The US State Department approved the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets as well as Sidewinder and Harpoon missiles to the Philippines in three separate deals with a combined value of more than $2.5bn.
The Philippines is looking for a new multi-role fighter jet and is evaluating the F-16 and the SAAB Abs Gripen.
The announcement on Thursday comes as the United States seeks to renew an agreement with the Philippines governing the US troop presence in the country, which is critical to Washington’s strategy to counter ever-expanding Chinese activity in Asia.
Last week, the Philippines again suspended for another six months a move to scrap the two-decade-old Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that had been due to expire in August.