Leilani Chavez
Leilani Chavez is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. Her reporting expertise is in East Asian politics, development projects, environmental issues and security.
All Stories By Leilani
Filipino military pushes naval base upgrades, fearing Chinese spying
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro wants to speed up work at Balabac Island, a joint Air Force and Navy base in the southern end of Palawan province.
South Korea’s new leaders seek continuity on key defense issues
Washington is reportedly reassessing defense cost-sharing agreements with South Korea, and Trump may want significant increases to Seoul’s contributions.
Philippines orders 12 more FA-50 combat jets from South Korea
Manila has actively purchased frigates, corvettes, aircraft and weapons from South Korean defense firms to modernize its armed forces.
Asian navies eye undersea drones to find hidden infrastructure threats
Their presence might pose challenges for Southeast Asia, however, where there is no formal mechanism for Navy-level exchanges in the underwater domain.
US Typhon missile system in Philippines is a subtle headache for China
Officials in Manila have said they want to acquire similar systems in the future as part of military modernization.
Japan develops new missiles designed to repel an invasion
The long-range missiles could target vulnerable parts of ships and traverse Japan’s mountainous terrains to hit land-based targets, officials said.
US approves sale of F-16s to the Philippines in $5.5bn weapons package
The move follows U.S. Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth’s trip to the Philippines last week and comes ahead of the annual, joint Balikatan exercise.
China bans more US defense firms
The ban aims to protect the country’s “national sovereignty and security," and it follows US tariffs against Beijing, according to the Chinese government.
