Japan's Ground-Based Air Defense Options to the Philippines

Bilateral defense relations between Japan and the Philippines come at an all-time high, signifying the continuous cooperation between both maritime nations that share a common adversary and similar situation regarding territorial domains and integrity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Coming alongside a comprehensive agreement between both countries also comes with a capacity-building package that provides much-needed benefits among both countries from a full defense point of view.

OVERVIEW

A missile launching unit of the Type 81 Missile Launcher of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.

Bilateral agreements that involve national defense and security between countries are an interesting development in the affairs and the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region, whereby the benefits are sufficient for both of the security and defense requirements that both nations have. 

This is specifically the case between Japan and the Philippines, whereby both countries share a common adversary and situation in the region, one that involves challenges to each one’s territorial integrity.

Last July 8, 2024, both the Philippines and Japan signed the Reciprocal Access Agreement or RAA, whereby it has a bit similarity to the mechanisms imposed by the Visiting Forces Agreement or VFA between the Philippines and the United States of America. 

The reports described it as a ground-breaking development between the bilateral defense ties between both countries in the Indo-Pacific region, as both Japan and the Philippines are part of what geographically counts as the ‘first island chain’.

The agreement underscores the need of improved bilateral defense relation between both countries, of which it even comes to a point for Japan to support the Philippines on its capacity-building efforts under the ongoing push of the Revised AFP Modernization Program’s Re-Horizon 3 phase and the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept or CADC. In context, Japan’s first successful export of military hardware is with the Philippine Air Force’s J/FPS-3ME air surveillance radar and the J/TPS-P14ME mobile radar variant.

With the success of the export of the aforementioned radar systems to the Philippines from Japan, the latter is now raising up an idea of the likelihood of selling its surface-to-air missile batteries for the Philippine military to consider, with a wide variety of variants coming from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force that might find its way for the likes of the Philippine Air Force. This is especially in line with the recently passed New Government Procurement Act or NGPA (Republic Act 12009), allowing the purchase of second-hand military hardware, provided it is economically preferable to the government.

Currently, the ground-based air defense systems that the Armed Forces of the Philippines possess at the time this article primarily compose of the Spyder Philippine Air Defense System or SPADS of the Philippine Air Force, of which it is a Spyder MR variant provided by Rafael Systems Limited of Israel, and others like the man-portable air defense system or MANPADS that the Philippine Army has purchased for its limited air defense requirements. This comes aside from air defense systems the Philippine Navy has on its warships.

Meanwhile, there are many variants of air defense systems that are currently serving within the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, along with other platforms that it sets for decommissioning and likely getting discussed as a potential ‘up for grabs’ platform for the Philippine Armed Forces to consider. The other platforms already discussed on this website are the Type 74 tanks, the UH-1J Combat Utility Helicopters, and the AH-1S Attack Helicopters that the likes of the Philippine Army might consider.

This topic’s discussion will delve deep into the potential platforms that the Japan Ground Self Defense Force might get decommissioned and eventually transferred to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, while covering at a glance regarding its development, capability, and other relevant details. 

Also, the scope of the Reciprocal Access Agreement gets briefly discussed in this article as a sub-topic, as it comes with relevance to the commitments Japan pushes in improving the Philippine Armed Forces capabilities building.

ABOUT THE RECIPROCAL ACCESS AGREEMENT OR RAA

Both the Philippine and Japanese governments reached an agreement that strengthening bilateral defense ties of both countries.
Image Source.

Both the Philippines and Japan sit lie in the first island chain between the Asian mainland and the Pacific Ocean, whereby both are island nations that share similar concerns and interest in the region, especially regarding national security concerns and in ensuring the stability and the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region. Hence, it is an ideal concept from here for both countries to strengthen bilateral defense and economic ties given the proximity between the two nations.

That ideal concept received a significant milestone on July 8, 2024, whereby both countries signed and agreed to the Philippine-Japanese Reciprocal Access Agreement or PH-JP RAA, whereby both countries can deploy and rotate military troops and military hardware on each territory and vice versa, encouraging the bilateral trainings and skills exchange between the Philippine military and its Japanese counterpart, of which this involves Humanitarian-related aid and disaster response exercises.

