Teodoro: Fighter jet acquisition needs support systems first

MANILA, Philippines – Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Tuesday that the planned acquisition of advanced fighter jets remains under consideration, but stressed that support systems must come first to ensure their combat effectiveness.

At a congressional budget briefing, Teodoro said the plan to purchase multirole fighters “is still there,” underscoring that radar systems, air-to-air refueling capabilities, and hangar facilities must also be included in such an acquisition.

“A multirole fighter… is heavily dependent on ground control and domain awareness. If not, it will be an unguided pilot-controlled aircraft and its use will be marginal,” he told lawmakers.

“It will be useless” if the warplanes don’t come with air fuel tankers and secured hangars for maintenance, he added. “So, it comes as a force package.” 

The Philippines is scouting for advanced combat jets to bolster its air force amid a sea dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea, parts of the South China Sea within Manila’s exclusive economic zone. 

“Knowing what we know, we have to have a lot of systems in place before any multirole fighter,” he said, reiterating that at least 40 jets are needed to ensure a credible “force package.”

The defense secretary described earlier in the briefing that “modernizing the armed forces… is indeed a tough nut to crack,” saying that auxiliary systems need to be in place before any big-ticket equipment acquisition. 

READ: Teodoro: Decrease in capital outlay funds can affect AFP modernization

“The equipment we use is just the tip of the spear. But without the support systems for those pieces of hardware… everything will be just useless because they will be unsustainable,” he said. 

The Philippines’ defense modernization program is also “equipment heavy, but not support heavy,” as he noted that necessary structures to house and maintain military hardware are underfunded. 

Under the defense department’s proposed 2027 budget, capital outlays were allotted P32.671 billion, 86.37 percent less than P239.733 billion in requested. /jpv