Philippines Gets 48 Fighter Jets and $18 Million in Missile Defense Assistance From U.S.

Philippines gets 20 fighter jets and 1,500 missile defense assistance worth 18 million dollars from US. The sale of u.s missiles to the philippines sparked china. The sale of u.s missiles and smart bombs to manila is aimed at preventing chinese expansionism in the south china sea. In what is likely to be the latest visit by a top biden administration official to asia U.S national security adviser Robert O'brien stepped down this week to redouble defense cooperation provide weaponry and rhetorical support to rally allies against china. 

During an elaborate ceremony at the Philippine department of state O'brien announced the delivery of precision guided weapons and smart bombs to the Philippines. The sale is consistent with president Joe Biden's promise to quit 18 million dollars in defense aid during a telephone conversation with philippine president Rodrigo Duterte in 2021. The US Defense aid package is ostensibly aimed at transnational terrorist groups active on the southern philippine island of Mindanao, but it is widely believed that the missile's main deterrent target is China and increasing assertiveness in philippine claimed waters in the south china sea.

The Philippines ultimately aims to develop so-called minimum deterrence capabilities through systematic and sustained naval and air modernization and the development of asymmetric capabilities including the deployment of missile systems that could make chinese ships think twice before interfering to Philippine waters while some regional countries are in a position to match china's military prowess, they could deploy a similar anti-access slash denial, a two slash ad capability similar to that developed by beijing in the region against much more powerful american forces.

According to a special report by the center for a new american security CNAS, the Philippines will need among other things an affordable force of four to six many submarines along with four squadrons 48 upgraded F-16s, to the ability of generation 4 plus to credibly examine chinese expansionism and be able to make the Philippines Defenses more sophisticated.

In addition the Philippines needs to acquire a set of advanced missile systems to track and prevent china's escalating maritime intrusion in its waters. In addition to the American missiles, the Philippines will also be the first customer of the Indo-Russian brahmos supersonic cruise missile which can be launched from air, land and underwater platforms. 

The brahmos weapon system has a carrying capacity of 300 kilograms of conventional warheads and is equipped with advanced guidance systems and stealth technology. At three times faster than sound the joint India, Russia missile technology will present a formidable new challenge to china's maritime adventures in philippine waters. The Philippines has also benefited from expanded defense assistance from other regional partners including the recent provision of modern corvettes and fighter jets from South Korea, as well as reconnaissance aircraft, radar systems and multi-role ships from Japan.

The two asian countries are US Defense allies and are vying for more defense equipment exports to southeast asian countries to boost their domestic defense industries and expand their strategic influence in the region. The overall cost of developing a minimum deterrence capability for the Philippines is inexpensive, well within the range of Manila's current multi-billion dollar three-phase horizon military modernization program.

So far the obstacle is less funding than bureaucratic, bottlenecks and acquisition restrictions. Not to mention logistical bottlenecks due to the covet-19 pandemic. The US however will be a key factor in accelerating the philippines military modernization efforts in the years to come as the recently announced sale of precision guided missiles demonstrates. 

On the surface most of the Philippines, US joint exercises in recent years totaling 280 in 2019 have focused on counter-terrorism and humanitarian relief and disaster relief HADR operations. This allows the Philippine defense agency to address Beijing friendly president Rodrigo Duterte's nominal commitments to an independent foreign policy and threats to defense deals with Washington.

Earlier this month Manila once again extended negotiations on the visiting forces agreement VFA until mid-2021, a landmark defense agreement with the U.S that Duterte unilaterally canceled last february following a diplomatic spat over human rights issues. In reality the maritime security threat posed by china remains a key driving force in the bilateral alliance, a dynamic that is likely to continue beyond the Biden administration.

However Biden's top security advisor quickly turned to regional disputes with China's attention underscoring America's support for its southeast asian allies sovereign rights in the south china sea. They belong to the Filipinos, they don't belong to any other country that just because they may be bigger than the philippines, they can take and transform the resources of the filipino people, that's wrong. O'brien said referring to the energy resources contested in the disputed waters. 

Last year a suspected Chinese militia ship sank a Philippine ship in the reed bank an energy-rich area included in Beijing's nine-dash line claim to the sea. Over the past decade china has repeatedly interfered with the philippines efforts to explore and exploit energy resources in the area. During his latest visit to southeast asia O'brien told regional allies and partners from Taiwan to Vietnam and the Philippines we stand with you amid rising tensions with China.

Strong US support from expanding foreign military financing to greater clarity on both sides implementation of mutual defense treaty obligations in the south china sea, has prompted the Philippines to take a tougher stance in the disputed waters. Shortly after a key US state department policy statement in july in which Washington emphatically rejected China's many claims in the south china sea while effectively backing the claims of its southeast asian allies and partners, Manila announced its decision to unilaterally develop energy resources in the region.

Dispute read bank area previously the Duterte administration had openly welcomed the joint development of disputed resources to improve relations with China. Encouraged by a warm welcome from southeast asian partners O'brien also denounced china's efforts to coerce Taiwan and put out the flames of democracy in Hong Kong. He assured asian allies that Washington would fight unjust and difficult behavior on behalf of China.

In response the Chinese embassy in Manila accused the U.S of being the biggest driver of militarization in the south china sea. The late night statement also specifically criticized O'brien for deliberately exaggerating regional tensions and seeking to sow discord between china and the philippines. "We firmly oppose statements imbued with a cold war mentality and only wish to incite confrontation. This shows that his visit to the region is not to promote regional peace and stability, but to create chaos in the region to seek U.S selfish interests," the same statement said.