Fighter jets plan still in limbo – BusinessWorld Online
THE Philippine Defense department’s plan to procure multi-role fighter jets remains in limbo due to persistent funding shortfalls, a congressman said on Thursday, delaying the selection of jets needed for the military modernization program amid lingering tensions in the South China Sea.
Defense officials have yet to make progress in selecting the advanced jets, despite receiving offers from several defense suppliers, Negros Occidental Mercedes K. Alvarez said.
“The greatest challenge we face is that there is limitation on the funding,” she told the House of Representatives plenary.
The Philippines has been scouting for coveted multi-role combat jets as part of efforts to boost its inventory of air force planes, which mainly consist of turboprops.
Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. said in July the government is ready to make a decision on the advanced fighter jets, but funding gaps remain to be the biggest stumbling block to its purchase.
Manila has launched a $35-billion (P2 trillion) military modernization program aimed at bolstering its defense capabilities in the next decade, including the acquisition of advanced naval ships, planes and missile systems, as it pushes back against Beijing’s military might in the region. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio