Constrained by years of economic weakness, the armaments of the Southeast Asian nation, the Philippines, are basically at the bottom of the region. After the retirement of a small number of F-5 fighters aided by the United States in the early years, the Philippine Air Force was once reduced to the availability of propeller aircraft. Now, in order to improve the armament situation, the Philippine Air Force has proposed a plan to purchase 12 new multi-purpose fighters, which soon made Western fighters who were in urgent need of business scramble. Not only the United States, but also Sweden and France squeezed in, wanting to eat the order.
Former Philippine President Duterte approved the Air Force's purchase of a multi-role fighter (MRF) project in late June, which has now officially entered the bidding stage, according to global network reports. At present, it seems that the main force of the Philippine Air Force is a batch of F/A-50 combat/trainer aircraft obtained from South Korea, although the aircraft has a certain air combat capability and ground-to-sea strike capabilities, but it is born from the trainer aircraft, and the comprehensive performance is very obvious compared with the dedicated combat aircraft. It can be said that this kind of multi-role fighter upgraded from the trainer aircraft is only suitable for low-end missions, and once it is necessary to face medium-high-intensity combat tasks, the F/A-50, which seems to be "proficient in everything", is likely to behave "loosely".
In Southeast Asia, a region with a complex geopolitical environment and many potential disputes, many neighboring countries are investing in the expansion of armaments, especially for the air force, which also makes the Philippines feel more and more pressure. Judging from its own actual situation and needs, the philippine air force can not purchase too few new fighters, the performance can not be lower than the active front-line equipment of the air forces of neighboring countries, the purchase price can not be too expensive, and it is unlikely to choose Chinese or Russian fighters that are incompatible with their own armament systems. Come to think of it, the choice space of the Philippine side is actually not large.
Traditionally, U.S.-made fighters should be the philippines' first choice, and the F-16 series fighters have sufficient combat performance and service life, and the potential for improvement and upgrading is also large. In theory, the Philippine military can purchase a second-hand upgraded version of the F-16, so as to obtain a cost-effective solution, and the United States can also use military aid to help the Philippine side share a considerable proportion of the expenditure.
However, at present, the plan given by the US side is willing to provide military assistance, but it has no intention of providing second-hand aircraft, but requires the Philippine Air Force to purchase the latest F-16block 70/72 batch fighters. The good news is that this latest F-16 is tough enough, but the bad news is that the price is frighteningly high. According to the US quotation, 12 F-16s, including weapons and spare parts, have a total price of up to 2.9 billion US dollars, even if the US side can afford part of the military aid, it is still a price that the Philippines cannot afford...
In this way, Sweden's JAS-39 Gripen may be more suitable for the Philippine equipment. The single purchase price and cost of use of the "Gripen" is basically the lowest among the third and third generations of Western half-generation fighters, but the performance is quite good, can use various types of NATO-style ammunition, and has enough excellent multi-purpose combat capabilities. As a result, Saab Sweden has long been determined to participate in the bidding. However, in the case of arms sales, political demands often override unspoken rules, so whether Sweden with limited political influence can successfully sell to the Philippines is probably full of uncertainty.
France, another traditional Western arms power, can not be ignored, as the world's aviation industry giant Dassault, is likely to recommend a second-hand upgraded version of the "Mirage-2000" fighter to the Philippine side. With France's excellent military technical capabilities and relatively independent political characteristics, it is enough to withstand the political pressure of its American counterparts, and France's attitude to deal with second-hand arms is very flexible, the comprehensive performance of the Mirage-2000 is not below the F-16, and the weapons system is also quite sound. If the price given by the French side is appropriate, then the Philippine Air Force may be expected to purchase the Mirage-2000.
Finally, it should be said that the "export of domestic 'Dragon Fighters' fighters to the Philippines" that many people are looking forward to is basically impossible. Although the "Dragon Fighter" is cheap and has good performance, as one of the allies of the United States, the Philippines purchases Chinese military products in the main battle equipment, and will undoubtedly make a "very unpleasant" quarrel with the United States in the political field. Therefore, even if the comprehensive performance of the "Dragon Fighter" is good, I am afraid that it will still not be taken into account by the Philippine side.