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| Hamilton class cutter in Philippine Navy service |
The United States has allocated more than $120 million in military aid to the Philippines this year, the biggest in about 15 years, a senior Filipino diplomat said on Friday, amid rising tension with China over the disputed South China Sea.
Jose Cuisia, Manila’s ambassador to Washington, said Manila was also in talks with the United States to acquire a fourth Hamilton-class cutter to strengthen the Philippine capability to patrol the waters.
“We got the largest-ever allocation from the U.S. government this year to enhance defense and security of our country,” he told members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Manila.
Cuisia said Manila received $79 million in annual military aid this year compared to about $50 million in 2015.
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