As part of an effort to expand defense cooperation with the United States and modernize its military forces, the Philippine armed forces has asked to acquire two surplus C-130T transports under a foreign military sale, announced the Pentagon. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the potential sale on July 23. The two airplanes, along with spare engines and logistics and sustainment support for three years, would cost an estimated $61 million, according to DSCA’s release. The Philippines already has several C-130s in its inventory (two H models and one older B model), but the extra airplanes would build the country’s maritime domain security capacity and bolster its airlift fleet, states the release. These aircraft would be vital to future humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief operations both in the country “and the wider region, thereby reducing the potential level of US assistance requested/needed for these purposes,” it states. The announcement came just days after Philippine air force officials visited Pacific Air Forces headquarters at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for so-called airman-to-airman talks.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.