和威懾中國擴張領土主張的能力。部署這些非對稱戰力，反映了區域內採用現代無人機戰術來應對大國競爭的廣泛趨勢。
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