In July, Lt. Gen. Connor Anthony Canlas Sr., chief of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), said the PAF reduced the options for its Multirole Fighter (MRF) program to two aircraft, with the Lockheed Sid Martin F-16V Viper and Saab JAS-39C/D+ Gripen.
The new government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will make a decision by the end of the year, but has yet to allocate funds for the program.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Air Force said the parts needed to repair damaged Embraer A-29B Super Toucan attack jets are now being manufactured and will be shipped to the country to expedite repairs.
On August 10, the Philippines cancelled an order for 16 Russian helicopters due to U.S. sanctions on Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It has agreed to pay $228 million for the Mi-17 helicopter to modernize its military hardware.
Arsenio Andolong, a spokesman for the Philippine Department of Defense, said that “changes in priorities necessary for the development of global politics led to the cancellation of the project by the previous administration.”
After President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office on June 30, the new administration reviewed the Russian contract and made the same decision as the previous president.
Manila’s ambassador to Washington said on Aug. 15, at the same time that it was announced that the Philippines was seeking to purchase heavy-duty Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the United States.
David Oliver
