PH Air Force fleet buildup: Boon to homeland security

As announced by the US State Department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) the other week, following the visit to Manila of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the US government has given the go signal for the possible foreign military sale of 20 units of F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines for $5.58 billion or approximately P319 billion. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. held talks with his counterpart after the former’s call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

- 

Eyed to augment the Philippine Air Force’s security and defense capability are 16 units of F-16 C Block 70/72 aircraft and four units of F-16 D Block 70/72 aircraft. The principal contractor would be American aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

The package also includes various weapons systems, radars, guided missile launchers and assorted missiles, anti-aircraft guns, general purpose bombs, attack munition, electronic countermeasure systems, spare parts, engines, and other non-major defense equipment (MDE). It will also provide training, simulators, technical support, and other related elements of logistics and program support.

This latest development is significant, given the long-felt need to boost the country’s air defense capability in light of simmering developments, among which is the concerning rift over Taiwan where, according to the Department of Migrant Workers’ 2024 data, there are some 158,000 overseas Filipino workers.