Amid burgeoning military cooperation between the Philippines and the United States, there are indications that Manila may finally acquire US-origin F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft over SAAB Gripens.
The Philippines and United States navies conducted a joint maritime exercise in the South China Sea in late July inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. The US also pledged $500 million in military aid to bolster Manila’s security forces, including the Coast Guard.
At the back of this security arrangement, an unknown source told Reuters that “there is a possibility that next year there might be an additional budget for the air force,” adding that the Philippines’ Defense Department may be poised to purchase the latest F-16 fighter jets.
The development comes days after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gave the green light for the Philippines to acquire new multirole fighter jets, marking a key step forward in the country’s military modernization efforts. AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. made the announcement on July 4 during a briefing with the Defense Press Corps.
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China has seized on this development, criticizing the military cooperation between Manila and Washington. Citing Chinese military analysts, a report published in the Chinese state-owned publication Global Times questioned whether the US and the Philippines had the financial resources to produce enough F-16s. More importantly, the report noted that “the F-16 also poses little threat to Chinese stealth fighter jets”.
The above assertion is significant as the self-ruled state of Taiwan is also currently acquiring its F-16 Vipers, with several units already operational with the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF). Taiwan is upgrading 139 older variants of the F-16 fighter jet to the Block 70/72 Viper configuration. It is also acquiring 66 new F-16 Block 70/72 Viper fighter jets to bolster its combat fleet.
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In response to this fleet upgrade, Chinese military analysts have continued to push the same narrative: the PLA Air Force J-20 stealth fighters will have a clear combat advantage against the F-16 Block 70 Viper fighter jets. Even so, it continues to watch and oppose its opponents in the region, acquiring the latest variant of the F-16s.
Amid escalating tensions between China and its two rivals—the Philippines in the South China Sea and Taiwan in the East China Sea—Manila’s acquisition of F-16 Block 70 Vipers would hold considerable significance and symbolism.
In addition, the US has been aggressively marketing its new F-16 variant to states in the Indo-Pacific. The United States, for instance, is also pushing the sale of its F-16 Vipers to Thailand with an added incentive to make a potential deal “sweeter.”
The United States has already supplied hundreds of fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets to its regional partners, such as Japan and South Korea, which has displeased China.
It appears that the US is now employing the newest F-16s as a means of leverage against China. This is especially remarkable given that, even as a fourth-generation aircraft, the F-16 continues to attract considerable media attention.
After a long wait, Ukraine recently received the first batch of its F-16 Fighting Falcons, which will be equipped with deadly US missiles, including the AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles to combat the massive threat presented by Russia. While Russia does not consider them a threat per se, Ukraine’s air fleet, currently dominated by archaic Soviet-era warplanes, will be augmented by the addition of these Fighting Falcons.
It is safe to say that these US-origin fighters have become an irritant for both US adversaries—China and Russia. However, the F-16s provided to the Chinese adversaries are brand-new and way more advanced than the older variants provided to Ukraine after being decommissioned from the air forces of NATO states, including Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
How Is F-16 Blcock 70/72 Superior?
Ukraine is due to receive the older variants of F-16 fighter jets modified by the respective countries over the years to increase their service life and add more teeth to their power. Military experts have emphasized that despite the technical upgrades, these systems are second-hand warplanes at the end of their life cycles.
The newer Block 70/72 F-16 has built on the capabilities of the F-16, popular for its combat performance in an array of battlefields. The F-16 Block 70/72, also called the F-16V, is an upgraded variant of the well-known F-16 multirole fighter. This Lockheed Martin version incorporates modern features and technological advancements while continuing to serve as a versatile and efficient fighter aircraft.
Operated by the U.S. Air Force and other countries, the Falcon has been a mainstay in international conflicts since its introduction in 1978. Significant upgrades are included in Lockheed Martin’s most recent version, the Block 70/72, such as a longer service life of 12,000 hours, conformal fuel tanks for greater range, the cutting-edge APG-83 AESA radar for better targeting, the Legion IRST pod for passive target detection, and Auto GCAS (Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System) to avoid ground collisions.
Despite maintaining its status as a fourth-generation fighter, the upgraded F-16V boasts a range of advanced capabilities due to its enhanced avionics suite. The core of this suite is the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA).
This state-of-the-art radar system enhances detection and engagement ranges, improves target-spotting capabilities for low-signature objects such as cruise missiles, and enhances resistance to electronic countermeasures.
Apart from the APG 83 radar, these F-16s are equipped with a fully functional Legion IRST targeting pod out of the factory. Comparable to the sensors of the F-35, the Legion pod tracks and detects targets using infrared rather than radar signals. Since the technology is “passive”, meaning the jet doesn’t emit any energy, this can be a big benefit. An airplane emits a lot of energy when it utilizes its radar equipment, which is detectable by enemies. By steering clear of that threat, IRST sensors allow their host aircraft to remain concealed for an extended period.
The F-16 was originally intended to be a lightweight daylight fighter to support the F-15 Eagle of the US Air Force. However, it has undergone substantial development to become an all-weather multirole aircraft.
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According to Lockheed Martin, the F-16 is expected to last 1.5 times longer than earlier models—12,000 more hours—so it should continue to be in use well into the 2060s. If so, with more than nine decades of service, it will rank among the combat aircraft with the longest service history.
In addition to its enhanced durability and resilience, the Block 70/72 features fuselage-mounted conformal fuel tanks that set it apart. These tanks increase fuel range and capacity, presenting a challenging balance since additional fuel usually means increased drag.
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