Yesterday, representatives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) led by Major General Victor Bayani, Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics, conducted a second inspection of two U.S. C-130 aircraft at the Joint Reserve Naval Air Station in Fort Worth Texas. Following this inspection, General Bayani officially signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance on behalf of the government of the Philippines to procure the aircraft, with an anticipated delivery date in the first quarter of 2016.

The sale of the two C-130s is part of the U.S. Government’s commitment to help the Philippines develop its territorial defense and maritime security capabilities, as well as enhance its ability to respond to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief emergencies, which routinely occur in the Philippines.

The C-130 is designed to provide significant airlift capabilities, even to remote under-developed airfields. This remarkable aircraft proved to be a critical lifesaving tool in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda, moving large numbers of people and humanitarian relief supplies in the affected areas. These additional aircraft from the United States will increase the number of mission-ready C-130s in the Philippine Air Force to five, significantly expanding the number and capacity of existing medium lift aircraft.

The total value of this procurement is projected to be about $55 million. As part of a joint investment program to build the capabilities of the Philippine Military, the U.S. is providing $20 million in U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) towards this purchase.

In 2014 alone, the United States allocated a total of $50 million in FMF for the AFP. In addition to the C-130s, these funds will be used to help upgrade equipment onboard Philippine Navy ships, improve AFP Command and Control systems, provide advanced technical training, and strengthen institutions responsible for the maintenance and sustainment of the AFP’s growing inventory. This is another example of how the close partnership between U.S. and Philippine Forces is helping build further capacity that will benefit the entire nation.