The Philippines is to acquire "close to 50" military helicopters in the next 18 months to bolster its fight against insurgents and terrorist groups, Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Wednesday.He said the US Congress was to finance the purchase of 20 of the aircraft in keeping with President George W. Bush's pledge of increased military assistance to the Philippines, which it designated a major non-NATO ally last year.
"We will be receiving these assets by the third quarter of next year," Ermita said in a speech at the air force headquarters here.
For the rest of the planned purchases, President Gloria Arroyo "has approved the release of funds for additional helicopters for the air force," he added.
Armed force chief of staff General Narciso Abaya said these would cost more than 600 million pesos (10.73 million dollars).
An initial batch of helicopters will be delivered to the air force at the end of the month, plus three UH-1H choppers from Singapore Technologies Aerospace by mid-August, Ermita said.
Manila will also acquire 10 other UH-1H helicopters under an Excess Defense Article program of the Pentagon.
"In all, we will have close to 50 additional helicopters by the end of 2005," Ermita added.
The additional aircraft "will enhance our air force capability especially in counter-insurgency and the fight against terrorism," he later told reporters.
The Philippines is fighting a decades-old communist insurgency and Muslim separatists in the south, as well as Islamic militants, some with alleged ties to Al-Qaeda and its supposed Southeast Asian arm, the Jemaah Islamiyah.
The announcement came the same day as President Gloria Arroyo's government reacted angrily to US concerns that the country could be unwittingly helping export international terrorism through training camps run by Islamic militants.
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