The American company Lockheed Martin, as part of the sale of F-16 Block 70/72 to the Philippines, offered the country the opportunity for an industrial partnership. This experience is worth considering from the point of view of its implementation for Ukraine.
In particular, in the case of the Philippines, it is envisaged to create local capabilities for the localization of maintenance and repair of military aircraft, investments by Lockheed Martin in local businesses and government programs, as well as various academic research programs. Such an offer looks like a really good opportunity for the Philippines.
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It should be noted that the Philippines has long been planning to purchase the F-16, but for financial reasons they have not confirmed the deal, even considering the Japanese F-2. Perhaps an additional offer will finally tip the scales in Lockheed Martin's favor.
The American company emphasizes the possibility of creating its innovation center in the Philippines, as well as creating new opportunities for this country in the development of unmanned systems. Thus, Lockheed Martin is seriously betting that the involvement of the country's defense companies will influence the decision of the Philippines’ leadership.
A similar offer could be extremely interesting for Ukraine as well. First of all, this is due to the fact that Ukraine operates F-16AM/BM fighters, which will also require maintenance and repair. It would be extremely beneficial to involve Ukrainian defense enterprises in these processes, which have extensive experience working with Soviet-designed and manufactured aircraft, which could be a big “plus”.
However, there is also a big “minus” in the form of Ukraine’s lack of its own funds to finance the purchase of new aircraft in the United States. Even in the best of times, the Ukrainian economy would have problems with a deal on fighters, not to mention the current situation.
It should also be noted that the Philippines is one of the US’s strategic partners in the region to counter China. Therefore, the sale of F-16V fighters by the United States to the Philippines is also a political step.
At the moment, it is not assumed that the American side is interested in a corresponding decision regarding Ukraine. Therefore, Ukraine can hardly expect such an offer, despite all its advantages.
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