This comes as the Philippines have expanded its defense relations with like-minded countries, whereby similar arrangements that replicate the Reciprocal Access Agreement took place between the likes of Australia and Canada with their respective SOVFA or Status of Visiting Forces Agreement. It differs from the existing arrangement that the Philippines have with the United States and the jointly bound Visiting Forces Agreement or VFA, with itself being the enhancement of the Philippine-US alliance.

The agreement also set a precedent for the Japan Self Defense Force or JSDF to take part actively in any future bilateral and multilateral exercises within the country, especially with the likes of Joint Exercise Balikatan together with the United States, or in other activities that takes part within the Philippine territory. Likewise, this also enables troops belonging to the Philippine Armed Forces to take part in any exercises in Japan, strengthening interoperability and skills exchange between both forces.

Aside from Japan’s desire to join the annual Joint Exercise Balikatan that the Philippine Armed Forces and their United States Armed Forces counterparts taking part every year, the former also aims to craft and create its own version of the said joint exercise with the Philippines, a sign that there will be exercise that go beyond the usual humanitarian aid and disaster response scope before the agreement took place and goes to the scope that involves active military exercise and exchange between JSDF and AFP personnel.

With the approval of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan and the Philippines, the ever-increasing bilateral defense cooperation between countries becomes likely expected, whereby aside from the exchange of both troops, skills, and subject between the troops of both the Japan Self-Defense Force and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, it also gives the likelihood for Japan’s increased support for the Revised AFP Modernization Program that has started when it exported air surveillance radars for the Air Force.

Now that the aspect of improving bilateral ties of both countries on both defense and diplomacy amidst the increased tensions on the peace and order in the Indo-Pacific region, the following subtopics will delve primarily on the existing air defense platforms that Japan Self Defense Force currently has that might have a likelihood or increased chance for their Philippine counterparts to consider, especially in augmenting the Israeli-made ground-based air defense system the latter currently operates.

JAPAN’S LICENSE-BUILT MIM-23 HAWK

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force still maintains the MIM-23 Hawk Surface-To-Air Missile, licensed-built in the country. 
Image retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.

The first air defense platform to delve under this topic involving Japan's Ground Based Air Defense Options that might provide for the Philippine military's capacity building for further securing its national airspace that is the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone or PADIZ, involves a licensed production copies of an American-based air defense missile design and feature, of which it comes as one of the main capacity features used during the Cold War as used by the United States and the Western Bloc.

Abbreviated as “Homing All the Way Killer”, MIM-23 HAWK is‌ an all-weather low to medium-altitude ground-to-air missile system developed and designed by the American Defense Company Raytheon to satisfy United States Army air defense requirements. 

First developed and produced in the 1950s, the iconic Cold-War era medium-range surface-to-air missile system still comes as an ideal supplementary platform for the Philippine Air Force’s ever-increasing air defense coverage requirements.

The first systems of this type entered active service into the United States Army service in the 1960s, followed by a memorandum of agreement across the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO that enabled the co-production of the system in Europe. 

This arrangement enabled countries like France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany to have the air defense system, followed by the succeeding orders to other European countries such as to Spain, Greece, and Denmark.

This 1950s-era medium-range air defense system played a significant role in key military combat in recent history, whereby it successfully helped Israel win the 1967 six-day war by shooting down several Egyptian fighter aircraft in several instances. It is also through this same year that the United States and Japan signed a memorandum of understanding or MOU, enabling the latter to produce licensed copy versions of the MIM-23 HAWK for Japan Ground Self-Defense Force use.

Aside from Israel, the Kuwaitis have also used its MIM-23 HAWK air defense system units against the Iraqi aircraft on the first days of the invasion from August 2, 1990, of which it became the iconic ‘Operation Desert Storm’, whereby coalition forces including the United States military deploy its troops and equipment to deter and fight the Iraqi invasion force. While the coalition force deployed their MIM-23 HAWK air defense system units in the Persian Gulf, it did not see actual combat operations.

There are at least three (3) variants of the MIM-23 HAWK medium-range air defense system as developed and improved by the US-based defense company Raytheon, of which it categorized into phases - Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III. 

