The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is leaving it to the Department of National Defense (DND) to decide on the proposed acquisition of F-16 fighter jets from the United States, stressing its confidence in the department’s judgment.
PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said the Air Force has already submitted its wish list of platforms and trusts the DND to evaluate which capabilities best suit the country’s defense needs.
“We trust that whatever the DND considers to acquire for the PAF will be the platform best suited for the current security environment and interoperable with the capabilities we have.” Basco told Manila Standard.
Her remarks come amid reports that the Philippines has placed on hold its planned USD 5.58 billion purchase of 20 F-16 fighter jets.
Basco emphasized that while the PAF remains committed to modernizing its fleet, it is confident that the DND will secure the assets that will maximize interoperability and strengthen the country’s defense posture.
Meanwhile, defense analyst Dr. Chester Cabalza said the move reflects the Philippines’ intent to diversify its defense acquisitions, as offers from Asian and European partners are now on the table.
“The decision to hold the F-16 acquisition from the US comes with costs,” he told Manila Standard.
“The diversification of acquisition is meant to find the best option for the PAF on efficient cost for good financial payment scheme, reliability and human resource training, and possibility for co-production in the future or reverse engineering,” added.
Cabalza said the Philippines is now in a stronger position to “shop” for aviation assets on the global market, provided such acquisitions align with the country’s territorial defense and its self-reliant defense posture.
On questions of interoperability with the United States and other allies, he stressed that the Philippines is not limited to American systems.
“The US is just one actor in our interoperability. We are not obliged to just buy military hardware from them,” Cabalza said.
“Since we are gaining traction for defense cooperation and partnerships with various like-minded countries now, we have to diversify the supply chain for strengthening our air power,” he noted.
Cabalza described this development as “game-changing,” saying the Philippine Air Force now has more choices compared to a singular dependence in the past, which strengthens the country’s defense economy.
