Even More Gullible Than India! The Philippines Buys 20 F-16s, Unaware That the U.S. Would Be So Ruthless
On April 14, Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff Brunner stated that the Philippines was willing to accept the U.S.'s approved F-16 export order at the beginning of the month. However, the total value of these 20 F-16s reached $5.58 billion, almost $279 million per unit. In contrast, two years ago, the U.S. sold 25 F-35s to the Czech Republic for a total of only $3 billion.
Originally, people thought India was the "sucker" for buying F-16s at over $100 million each, but it turns out the Philippines is even more gullible. While the U.S. pretends to throw in some perks (airports, operation courses, training, etc.), the Philippines naively thinks it's a good deal. Then the U.S. troops stationed in the Philippines will enjoy the bases funded by the Philippines, taking everything and not giving back...
But does the Philippines really not know they're being ripped off? The price of the F-16s is so transparent - they must be fully aware. But what can they do? Since they've pledged allegiance to the U.S., they have to pay tribute. And the U.S. likes to appear principled, wanting to make money without losing face, so exorbitant military orders are perfect. The Philippines is quite "understanding", but it's unclear how long their resources will last under U.S. exploitation?
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829449214969027/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.