The Philippine government on Thursday announced its intention to purchase 40 new multi-role fighters (MRFs) to enhance its ability to provide territorial defense amid mounting external aggression.
This initiative represents a significant expansion over the 12 MRFs it originally wanted to acquire to strengthen its lackluster aerial defense capabilities.
Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro made the announcement during a House Appropriations Panel hearing, wherein he disclosed that the Department of National Defense (DND) is now open to entertaining bids from prospective suppliers.
He explained that that bidders must provide a financing plan allowing for spread out payments.
“My instructions are to spread out payments to 60 percent of the useful life of the assets… that should be the time covered by the financing, so it will be more digestible to the (Philippines) economy,” he said in Filipino.
He, however, did not specify which models the Philippines was seeking to procure, or potential bidders.
The defense chief was not clear on the timeframe of the planned procurement.
To support this modernization effort, the government is exploring affordable financing options, including syndicated loans from private lenders, according to Teodoro.
In the ASEAN region, we (the Philippines) have the lowest defense spending… it’s so low that we are now forced to catch up (on defense capabilities) so, the amount we have to spend seems quite large. But it is still small compared to what our neighbors are spending on defense,” he noted.
In July, President Marcos has authorized the military’s proposal to acquire MRFs to enhance the country’s defensive capabilities.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) was erstwhile considering the purchase of 12 MRFs, the leading candidate being the SAAB JAS 39 Gripen from Sweden, but a version of the F-16 Fighting Falcon from the US was also reportedly being evaluated.
Meanwhile, the US Indo-Pacific Command’s commander on Wednesday visited one of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) facilities in Basa Air Base in Pampanga.
AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. accompanied Admiral Samuel Paparo in inspecting the facilities developed under the EDCA.
The inspection focused on improvements and upgrades made to enhance the operational capabilities of the PAF and promote joint interoperability between the two armed forces.
Basa Air Base, one of the sites designated under the EDCA, has been equipped with various infrastructure upgrades and facilities to support the Philippine military’s modernization efforts and contribute to the country’s overall security and defense posture in the region.
“The improvements in our facilities at Basa Air Base demonstrate our commitment to strengthening our defense capabilities and ensuring that our forces are prepared to respond to any security challenge,” Brawner said.
As this developed, the Philippine Marine Corps’ 1st Marine Brigade received state-of-the-art equipment intended to boost its fighting capabilities.
The new assets were delivered to Palloc Port in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte, and are intended for newly deployed members of the 65th Force Reconnaissance.
The assets included two V50s, one V300 Fire Support Vehicle (FSV), three V300 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), two Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURCs), two 105mm howitzers, two 155mm howitzers, one Kia Light Tactical Vehicle (KLTV) and one Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS).
