According to the Bloomberg News website on April 11, the Philippine Defense Minister said that the United States will help the Philippines strengthen its arsenal and strengthen joint military exercises.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said in an interview in Manila that as a long-time ally of the United States, the Philippines hopes to obtain $500 million in defense funds from Washington every year until 2029 to enhance its military capabilities.
U.S. Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth last month made Manila the first stop on his trip to Asia, where he outlined the U.S. move to strengthen its “unquestionable” alliance with the Philippines.
The Trump administration also recently exempted funds from freezing of military aid to the Philippines, and the State Department told Congress this month it had approved the sale of $5.6 billion worth of F-16 fighter jets to Manila.
According to Teodoro, while U.S. funds will initially be used to purchase equipment to help better monitor disputed waters, the Philippines also hopes to obtain its own medium-range missile system “as soon as possible.”
He said that purchasing a land-based "Tifeng" system is one of the options. He also said the Philippines’ Ministry of Defense is considering using the domestic capital market to obtain loans and funds for military equipment upgrades.
The "Tifeng" system can launch the "Tomahawk" cruise missile. The United States deployed the system to the Philippines during last year's joint US-Philippines military exercise.
Teodoro said Manila also hopes the United States and other partners provide the Philippines with more advanced weapons in the coming years.
“As our platform becomes more interoperable, the pace of joint exercises will accelerate, not only with the United States, but with other defense partners including Japan and Australia,” he said.
Teodoro also said: "The United States is crucial to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region." (Translated by Xu Yanhong)
[Editor in charge: Wang Jinzhi]
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