Manila: The United States is open to assisting the Philippines in upgrading its air defence capabilities, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said.
Reports quoted Del Rosario as saying that the Philippine government is trying to secure a commitment from Washington to provide frontline air defence hardware particularly, F-16 Fighting Falcons, to bolster the country's security.
"We are trying to get the assistance of several countries to be able to take minimum and credible defence posture and the US expressed willingness to help us with two Hamilton-class cutters, and the second one is coming. We are also trying to obtain a squadron of F-16s under defence articles," the official was quoted by the daily Philippine Star as saying.
The F-16 remains a top-of-the- line, single engine fighter-bomber more than three decades after it first saw service in the US military. Aside from the United States Air Force, it is currently in service in several countries mostly US allies. Recently, it entered service with the air arm of Indonesia.
The Philippines had been on the market for years for a multi-role fighter aircraft to defend the country after it retired the last of its F-5 Freedom Fighters in 2005 after 40 years in service.
Currently its air defence requirement is being fulfilled by several Augusta S211 jet trainer aircraft retrofitted with rockets 20-mm cannons and heat-seeking missiles.
During the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Philippine government had planned to acquired air defence aircraft, but officials then deemed the maintenance of such hardware too costly given the country's limited resources.
Apprehensive
Philippine officials had been apprehensive that the country's defence capabilities would not be enough to stand for itself in the event that hostilities broke out with any of its neighbours, particularly China which is rapidly improving its defensive posture.
In August, the Philippine government took the delivery from the US government the first of the programmed two patrol frigates for its fleet, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar. The Hamilton Class cutter had been acquired through the US Excess Defence Articles Programme using proceeds from the Department of Energy Malampaya Gas-to-Power Project Funds. According to the Philippine Navy the new ship will be used to patrol natural gas fields off the coast of Palawan west of the country.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during her visit last November, had assured the Philippines of her government's support in strengthening the country's maritime and air defence capabilities.
The increased tensions between China and the Philippines as well as several other neighbouring countries over the resource-rich West Philippine Sea remains a critical issue in the region.
