The United States on Tuesday approved a sale of $5.58 billion in F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, as Washington backs its ally in rising tensions over China.
According to the State Department, it was green-lighting the sale that includes 20 F-16 jets and related equipment to the Philippines, a treaty-bound ally of the United States.
In a statement, the State Department said the sale will improve the security of a strategic partner that continues to be an important force for political stability, peace and economic progress in Southeast Asia.
It added that the sale will boost the Philippine Air Force’s ability to conduct maritime domain awareness and enhance its suppression of enemy air defenses.
The administration of President Donald Trump has sought to redirect US military efforts to Asia to face a rising China, especially as tensions rise over Taiwan, and to lessen involvement in Europe despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Philippines and China have seen months of escalating confrontations in the South China Sea. .
Beijing claims almost the entirety of the crucial waterway, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.
Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, on a recent visit to Manila, vowed to reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region in light of threats from the Communist Chinese.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated US defense commitments to the Philippines, a contrast to the Trump administration’s frequent talk of freeloading off the United States by allies in Europe.
