MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine military has received P48.5 million worth of new weapons and munitions from the United States, Washington’s embassy in Manila said Thursday.
The Joint United States Military Assistance Group-Philippines (JUSMAG-P) delivered the weapons to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Clark Air Base in Pampanga last July 4, according to the embassy.
The delivery, which was funded by U.S. grant assistance, included 14 M2A1 .50 caliber heavy machine guns, seven M240B machine guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
The delivery aims to enhance the AFP’s counterterrorism capabilities and readiness, the em
“As the United States and the Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations today, we welcome this key equipment transfer, which will support the continued readiness of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” JUSMAG-P Chief and Senior Defense Official to the Philippines Col. Stephen Ma said.
According to the embassy, the Philippines is the “largest recipient” of U.S. military assistance in the Indo-Pacific.
Since 2015, the U.S. has provided more than Php48.6 billion ($1 billion) in security assistance to the Philippines, the embassy noted.
The Joint United States Military Assistance Group – Philippines (JUSMAG-P) delivers Php48.5 million ($1 million) worth of weapons and munitions to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Clark Air Base on July 4. Photo from the U.S. Embassy in Manila
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