US to bolster Philippine arsenal to deter China: Teodoro
The longtime US ally is expecting a sustained US$500 million in annual defense funding from Washington through 2029 to boost its military capabilities and deter China’s “aggression” in the region, Philippine Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro said in an interview in Manila on Thursday.
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Trump’s government also recently exempted military aid to the Philippines from a funding freeze and the Department of State told Congress this month it has approved a possible US$5.6 billion sale of F-16 jets to Manila. The Philippines is counting on US support, as it tries to fend off China’s sweeping claims in regional waters.
While US funding would initially be used for equipment to help better monitor the disputed sea, the Philippines also wants to acquire its own medium-range capability missile system “as soon as possible,” Teodoro said.
Buying the land-based Typhon missile system — which the US deployed to the Philippines during last year’s drills — is among the options, he said.
The defense department is considering tapping domestic capital markets to secure loans and augment funds for military upgrades, he added.
The Typhon system can fire multipurpose rockets, which include Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range long enough to hit large portions of China and its deployment in the Philippines has angered Beijing.
Manila also expects the US and other partners to bring more advanced weapons to the Philippines for training in the coming years, he added.
“There will be increased tempo of joint exercises. as our platforms become more interoperable, not only with the United States,” but with other defense partners, including Japan and Australia, he said.
H/T: rhk111
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