Philippines to spend 5.6 billion USD on military modernisation
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has approved a five-year plan to spend 300 billion pesos (around 5.6 billion USD) to modernise the military, defence officials said on June 20.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has approveda five-year plan to spend 300 billion pesos (around 5.6 billion USD) tomodernise the military, defence officials said on June 20.
The sum will be used to buy brand-new equipment, such as fighters,drones, light tanks, radar, an additional frigate and a submarine, to boost thecountry’s defence capability, said a defence official, who declined to be named.
President Duterte ratified the plan at a meeting with top defence andmilitary officials last month. A senior general said the President had adopted33 modernisation projects, with a focus on domestic security and protecting themaritime borders of the nation.
The previous administration of the then President Benigno Aquino spentabout 1.7 billion USD on the military during its 2010-2016 term, mostly onsecondhand ships and planes.
The Philippines has received donated military equipment from Australia,China, Japan, Russia and the US, mostly to assist in disaster response andfighting militants and pirates.-VNA
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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