The Phase I variant involves the replacement of key sensors and mechanisms onboard, while the Phase II and III variants introduce significant upgrades into its radar, electronics, and even introduced some advanced computer systems that increase its air defense intercept performance. 

Like any contemporary air defense systems like the Philippine Air Force’s Spyder Ground-Based Air Defense System, the MIM-23 HAWK operates as a single battery unit, comprising several launchers with a separate component for radar and control systems. 

Both systems mentioned provide substantiated air defense coverage across a certain area, with synchronous coordination from long range air surveillance radar platforms on fixed positions such as the J/FPS-3ME of Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric.

TYPE 81 SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE

Another Type 81 air defense launch unit was on display. 
Image Source.

Another air defense system that the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force or the JGSDF fields that might have the likelihood to find its way into the Philippine military’s inventory is the Type 81 Surface-To-Air Missile platform. 

This system currently complements the MIM-24 HAWK medium-range air defense system in ensuring the securing the Japanese air defense identification zone, specifically that the country faces intrusions from its neighbors in recent years, starting from the former Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Unlike the MIM-24 HAWK, which is a medium-range air defense system, the Type 81 is actually a short-range air defense platform of which it also operates as a single battery unit, comprising a radar unit and at least two (2) launch vehicles, with the Isuzu SKW or officially known in JGSDF as the Type 73 heavy truck serving as the primary chassis of this air defense system. Both platforms, although having variances in air coverage and capabilities, are mainstay air defense platforms of the JGSDF.

While being a shorter range air defense system, the Type 81 is a system developed throughout the 1960s and 1970s, of which this is eventually getting introduced into active service within the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force or JGSDF in 1982. 

The missile munition that came with the system, of which it bears the name ‘Tan-SAM’, has three variants, whereby the original Tan-SAM 1 came with an infrared seeker, the Tan-SAM 1B has an improved infrared seeker, and the Tan-SAM 1C gets a phased array seeker.

Being a short-ranged air defense system, the Type 81 surface-to-air missile system’s own firepower has a maximum range of ten (10) kilometers and a maximum altitude of three (3) kilometers, or 9,842 feet. As for the later variant of the Tan-SAM missile, such as the 1C variant, that range has increased to fourteen (14) kilometers thanks to an improved rocket motor, coupled with a phased array seeking missile seeker that lessens the chance of getting jammed by an infrared decoy such as flares.

The Type 81 systems itself sought mass production from 1981 to the 1990s, while the Tan-SAM missile munitions that came with it still have continuous production since its introduction in the 1980s. 

This means that the Japanese company Toshiba, the one that oversees development and production of both the Type 81 systems and the Tan-SAM productions, took at least a decade for the production of the missile systems and still produces the munitions for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force requirements.

Once again, unlike the MIM-24 HAWK, the Type 81 surface-to-air missile system is indigenously Japanese, and is only owned by the Japan Ground Self-Defense force or JGSDF. 

Therefore, there are no other countries at the time of this writing, although any prospects of the Japanese government cooperating with the Philippine government in bolstering its air defense system might enable the latter to be the second user and the first overseas user of this air defense system in history.

Aside from these two older air defense platforms that the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force currently has in present and is likely on its way into decommission phase, there is also a likelihood that the Japanese might push its export of newer produced air defense system for the Philippine Air Force to consider, one of which is a significant improvement over the Type 81 surface-to-air missile system whereby it is also called the Tan-SAM KAI II variant.

TYPE 11 SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE

This is basically an improvement over the Type 81 Surface-To-Air Missile.
Image Source.

While the first two types of air defense missile systems that might get by the Philippine Air Force after getting decommissioned from acting Japan Ground Self-Defense Force service after decades of continuous operations, the next two systems are the new ones that currently serve the Japanese military branch might also stand a chance into getting offered for the Philippines to have, although it is still at the discretion of the prospective end-user after considering financial and technical factors.

The first new air defense system for discussion is basically an improvement over the Type 81 Tan-SAM system as discussed here, whereby it shares the same capability as a short-ranged air defense system, while incorporating newer technology into the system, making it more capable compared to its predecessor. This refers to the Type 11 Surface-To-Air Missile, both of which share the same size of 160 mm caliber missile ammunition with its Type 81 predecessor.

