Washington: The United States is planning to transfer four patrol vessels and three C-130H military transport aircraft to the Philippines to enhance the country’s defense capabilities, the White House said in a fact sheet.
“The United States intends to transfer to the Armed Forces of the Philippines two Island-class patrol vessels, two Protector-class patrol vessels, and three C-130H aircraft, pending applicable Congressional notification requirements,” the fact sheet said on Monday.
The United States has already transferred two Cyclone-class coastal patrol vessels to the Philippines in late April and they are already en route to Manila, the fact sheet said.
The two countries are adopting Bilateral Defense Guidelines to deepen security cooperation and interoperability across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace, the fact sheet said.
The guidelines will also advance information-sharing, accelerated defense capability development, and collaboration on emerging security challenges, the fact sheet added.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos is currently on a visit to Washington and said earlier on Monday that Manila is against military provocations and will not turn into a “staging post” for any country’s military campaign.
Last month, the United States and the Philippines agreed to expand their Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement from 2014 to four new locations, one of them near the South China Sea. Commenting on the agreement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that it would lead to more tensions and less peace and stability in the region.
