The Armed Forces of the Philippines has received P48.5 million ($1 million) worth of new weapons and munitions from the Joint United States Military Assistance Group – Philippines (JUSMAG-P) to enhance the AFP’s counterterrorism capabilities and readiness.
Funded by US grant assistance, the delivery included fourteen (14) M2A1 .50 caliber heavy machine guns, seven (7) M240B machine guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
“As the United States and (the) Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations today, we welcome this key equipment transfer, which will support the continued readiness of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” JUSMAG-P Chief and Senior Defense Official to the Philippines Col. Stephen Ma said in a statement following the delivery of the military equipment and munitions on July 4, 2021 at Clark Air Base in Pampanga.
To date, the Philippines is the largest recipient of US military assistance in the Indo-Pacific. Since 2015, the United States has provided more than P48.6 billion ($1 billion) in security assistance to the Philippines.
The US Embassy in Manila said the latest delivery of military equipment “continues the United States’ longstanding commitment to our Filipino allies”.
This year, the United States and the Philippines are commemorating 70 years since the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) in August 1951.
The Philippines is the oldest security ally of the US in Southeast Asia and one of the five treaty allies of the US in the Pacific region.