The proposed sale will enhance the Philippine Air Force‘s ability to conduct maritime domain awareness and close air support missions and enhance its suppression of enemy air defenses
The United States is forging closer ties with the Philippines, including selling twenty U.S.-made F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole aircraft in a deal reported to be worth nearly $5.6 billion. According to a Bloomberg report, the sale will include sixteen single-seat F-16C Block 70/72 aircraft and four twin-seat F-16B Block 70/72 models. The latter aircraft are combat-capable trainers.
The U.S. State Department approved the aircraft‘s pending Foreign Military Sale (FMS) just days after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited Manila, where he pledged to provide more significant defense ties that could help deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
U.S. lawmakers, who have received a formal notification from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), could still block the deal; however, that is unlikely and is unexpected.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner that continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in Southeast Asia,” the DSCA notice stated.
“The proposed sale will enhance the Philippine Air Force‘s ability to conduct maritime domain awareness and close air support missions and enhance its suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) and aerial interdiction capabilities,” the DSCA statement added.
“This sale will also increase the ability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to protect vital interests and territory, as well as expand interoperability with the U.S. forces. The Philippines will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.”
Though U.S. lawmakers are unlikely to block the transfer of the aircraft and other military hardware to what is increasingly considered a key regional ally, Beijing has already voiced its concerns.
“Any defense and security cooperation that the Philippines engages in with other countries should not target or harm the interests of any third party, nor should it threaten regional peace and security or escalate tensions in the region,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a statement, per CNN.
“As for who is fueling the flames, who is provoking military confrontation, and who is turning Asia into a powder keg, we believe that regional countries can see the situation.”
The Most Advanced F-16 in Service
The nearly $6 billion deal calls for the Philippines to receive the most advanced and newest variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The Block 70/72 models are outfitted with the Northrop Grumman APG-83 AESA Radar, advanced avionics, an extended structural service life of 12,000 hours, and critical safety features like the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).
The U.S. Air Force is no longer acquiring the Fighting Falcon, but Lockheed Martin continues to build the F-16 for foreign customers worldwide at its Greenville, South Carolina, facility. It remains the world‘s most successful, combat-proven multi-role jet fighter, with more than 4,600 aircraft built since production was approved in 1976.
The F-16s will eventually replace the Philippines‘ fleet of a dozen South Korean-made KAI FA-50 light ground attack fighter jets. However, it could still be several years before the Fighting Falcon is flying over the Maritime Southeast Asian nation, as Lockheed Martin currently has a backlog of more than 120 fighters.
More Than F-16s
In addition to the twenty fighters, the pending package calls for the Philippines to receive two dozen engines, twenty-two AEAS radars, and a variety of ordnance for the aircraft, including 112 AIM-120C-8 or equivalent missiles, thirty-six Guided Bomb Unit (GBU)-39/B Small Diameter Bombs Increment 1 (SDB-1); forty AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles, thirty-two AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder Captive Air Training Missiles (CATMs); sixty MK-82 500-lb general purpose bombs; and sixty MK-84 2,000-lb general purpose bombs.
Manila could be gearing up for a war it likely doesn‘t want to fight, but as history has shown, preparing for war may be the best path to peace.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons/ Staff Sgt. Beaux Hebert
