Philippines omits Elbit from howitzer tender

Philippines Minister of Defense Gilbert Teodoro recently told parliament in Manila that his country would not be procuring any more arms from Israel. “We are not procuring new systems, but only equipment for existing systems,” explained Teodoro. “We have systems that we need to continue to equip, because they exist.” He noted that it is “smarter” to stay with the existing systems in the Philippine army, for example Elbit’s Atmos howitzers, when the existing ones are expected to be used by the Philippines for another 20 years: “It is good for us to take this as a case study on how to diversify supply chains.”

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According to reports in the local media, the Philippines army has omitted Elbit in a new self-propelled gun system tender, leaving the Czech-made DITA cannon and the French-made CAESAR to compete. The decision was reportedly due to Israel’s lack of support for “legitimate sovereign rights in the West Philippines Sea.”

This is the Philippines name for the South China Sea, which Manila sees as its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but is also claimed by China. “The decision aligns with the country’s geopolitical policy of prioritizing security partnerships that respect and uphold Philippines’ national interests.”

This new prioritization is not expected to affect the many existing security areas in which the Philippines uses Israeli defense products. This includes, alongside Elbit’s guns, Israeli-built FAIC attack ships carrying NLOS Spike missiles from Rafael, which also sold them Spider air defense systems. At the same time, Israel Aerospace Industries has supplied the Philippines Navy with “Mini Pop” systems: multi-sensor electro-optical infrared (EO/IR) payloads.

Depending on the leader

In general, unlike Europe, where the EU and NATO results in a more coordinated defense procurement policy, Asia-Pacific works differently. Changes of government often lead to a turnaround, while one leader staying in power for a long time brings a more stable policy.

Between 2018 and 2022, the Philippines was the third largest defense export market for Israel, with an 8.5% share (about $4 billion), according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Until June 2022, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s friend Rodrigo Duterte served as Philippines President, and became the country’s first-ever leader to make an official visit to Israel. Duterte was succeeded by President Bongbong Marcos who has pursued a different policy towards Israel.

Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on October 20, 2025.

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