The Philippine Air Force’s multirole fighter (MRF) acquisition program is currently evaluating approximately five potential suppliers to bolster the nation’s defense capabilities, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. revealed on Monday.
Teodoro shared the update when asked if the Department of National Defense (DND) was looking into options beyond Sweden’s SAAB JAS-39 Gripen, long considered a frontrunner for the contract.
”Well yung, of course, yung sa (South) Korea kino-consider, its one of those in the options. Meron din offer yung Lockheed, meron din offer yung Dassault at saka Eurofighter,” he said.
The defense chief was pointing to South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae, currently under development by Korea Aerospace Industries.
The other aircraft on the table include the F-16V Viper from U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin, the Rafale jet by France’s Dassault Aviation, and the Eurofighter Typhoon, built by a joint European consortium comprising Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.
Teodoro is set to meet with Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson on Thursday. Addressing whether the Gripen would come up during their discussions, he noted that the meeting would cover global orders for the jet and analyze how well it fits the Philippines’ defense needs.
However, the defense chief stressed that any final purchasing decision rests on available government funding.
He reaffirmed his intent to secure the fighter jets as part of an all-inclusive defense package that incorporates airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) alongside aerial refueling tankers.
Integrating these auxiliary assets into the procurement, Teodoro explained, is crucial to ensuring the new fighter fleet functions as a fully integrated and operational combat force.
Tankers are especially vital, he noted, as their probe-and-drogue refueling systems would extend the operational range of the combat planes during midair operations.
Teodoro conceded that adding AWACS and tanker aircraft to the deal would noticeably drive up the total expense of the military upgrade.
Under the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Re-horizon 3 modernization initiative, the proposed MRF project carries an estimated price tag ranging from ₱60 billion to ₱100 billion.