Marines Deploy Advanced Air Defense Radar in the Philippines
The Marine Corps is positioning an expeditionary air defense radar in the Philippines as the United States works with Manila to strengthen the country’s defenses and improve its ability to monitor regional air activity.
Marines assigned to Marine Rotational Force–Southeast Asia recently practiced deploying an AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar, commonly known as G/ATOR, at a location in the Philippines.
The Aug. 17 exercise was conducted as part of the Archipelagic Coastal Defense Continuum, a continuing series of training events between the U.S. Marine Corps and Philippine Marine Corps.
Capt. MacKenzie Margroum, a spokesperson for the rotational force, said the training emphasized moving the radar rapidly and establishing command-and-control capabilities in a new location.
The exercise was reportedly conducted at Subic Bay International Airport, formerly known as Naval Air Station Cubi Point when the United States maintained permanent military bases in the area.
Today, the airport serves as an important entry point for American personnel and equipment participating in military exercises in the Philippines. The United States has also developed equipment storage and prepositioning facilities in the Subic Bay area through defense contractors.
G/ATOR is designed for expeditionary operations and can be transported aboard C-130 aircraft or heavy-lift helicopters. Marine units can establish and begin operating the system within approximately one hour of arriving at a new location.
The radar supports several missions, including air surveillance, air traffic control, counter-artillery operations and air defense. It also contributes to larger joint-force air and missile defense networks.
The Marine Corps introduced G/ATOR to replace several older radar systems developed during the Cold War. Since becoming operational in 2018, the radar has been deployed to various locations along the first island chain in the western Pacific.
Its mobility allows Marines to move the system throughout the Philippine archipelago by air or sea, making it particularly useful for distributed operations across islands and remote coastal areas.
During the Balikatan 2026 exercise, leaders from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing also visited a G/ATOR operated by the Air Command and Control Detachment–Philippines at an undisclosed location on Luzon.
The radar could provide an important capability for the Philippines, which does not currently possess a modern air defense network capable of monitoring the entire country.
China regularly operates military aircraft near the Philippine archipelago while asserting claims over disputed territory in the South China Sea. Chinese patrol aircraft, helicopters, fighters and bombers have appeared near contested areas, including Scarborough Shoal.
The shoal is located approximately 120 miles west of Luzon and remains a frequent source of tension between China and the Philippines. China has also sent H-6K bombers capable of carrying cruise missiles into the area during periods of heightened U.S.-Philippine military activity.
Marine officials emphasized that the August exercise involved more than simply activating the radar. Participants practiced transporting, establishing and connecting the system while operating as a dispersed force.
According to Margroum, repeating these procedures helps identify potential problems, improves coordination between American and Philippine forces and ensures Marines are prepared to operate alongside their allies when needed.