A US F-16 fighter jet.File photo

The US state department approved a sale of $5.58 billion in F-16 fighter-jets to the Philippines

Washington gave a go signal for the sale of 20 F-16 jets, including related equipment to the Philippines, amidst rising tensions over China.

The sale will “improve the security of a strategic partner that continues to be an important force for political stability, peace and economic progress in Southeast Asia,” a State Department statement said.

The sale will boost “the Philippine Air Force’s ability to conduct maritime domain awareness” and “enhance its suppression of enemy air defenses,” it said.

Department of National Defense (DND) Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said, “We have not received any official notice of such a decision.”

President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to redirect US military efforts to Asia to face a rising China, especially as tensions rise over Taiwan, and to lessen involvement in Europe despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Philippines and China have seen months of escalating confrontations in the South China Sea. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the crucial waterway, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.

On a recent visit to Manila, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to “reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region” in light of “threats from the Communist Chinese.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated US defense commitments to the Philippines, a contrast to the Trump administration’s frequent talk of “freeloading” off the United States by allies in Europe.