Even though it shares a technological tree with the Type 81 surface-to-air missile, the Type 11 actually started development in 2005, with the first units delivered for Japan Ground Self-Defense Force use in 2014. 

Both platforms share the same launching platforms, such as the Isuzu SKW or the Type 73 heavy truck for its chassis, although smaller vehicles like the Toyota Mega Cruiser four (4)-wheeled drive heavy duty SUV can also serve as a launch platform of this short range air defense platform.

Developed by the Japanese technology firm Toshiba, the Type 11 missile specifications came with 2.93 meters long, 0.16 meter in diameter, and approximately 103 kilograms in weight. Going further, the system has a maximum range of eighteen (18) kilometers, which is basically greater compared to the fourteen (14) kilometer maximum range of its predecessor, the Type 81 surface-to-air missile system. The following details will refer to the composition of its system's battery platform.

Speaking of a Type 11 surface-to-air missile battery system, it comprises a single Fire Control System Vehicle and two launcher vehicles that can carry four (4) missiles each at a maximum, totalling at least eight (8) missiles per launching battery. 

Aside from those mentioned, the Type 11 launching unit also comes with support vehicles that will help rearm the launchers once all 8 missiles from two launching platforms get used against an aerial threat within the air defense system’s area of operations.

Sharing a similar attribute as an improved variant of the Type 81 surface-to-air missile, the Type 11 air defense platform will not be that far-fetched for the Japanese to provide this platform either as a separate offer to its predecessor, or as a package, depending on how things might go if this prospect pushes through. 

Still, the idea for the sale of such a platform to the Philippine Air Force is possible, given how the service branch secures the J/FPS-3ME radar platform that the Japan Self Defense Force currently uses.

The next air defense platform that Japan currently uses is more capable than both the Type 81 and Type 11 air defense systems, and this will also complete this prospective list of what will be for the country’s support for improving the Philippine Air Defense System, specifically through these ground-based air defense solutions that might go integrated into the larger system that effectively implements the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone or PADIZ.

TYPE 03 MEDIUM RANGE SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE

Also known as the Chu-SAM, the Type 03 air defense system is Japan's most modern and more capable air defense system of greater range.
Image Source.

Completing the list is this capable and modern air defense system that the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force currently uses, as it is in tandem with the older MIM-23 Hawk air defense system that this Japanese military service branch is looking forward to decommissioning. 

Also, just like the short-ranged Type 11 surface-to-air missile platform, this one is a likely candidate for Japan’s support in improving the Philippines’ own air defense system platform, augmenting the air surveillance radars it supplied.

Designed to replace the older MIM-23 Hawk air defense system that the Japanese produced under license and operated by Japan Ground Self-Defense Force for decades, the Type 03 medium-range air defense system serve as the country’s first indigenously developed and produced air defense system, of which the development has undertaken by a partnership between the Japan Technical Research and Development Institute and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries or MHI.

The development of this indigenously produced Japanese medium-range air defense platform started in the 1990s until this step completed in 2003 that the manufacturer, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has started production of this air defense platform for Japan Ground Self-Defense Force requirements from 2005 onwards. 

Since then, there are sixteen (16) companies of Type 03 medium range air defense platform serving the JGSDF actively, with it being the only user of the platform at the time of this writing.

Moving on to the specifications and subsystems of the Type 03 medium range air defense system developed for Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, its overall range comes at around 50 kilometers, with speeds going at the maximum of Mach 2.5 or twice and a half the speed of sound, and its maximum altitude of around 10 kilometers or 32,808.40 feet. This means that its capability comes at part with Israel’s SPYDER-MR variant of Air Defense Systems that the Philippine Air Force currently operates to-date.

Going further in talking about its specifications and performance, the Type 03 missile has the maximum speed of Mach 2.5 or two and a half times the speed of sound, while the sensors and components found on both the missile and the batteries that launched it comprise with an Active Radar Homing Seeker, plus Inertial Guidance and Mid-flight command link that is specifically designed to detect and deter threats such as intruding fighter aircraft, helicopters, and inbound cruise missiles.

