The military’s capability upgrade program continues to gain headway, highlighted by the impending acquisition of supersonic missiles.
THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is slowly beefing up both its offensive and defensive capabilities, working to boost the country’s ground-based air defense, which will be reinforced by the planned acquisition of Indian-manufactured Brahmos supersonic missiles in two years’ time.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, however, stressed that the continued buildup under the ongoing modernization program of the AFP is purely for “defensive purpose,” as the military has to contend with China’s threat in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“Our defense posture is just to defend our territory, we are not offensive. We are not going there as an offensive force but just to defend our territory,” the defense chief told military reporters a week ago during the Navy’s fleet review, the first ever in recent years for the Philippine military which was joined by more than 60 air and sea assets.
“That’s for us not being continuously oppressed, for us having the means to fight back. If they will box you, you could also fight back, they will also have a bloody nose,” he said, disclosing that the military is already about two-thirds in its effort to modernize its capability.
Help from the US
Recently, the United States has turned over eight unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to the military, and it was followed later on by its delivery of precision guided munitions (PGMs) and bunker-busting missiles, which both the US and the Philippines said would be used for counterterrorism operations in Mindanao.
Both deliveries, however, could also be used against Chinese forces and their fortified bases that were built on reclaimed islands in the WPS.
The military’s continued acquisition of weapons, assets and equipment under its capability upgrade program, which was crafted and pushed even by previous administrations, may yet be the greatest legacy of the Duterte administration, notwithstanding criticism it has failed on its thrusts in other areas.
Leaving a legacy
THE strengthening of the country’s ground-based air defense, a project of the Air Force, is included in the P27-billion modernization budget for next year, and it is expected to be reinforced by the much-feared Brahmos missile initially for the Army, the procurement of which has been moved for a year or two.
Aside from the ground-based air defense project, the allocated budget for next year will also support other projects such as another frigate for the Navy; combat engineering; C4ISTAR and howitzers for the Army; and unmanned aerial vehicles, attack helicopters and radars for the Air Force.
It also includes light tanks and wheeled armored personnel carriers for the Army, medium-lift aircraft and heavy-lift helicopters for the Air Force and missiles for the Navy’s fast-attack interdiction boats.
“We are not only leaving a legacy, but more importantly ensuring the protection and welfare of our people,” Lorenzana said in summing up the procurement of the military during the blessing of six of the 16 Sikorsky Blackhawk helicopters ordered from a Polish subsidiary of American defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
The arrival of the combat utility helicopters was among the nine big-ticket projects that were procured and delivered this year, including six Brazilian-made Super Tucano aircraft, a command and control aircraft, two Cobra attack helicopters and 14 various types of UAS.
The military is also eyeing to acquire additional FA-50 fighter jets, Sikorsky-made helicopters, multipurpose attack craft, gunboats, additional frigates and even corvettes, and to initialize a blue water navy, a pair of submarines for which it was looking to France for its Scorpene-class subsea craft.
‘Watching over us’
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay said they will sustain the military’s capability upgrade in order for the country to secure its stake in the territory that China disputes, while putting it back in the league of modern, or at least highly equipped, armies in Southeast Asia.
“With all of these acquisitions, the AFP continues to build its momentum and is steadily moving forward towards the realization of our modernization goals and objectives,” Gapay said.
“I am proud to report that with these equipment, we have once again established effective pressure on West Philippine Sea in asserting our sovereignty,” added the top military chief, who had earlier revealed the increased presence of Chinese ships in the territory.
The military’s slow shift to territorial defense is not only about muscle, however, as it also increases both its air and land monitoring capabilities, two primary areas that seem to have been neglected in years as it busied and focused itself on internal security operations.
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said the three radar sites in Mindoro, Palawan and Ilocos Norte, initiatives that were pursued for years under the “Coast Watch” project, are already in operation.
“The construction and operationalization of these sites means that the entire western portion of the Philippine Air Identification Zone is now fully covered and enforced,” he said.
“Littoral monitoring detachments (LMD) and littoral monitoring stations (LMS) are being used by the Philippine Navy for maritime domain awareness. These enhanced our capability in monitoring vessels transiting within our territorial waters. Two of which are in Masinloc and Nido near the shores of Palawan and both strengthens our monitoring of ships traversing our maritime territory,” he added.
Arevalo, also the commander of the AFP Education, Training and Doctrine Command, said the arrival of brand-new assets for the military has allowed it to conduct 184 air and 575 naval patrols this year.
“These resulted in the detection of a total of 897 unknown tracks, of which 217 responded, and 343 did not respond, but none of the incidents were considered as a threat. Furthermore, we have monitored a total of 94,063 vessels transiting within the Philippine waters, of which 85,178 responded, and 8,885 did not respond,” he said.
Arevalo said the delivered air and sea assets and those still in the acquisition pipeline should “bring us much closer to the realization of our vision of a world-class armed forces with credible deterrent capability.”
“Credible deterrent.” Two loaded words that Filipinos hope will let them sleep more soundly in the year ahead, as the world ends a most traumatic year and looks to an even more uncertain future.
Image credits: AP