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GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Babe Romualdez: F-16s on Philippines' wishlist but land-based weapons a priority
'The F-16 will continue to be part of the overall plan, perhaps, in the future. But as of now, as I said, our priority is more on land-based type of defense capabilities,' Romualdez told selected journalists from Japan and the Philippines on a reporting tour of the US funded by the US State Department. WASHINGTON - The Philippines is hoping to acquire fighter jets like the F-16s being offered by the United States, but will prioritize land-based weapons that are more affordable for its national defense, Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said Tuesday. The Philippines is working with the US and Lockheed Martin Corp., the Bethesda, Maryland-based aircraft manufacturer, to determine how it can finance the major F-16 acquisition. Romualdez, however, said, 'We're really looking at other items that are, in view of our national defense strategy, more important than the F-16s.' 'The F-16 will continue to be part of the overall plan, perhaps, in the future. But as of now, as I said, our priority is more on land-based type of defense capabilities,' Romualdez told selected journalists from Japan and the Philippines on a reporting tour of the US funded by the US State Department. The Philippines is the oldest treaty ally of the United States in Asia and both have boosted defense ties under former President Joe Biden and the current Trump administration in the face of China's increasing aggressive actions in the disputed West Philippine Sea. The U.S. has helped in efforts to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines for years aside from staging large-scale combat-readiness exercises every year, including the Balikatan military exercises that has increasingly focused on strengthening the Armed Forces of the Philippines' capability to defend the country's territorial interests in the disputed waters. 'As I said the F-16, it's an aspiration that we've had for many, many years. There are other offers from other countries like the Gripen, which is actually made in Sweden. But there's a question of affordability,' Romualdez said. The US State Department announced Washington's approval of the major F-16s sale following the visit in Manila of Sec. Pete Hegseth, who announced the Trump administration's support to help modernize the AFP's firepower and military capabilities to help deter China's growing aggression in the South China Sea. Hegseth also reaffirmed the Trump administration's "iron-clad" commitment to its obligations under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which obliges the allies to help defend one another in case of an external attack. Washington's assistance is crucial to Manila's efforts to modernize its armed forces, one of Asia's most underfunded, as it seeks to strengthen its maritime capability amid an increasingly aggressive China, which has repeatedly harassed and threatened Philippine vessels and aircraft in the West Philippine Sea. 'That's the reason why we tell our friends here in the United States that our economic prosperity and our economic security are tied into our defense security,' Romualdez said. 'If we have the wherewithal we will be able to bring our country's armed forces into being a real partner to the United States, which I think is what the administration of President Trump would like to see - that countries should be able to defend themselves in partnership with the United States,' he said. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro is conducting an overall study to determine 'what is really the best in terms of the capabilities that we need,' Romualdez said. 'At the end of the day, of course, depending on our resources, and the capability to be able to finance these purchases in the long-term, that's what's important,' Romualdez said. –NB, GMA Integrated News
Bloomberg
29-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
F-35's Inventory Failings Are Issue in Pentagon's Audit Failure
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has promised to produce a first-ever 'clean' audit of the Pentagon by 2028, but the F-35, the costliest US weapons system, poses one of the biggest obstacles. For the sixth straight year, failures in tracking the inventory of spare parts and equipment for the fighter jet built by Lockheed Martin Corp. were a 'material weakness' contributing to the continuing inability to achieve a successful account of the military's finances, according to the Pentagon comptroller and inspector general.
Bloomberg
01-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
US State Department Approves $5.6 Billion in F-16s for Philippines
The State Department told Congress it has approved a possible $5.6 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, a move that would send US warplanes to a key ally in Southeast Asia that has clashed with China. The proposed sale is for 20 F-16's, made by Lockheed Martin Corp., and other equipment including missiles, radars and spare engines, according to a statement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
Bloomberg
17-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Jet Maker Bombardier Warns Canada That F-35 Review May Backfire
The head of Canadian jet manufacturer Bombardier Inc. raised concerns about Canada's decision to review a contract to buy dozens of F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corp., the country's latest response to the trade war with the US. 'Canceling the F-35s might be a good idea, but we need to think about it,' Bombardier Chief Executive Officer Eric Martel told a business audience in Montreal. 'We have contracts with the Pentagon. Will there be reciprocity there?'
South China Morning Post
04-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US hypersonic missiles still not ready for combat use amid China, Russia dominance
Although the Pentagon says it intends to deploy its first hypersonic weapon by September 30, more than three years later than planned, its testing office says the weapon managed by the army has yet to prove it would be effective in combat. Advertisement The army also must show it can produce enough of the highly manoeuvrable missiles before fielding them after the Pentagon invested more than US$12 billion since 2018 attempting to develop, test and deploy hypersonics. Delivering the new missiles will be a major test of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's vow to improve the lethality of US forces, including catching up with a next-generation weapon that Russia already has used in its war on Ukraine and China also has deployed. 'We have to develop hypersonics,' Steve Feinberg, President Donald Trump's nominee for deputy defence secretary, said at his confirmation hearing last week. 'We can't allow the Chinese to be faster than us, both in their weaponry and aircraft.' Lockheed Martin Corp. is the systems integrator for the army's hypersonic weapon. Dubbed the 'Dark Eagle,' it has a reported range of 2,780km (1,725 miles) and consists of a ground-launched missile equipped with a hypersonic glide body and related equipment. A variant will be used by the navy. The Defence Department has said little about how much each missile will cost. Advertisement There's now reason for optimism because the army 'successfully executed a joint test' with the navy in December 'that demonstrated end-to-end performance of the system,' according to a Pentagon statement.
