Reference News Network reported on April 14 that according to a report from Bloomberg News website on April 11, the Philippine Defense Secretary said that the United States would help the Philippines enhance its arsenal and strengthen joint military exercises.

In an interview in Manila, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said that as a long-term ally of the United States, the Philippines hopes to receive $500 million in defense funds annually from Washington until 2029 to enhance its military capabilities.

Last month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made Manila the first stop of his Asia tour, where he outlined measures to strengthen the "indisputable" alliance with the Philippines.

The Trump administration has also recently exempted the freeze on military aid to the Philippines. The State Department told Congress this month that it had approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets worth $5.6 billion to Manila.

According to Teodoro, although the initial US funds will be used to purchase equipment to better monitor disputed waters, the Philippines also hopes to obtain its own medium-range missile system "as soon as possible".

He said that purchasing land-based "Typhon" systems is one of the options. He also said that the Philippine Ministry of National Defense is considering using domestic capital markets to obtain loans and funds for upgrading military equipment.

The "Typhon" system can launch "Tomahawk" cruise missiles. The US deployed this system to the Philippines during last year's joint military exercises between the two countries.

Teodoro said that Manila also hopes that the United States and other partners will provide more advanced weapons to the Philippines in the coming years.

He said: "As our platforms become more interoperable, the pace of joint exercises will accelerate, not only with the United States, but also with other defense partners including Japan and Australia."

Teodoro also said: "The United States is crucial to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region."

(Translated by Xu Yanhong)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7492985446756008502/

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