The Philippines is prioritizing land-based defense capabilities amid the high cost of procuring F-16 multirole fighter jets from the United States.
Speaking to Filipino and Japanese journalists on Tuesday (U.S. time), Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez said the government is still assessing how it could finance the potential purchase of F-16 jets.
The U.S. State Department has already approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Philippines involving 20 F-16 fighter aircraft, with an estimated total cost of $5.58 billion.
The approved deal includes 16 F-16C Block 70/72 jets and four F-16B Block 70/72 fighters. It was announced just days after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Manila in March, during which he reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening defense cooperation between the two nations.
“However, the Philippines now basically will have to study on how we will be able to finance such a big-ticket item for us. So, it’s up to Secretary (Gilbert) Teodoro and ultimately the President on how we will be able to see whether we can purchase these F16s,” Romualdez said.
“It’s really the equipment that I think most people in our Air Force have said, signified that it is probably the best type of fighter jet that we can use, especially with their plan of interoperability between our two countries, but again as I said it is a question of how we will be able to finance it,” he added.
According to Romualdez, the Philippines is working with US Lockheed Martin, the primary contractor for the sale, “to see whether we can find a way to be able to purchase.”
However, the Philippines is also considering other defense assets that are deemed more essential and aligned with its national defense strategy, making them a higher priority than the F-16 jets.
“The F-16s 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 capability,” Romualdez said.
He said the F-16 is an aspiration for the Philippine Air Force facing the question of “affordability.”
The timing of the U.S. approval for the sale of fighter jets—along with associated weapons, equipment, and support systems—is notable, as it comes amid a series of escalating maritime confrontations between the Philippines and China over contested areas in the South China Sea.
Romualdez acknowledged that China’s increasing assertiveness and maritime expansion are key factors influencing the modernization of the Philippine armed forces, including the potential acquisition of F-16 fighter jets and other defense assets.
