Philippines hopes to boost air defences
August 29, 2024
During a congressional budget hearing on Thursday 29 August 2024, the Philippines defense minister, Gilberto Teodoro, said that the nation has started soliciting offers for up to 40 multi-role fighter aircraft to boost its defences. No details were given as to the aircraft types under consideration, nor to acquisition timescales, though Teodoro said that the Philippines wanted to award a tender “as soon as possible, as long as our financial requirements are met.”
Manila is known to be considering the Saab Gripen E and the Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70/72 to meet its requirements, but has also requested information about the new Korean Aerospace Industries KF-21 Boramae fighter.
Armed forces chief Romeo Brawner subsequrntly told reporters that the military wants to acquire more cutting-edge weaponry, including medium-range missiles, as well as 40 “faster and more lethal” multi-role fighters. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr previously approved the ‘Re-Horizon 3’ acquisition plan for new military equipment. This is worth 1.89 trillion pesos ($33.64 Billion), and the government is looking at various financing schemes to fund its military modernization programme, including syndicated loans from private lenders, Teodoro said. Bidders have been asked to submit a proposed financing package that will allow payments to be spread out, Teodoro told the congressional budget hearing.
The Philippines has experienced growing tensions in the South China Sea, where China’s extensive territorial claims overlap Manila’s own exclusive economic zone. Most recently, Chinese and Philippine ships collided near the Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands. The shoal is claimed by China as Xianbin Jiao and by the Philippines as Escoda Shoal, and lies 630 nautical miles from China (but within China’s so-called ‘Nine Dash Line’, within which China claims rights) and about 75 nautical miles from the Philippines’ west coast (well within the 200 nm Exclusive Economic Zone set out under UNCLOS).
The Philippines currently operates 12 KAI FA-50PH Fighting Eagle multi-role fighter aircraft. These are allocated to the 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Bulldogs), part of the 5th Fighter Wing, at Basa Air Base. These were originally delivered to Clark air base, Angeles city, Pampanga province, north of Manila, on 1 December 2016.
