The United States has approved a multibillion-dollar deal to sell 20 fighter jets to the Philippines, officials announced just days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made his first official visit to Manila.
The sale for the package of F-16s along with related equipment and parts is contingent on Manila formally accepting it through a letter, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DCSA) said in a statement Tuesday.
“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the Philippines of F-16 Aircraft for an estimated cost of $5.58 billion,” the statement said, adding the DCSA had notified Congress about the possible sale.
The Philippines, one of America’s closest allies in Southeast Asia, for years has been looking to modernize and upgrade its military arsenal and air force fleet as it confronts territorial tensions with China in the South China Sea.
“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 DCSA said.
If finalized, the 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 agency said. “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 sale, the agency also said, would “not alter the basic military balance in the region.”
The Philippine Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a BenarNews request for comment.
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Greg Poling, a maritime analyst from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said it was too soon to say if the deal would go through.
“State has approved it, but that doesn’t mean the Philippines will actually follow through with the purchase, or that the final number will really be 20 F-16s,” he told BenarNews.
“If this does happen, it certainly doesn’t change the balance of power, but it could give the Philippines a greater ability to defend its own aircraft over the South China Sea. Right now, the Philippines’ only capable combat aircraft are FA-50 trainer jets from South Korea.”
Defense secretary visit
The announcement followed Hegseth’s meetings with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. on March 28 in Manila, where he assured the Filipinos that Washington’s defense commitment to its treaty ally would remain strong under the second administration of President Donald Trump.
“Deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese, and that friends need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to deter conflict,” Hegseth told Marcos, according to a transcript of their meeting at Malacañang Palace.
Marcos said that Hegseth’s choosing Manila as the first stop on his first Asian trip as the Pentagon chief “sends a very strong message of the commitment of both our countries to continue to work together to maintain the peace in the Indo-Pacific region within the South China Sea.”
China: Who’s fueling the flames?
In Beijing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun questioned the proposed sale.
“We’ve made clear more than once our position on military and security cooperation between the Philippines and the U.S. Whatever defense or security cooperation between the Philippines and other countries should not target any third party or harm their interest, still less threaten regional peace and security or escalate tensions in the region,” he said in response to a question during the daily news conference.
“Who exactly is fueling the flames? Who exactly is instigating military confrontation? Who exactly is turning Asia into a ‘powder keg?’ Regional countries are not blind.”
For months, Philippine officials had filed diplomatic complaints against their Chinese counterparts over incidents involving ships firing water cannons and jets flying too closely in disputed South China Sea waters.
In January, a Philippine Navy spokesman accused China of an “increase in aggression” by using a long-rang acoustic device that sailors said could damage hearing or cause severe discomfort by emitting piercing, high-decibel sounds.
‘Unprecedented’ funding
Under Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, the U.S. announced in July 2024 what it called an “unprecedented” infusion of $500 million to help the Philippines defend its shores against perceived threats from China.
Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken, then the U.S. secretaries of defense and state, negotiated with their Filipino counterparts, Teodoro and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo at a “2+2” meeting in Manila.
“[W]e are taking bold steps to strengthen our alliance,” Austin told reporters following nearly four hours of closed-door talks.
“We are poised to deliver a once-in-a-generation investment to help modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard. We are working with the U.S. congress to allocate $500 million in foreign military financing into the Philippines,” he said.
BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service.