South China Sea: Philippines Shopping For F-16s, Advanced Missiles Amid China Incursions

File picture of U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons

China's increased incursions in the South China Sea have left other countries in the region scrambling to shore up their military capacity. After Malaysia, it is now the turn of the Philippines to acquire new fighter jets and weapons.

A report by Defence News said Manila is looking to buy F-16 fighter jets and Sidewinder and Harpoon missiles, the sale of which has been cleared by the US State Department.

According to the notification by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency released Thursday, the Philippines has requested to buy 10 F-16C Block 70/72 aircraft and two F-16D Block 70/72 aircraft, besides bombs, GPS/laser guidance kits and other weapons.

The Pentagon also notified Congress about the potential sale of 24 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II tactical missiles, 24 training missiles and spare parts made by Raytheon Technologies.

The entire package is worth an estimated $2.43 billion.

Though the Defense Security Cooperation Agency cleared the sale, that does not mean that the deal has been signed or negotiations are done. After the sale gets the approval of Congress, the customer can negotiate on price and quantity.

Apart from the F-16, Manila is also looking into Saab’s JAS 39C/D Gripen. The Philippines' plan to acquire a multirole fighter comes under its Horizon 2 modernization program.

However, it is noteworthy that the notification comes as Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte delays his plan to scrap a troop pact with the United States.

Earlier this month, Duterte had suspended the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement for another six months. The 1998 Agreement allows American forces to train in the country with Philippine troops.

The pact helps the Philippines, a US treaty ally, in its self-defense while it comes in handy for the US to counter Chinese belligerence in the region.

A report by Reuters quoted Eric Sayers, a visiting fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, who said the move is "a proactive effort by Washington to ensure the United States remains the security partner of choice for Manila."

The Philippines' move to upgrade its military capacity comes as the country fights off increased PLA incursions in the South China Sea. The relations between the two countries worsened in March after PLA's manned militia ships were spotted stationing near the Whitsun Reef, which comes under the Exclusive Economic Zone of Manila.

Threatened by Chinese incursions, Malaysia too decided to upgrade its military might. Last week, Kuala Lumpur floated a tender to acquire new light combat aircraft and advanced fighter trainers.