The Philippine Ambassador to the United States cited the fighter aircraft’s high costs, and Manila’s relatively modest defense budget, as reasons to pause the contract.
The Philippines has paused the potential purchase of 20 Lockheed Martin-made F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighters, citing budget constraints. The US State Department had approved the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract, valued at an estimated $5.6 billion, earlier this year.
The aircraft were seen to provide the Philippine Air Force with increased capabilities as it faces rising regional tensions in the Indo-Pacific, notably with China over conflicting claims to the overlapping waters of the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea.
“Right now, I think it’s on hold, mainly because … the funding is the key element of this whole purchase,” Jose Manuel Romualdez, the Philippine ambassador to the United States, told reporters on Tuesday at the inaugural Manila Strategy Forum organized by the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
The ambassador added that the funding has been a recurring choke point for the maritime Southeast Asian nation.
“We’re still in discussion as far as that’s concerned, but at the end of the day it all boils down to the money—the availability of the funds,” Romualdez explained.
The US maintains a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines, obliging either of the two nations to defend the other if attacked.
The Philippines Has a Small Defense Budget—and Other Priorities
Manila has sought to focus on “other priorities at this point,” instead of moving forward with the purchase of the F-16s. The sale would have included 16 single-seat F-16C Block 70/72 models and four twin-seat F-16B Block 70/72 aircraft that were combat-capable trainers. The US State Department approved the FMS just days after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the Philippines, pledging to strengthen defense ties to help the country deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
The aircraft would have significantly enhanced the Philippines Air Force’s capabilities, as the Block 70/72 models are equipped with the Northrop Grumman APG-83 AESA Radar, advanced avionics, an extended structural service life of 12,000 hours, and critical safety features such as the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).
The Fighting Falcons were intended to replace the Philippines’ fleet of aging South Korean-made KAI FA-50 light ground attack fighter jets. However, it has been noted that Lockheed Martin has continued to face a significant backlog of more than 120 fighters. Though the United States Air Force is no longer buying new F-16s, the platform has remained popular with foreign clients.
The aerospace firm is expected to produce the single-engine, multirole fighter for customers around the globe at its facility in Greenville, South Carolina, at least until the early 2030s, with maintenance and technical support continuing for decades.
The F-16 remains the world’s most successful, combat-proven multirole jet fighter, with more than 4,600 built since production began in 1976.
The Philippines Might Still Buy South Korean F-50 Jets
Even as Manila has put a hold on the Fighting Falcons, it remains unclear whether it will move forward with a deal signed in June with South Korea to acquire 12 additional FA-50 fighters. Given that the price tag of the South Korean planes is significantly lower—a relative steal at $703 million—the Philippines Air Force could likely still acquire those aircraft.
The KAI FA-50 is based on the T-50, which was initially adapted from the F-16 as an indigenous trainer aircraft capable of supersonic flight to train pilots for South Korea’s KF-16s and F-15Ks. Like the F-16B, the T-50 is a single-engine, multirole two-seat fighter. The South Korean-made fighter is also reported to be equipped with a modified Israeli EL/M-2032 pulse-Doppler radar with Korean-specific modifications by LIG Nex1.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-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. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
