The United States said a $500 million package under the Foreign Military Financing program is in the works to aid the Philippines in advancing its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for maritime domain awareness. Defense Secretarty Lloyd Austin was in Manila alongside State Secretary Antony Blinken in late July to announce the measure.
According to Philippine officials, the aid would not only help the nation address adversarial threats but also open up opportunities in civil defense activities, including disaster response. For Washington, it expects the planned investment to help strengthen collaboration with the longtime ally, especially in areas such as information sharing and access to ship repair and maintenance support in the region.
“As President Biden says, our countries share a strong partnership and also a strong friendship enriched by millions of Filipino Americans living all across the United States. So we’re here to build on that extraordinary foundation,” said Austin, a three-time Wash100 winner. “We’re working to advance our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and together we’re taking bold steps to strengthen our alliance.”
Earlier in July, DOD bared plans to install military maintenance, repair and overhaul capablities in five Indo-Pacific countries to enhance its joint force resources and boost regional partnerships.