Brawner, who attended the opening of the Asian Defense and Security (ADAS) 2024 exhibition at the World Trade Center, told reporters that Manila is looking at big ticket items that will be very useful to comply with the requirements of the country’s new defense strategy.
The military official was referring to the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC), the central government’s new strategy designed to protect the whole of the country’s exclusive economic zone.
“We need ships so that we have an effective presence in the WPS because the name of the game is presence. Whoever is there in the WPS, they control the area,”
“So, we need additional ships and platforms for maritime patrol, including aircrafts,” he added, emphasizing the need for them to fix its bases so there would be platforms for the new vessels that are coming in.
The WPS is Manila’s name for South China Sea waters that lie within its exclusive economic zone.
Last month, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the Philippines has started soliciting offers as it is keen to procure about 40 multi-role jets to keep its territory free from intruders.
During the budget hearing at the Congress, Teodoro said suppliers must submit a proposed financing package where payment can be spread out.
“Just to get, for example, multi-role fighters, one dozen of those will not make any difference at all. So, the minimum for us will be 36 aircraft, which is only a squadron and a half. But that would be credible. Plus four in reserve because 80 percent in service rate is a good standard,” Teodoro said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has approved “Re-Horizon 3,” an acquisition plan for new military weaponry and equipment worth 1.89 trillion pesos ($33.64 billion) to boost defense.
On Monday, the Philippine Navy unveiled Israel’s delivery of the brandnew vessel, also known as the Acero-class patrol, at the Pier 15 of the Manila South Harbor.
“It will be utilized for territorial defense,” Philippine Fleet spokesperson Lt. Giovanni Badidles told Naval News Tuesday when asked if the vessels will be deployed in the West Philippine Sea, Manila’s name for South China Sea waters that lie within its exclusive economic zone.
“We can’t say yet if it will be deployed in Palawan or Zambales but for sure it will be for defense of the nation’s borders,” he added.
According to the Naval Public Affairs Office the two 95-ton fast craft, with hull numbers patrol gunboat-908 and patrol gunboat-909, are the seventh and the eight patrol gunboats of the Acero-class.
Equipped with the Israeli Spike-NLOS (non-line of sight) surface to surface missile system, the patrol gunboats have speed of 40 knots (74 kph) and have a range of 1,900 km at 17 knots (28 kph).
“Similar with their predecessors, the newly delivered platforms are designed for high-speed operations, featuring advanced missile systems and sophisticated onboard technology, which enhances the Philippine Navy’s capability to conduct rapid and effective maritime interdiction operations,” NPAO deputy director Commander James Reyes said.
“The arrival of these vessels underscores the continued modernization of the Philippine Navy and represents a crucial step toward bolstering the Self-Reliant Defense Posture program of the country,” he added.
Currently, the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei have competing claims in the South China Sea. Beijing asserts its nine-dash line claim.
In 2016, a tribunal in The Hague ruled that those claims had no legal basis and recognised the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the resource-rich waterway, a decision that China has refused to accept until now.
