Potential sale of US fighter jets comes as tensions mount between the Philippines and China over maritime disputes within the South China Sea.
The US has authorised the potential sale of $5.58bn in F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, describing the proposed deal as supporting the safety and international coverage considerations of the US by bettering the potential of a “strategic partner”.
Describing the Philippines as “an necessary drive for political stability” in Southeast Asia, the US State Division introduced on Tuesday that the sale had been authorised and will see 20 F-16 warplanes and associated tools transferred to Manila.
The acquisition of the F-16s would enhance “the Philippine Air Pressure’s means to conduct maritime area consciousness and shut air help missions and improve its suppression of enemy air defences,” the State Division stated.
“The proposed sale of this tools and help is not going to alter the fundamental navy steadiness within the area,” it added.
Manila’s potential buy of the F-16s comes amid months of mounting pressure with Beijing and confrontations between the Philippine Navy and Chinese language coastguard forces within the disputed South China Sea, the place China has claimed nearly full possession regardless of a global authorized ruling that such an assertion has no advantage.
The Philippines has publicly expressed curiosity in buying F-16s from Washington since at the very least the administration of former Philippine President Benigno Aquino, which resulted in 2016.
Since then, Manila and Washington have considerably deepened their defence cooperation, notably beneath the present President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, who took workplace in 2022 and commenced pushing again on Beijing’s sweeping claims to the South China Sea.
US Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth stated throughout a go to to the Philippines final week that Washington and Manila should stand “shoulder to shoulder” towards “threats from the communist Chinese language”.
Information of the potential sale of superior fighter plane to the Philippines additionally comes as China on Monday and Tuesday performed navy drills round Taiwan to simulate a blockade of the self-ruled island. Beijing has promised to take the island again beneath its management both by drive or peaceable means.
Philippine navy chief Normal Romeo Brawner stated his nation would “inevitably” be concerned ought to Taiwan be invaded by China.
“Begin planning for actions in case there’s an invasion of Taiwan,” Normal Brawner advised troops in northern Luzon island, with out naming the potential invader.
“If one thing occurs to Taiwan, inevitably we shall be concerned,” he stated.
Joint US-Philippine navy workouts, scheduled for later this month, shall be performed in northern Luzon, the a part of the Philippines nearest Taiwan, Brawner stated.
“These are the areas the place we understand the potential of an assault. I don’t need to sound alarmist, however now we have to arrange,” he stated.
In December, the Philippines angered China additional when it introduced the deliberate acquisition of the US mid-range Hurricane missile system in a push to safe its maritime pursuits.
Beijing warned such a purchase order might result in a regional “arms race”.
