he BRP Sierra Madre, rusting and resilient, has stood its ground for over two decades atop Ayungin Shoal, serving as a lonely outpost of Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. But that lonely stand, valiantly upheld by a handful of Philippine marines, is no longer sufficient in the face of an increasingly aggressive China and a region that can no longer afford strategic ambiguity from its so-called allies.

It’s time to stop playing games. It’s time to stop pretending the resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal are anything other than a dangerous, high-stakes cat-and-mouse confrontation between an assertive China and a restrained Philippines. And more importantly, it’s time to stop asking whether America is committed to the defense of its allies in the Indo-Pacific. It’s time to find out.

A New Forward Base, A New Chapter

In his 2023 commentary in War on the Rocks website Blake Herzinger proposes transforming the BRP Sierra Madre—or build its modern successor—into a “Combined Forward Operating Base Sierra Madre,” with direct U.S. military and logistical involvement (read his article here). Not just an upgrade, but a strategic realignment: a visible, immovable, multinational commitment to defending freedom of navigation, sovereign rights under international law, and the rules-based order that Beijing seeks to unravel.

Let us be absolutely clear: Ayungin Shoal lies well within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as recognized under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and reaffirmed by the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling. This is not disputed territory. This is Philippine territory.

America: Put Skin in the Game

The United States has long claimed it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its allies. The time to demonstrate that commitment is now. Enough rhetorical assurances. Enough “concerns” and “condemnations.” Washington must take the lead in partnering with Manila to refurbish, reinforce, and operate a forward base at Ayungin Shoal. Not covertly. Not piecemeal. Openly. With intent.

This is not merely about defending one grounded ship. This is about defending the principle that sovereign nations cannot be bullied, blockaded, or isolated into submission. This is about showing that freedom of navigation in the South China Sea isn’t just a line in a speech—it’s a line in the sand.

A Coalition of Democracy in Action

Let us also make this a regional project. Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan all have a stake in preventing China from redrawing maritime boundaries with threats and gray-zone coercion. These liberal democracies understand what’s at risk. Together, they can contribute material, intelligence, engineering, and political support.

Imagine a small, sustainable forward base—not an offensive military installation, but a platform for logistics, resupply, surveillance, and multilateral presence. A statement that regional actors will not be intimidated, and that America stands not behind, but beside its allies.

Lessons from a Hollow Pivot

The Indo-Pacific has not forgotten the Obama administration’s “pivot to Asia.” It was ambitious in rhetoric, but anemic in execution. The Chinese militarization of the South China Sea proceeded unchecked. The Philippines was left alone when it won its arbitration case in 2016, with barely a whisper of support from Washington. The time to rectify that mistake is now.

The United States must understand: how it responds to this proposal will reverberate across the Western Pacific and beyond. It will determine whether the United States is still the cornerstone of a free and open Indo-Pacific—or merely a bystander offering platitudes while others do the heavy lifting. Now is not the time for strategic ambiguity.

This is a Call to Action

The Philippines is not asking America to fight its battles. It is asking for partnership, for presence, for proof that its alliance with rules-based liberal democracies across the region means something concrete. The time has come to draw a clear line—on Ayungin Shoal, and in history.

Let a Combined Forward Operating Base Sierra Madre be that line.

Published 5/19/2025