Manila activated a new military base this week in the Luzon Strait in a move that the Philippine military claims will support the country’s defense and surveillance efforts in the strategic waterway 120 miles south of Taiwan. On Thursday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Northern Luzon Command commissioned a forward operating base in Mahatao on Batan, one of several small islands that make up the country’s northernmost Province of Batanes. Located in the middle of the Luzon Strait, Manila has recognized the island chain’s strategic value in recent years amid the country’s tensions with Beijing and the potential of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. “The Mahatao FOB will serve as a platform for territorial defense, maritime domain awareness, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations. Its location highlights the strategic importance of Batanes as the nation’s northernmost frontier,” reads a Northern Luzon Command news release.

Full report : Philippines opens a new military base at a crucial China choke point near Taiwan.