Having a medium-range air defense system like the Type 03 platform plays a crucial role for Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and its air defense prospects, especially when they deployed the air defense platform near the highly contested Senkaku Islands within the Okinawa Prefecture that Japan has full sovereignty on, while China claims the islands as its own in a manner similar to the sham claims that the rogue regional superpower has in claiming Philippines’ Kalayaan Island Group and Panatag Shoal.

If the Japanese actually ended up providing each of the air defense systems like the Type 03 air defense system for the Philippines to use, this will dramatically give a sign of improved defense relations between both countries, particularly in ensuring a secured airspace in the Indo-Pacific region as both Japan and the Philippines help ensures a secured and stable Indo-Pacific region, particularly in monitoring and keeping each other’s airspace in check against unwanted intruders.

IN CONCLUSION

The Japanese air defense systems will help augment the capabilities of the Israeli-made SPYDER-MR Ground Based Air Defense Systems or GBADS.
Image Source @AlfredoGenom.

The recent development in Philippine-Japanese bilateral defense relations signals an improved cooperation between both countries regarding national defense and security, particularly that the Reciprocal Access Agreement that has agreed by both sides enabled the militaries of two countries to take part in the exercises of one another, while freely taking part in deployment of troops within territorial jurisdiction of both Japan and the Philippines within the scope of this bilateral agreement.

This development gets a symbolic emphasis on deeper bilateral defense cooperation between both countries, as Japan might grant the request of the Philippines for selling its air defense system solutions, both the ones that are about to retire and the ones that are still in active service in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, likely produced as a brand new platform solution in a manner similar to the new fixed and mobile radar solutions that the Philippine Air Force receives.

Shall this push through, it will significantly improve the country's air defense system mechanism even further, especially that this will probably get reinforced even more with the Philippine Air Force's desire to secure its own multi-role fighter aircraft, now getting additional candidates than ever such as France's Dassault Rafale F4 fighter aircraft. This come as both air and naval defense go as an essential component to secure the country's own archipelagic geography against external threats.

Recalling once again, there are at least four (4) types of Japanese air defense systems that might likely get its way into the Philippine military service, namely the Cold War-designed, license-built MIM-23 air defense system, Type 81 short-ranged air defense system, which is Japan's first indigenously built air defense solution for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, its successor the Type 11 air defense system, and the medium-range Type 03 air defense system.

For context, the Philippine Air Force currently has at least three (3) batteries of SPYDER Ground-Based Air Defense System from Israel's Rafael Advanced Systems Ltd, whereby its current number of systems unit does not suffice the air defense requirements for the operation of the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone, in a manner similar to how the Multi-role Fighter Aircraft and additional FA-50 light combat aircraft being a priority project for the country's air service branch.

Both the radar platforms and the prospect air defense systems come as the beginning of the growing defense cooperation between Japan and the Philippines, both facing challenges from a larger, aggressive neighbor in the Indo-Pacific region that uses violence in a manner to assert its so-called "claims" over islands in both East and South China (West Philippine) Seas, which is not surprising that both countries are like-minded in dealing with this scenario.

Ultimately, this development will eventually help improve the interoperability and exchange of necessary skills and technological know-how, especially in improving capabilities and employing it for the benefit of improving the defense of both countries in the long run. This comes as both countries belong to the First Island Chain, a set of geographically positioned areas that either keep a regional neighbor like China at bay, or to have a dominated access in the Western Pacific area.

(c) 2024 PDA.

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HD Hyundai's HDP-2200 Offshore Patrol Vessel Offer to the Philippine Coast Guard

Additional white hull ships are already in the Philippine Coast Guard's bucket list for quite some time now, with additional plans for acquisition already on its way with countries like Japan providing more for the next five years.

As the maritime law enforcement agency's role becoming more essential than ever, so do the prospects of several shipbuilding companies to what might be a marketing pitch for a platform that the Philippine Coast Guard might consider for its maritime fleet expansion efforts.

A SCALE MODEL IN AN EXPOSITION

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries unveil a scale model of the HDP-2200 Offshore Patrol Vessel, painted in Philippine Coast Guard color.
Image Source.

It is a usual and well-known practice among shipbuilding to showcase various types of warship designs through the scale models presented in defense-related or similarly crafted expositions and exhibitions, whereby the warship designs are a prospect of an offer of the shipbuilder to a certain country for its own mission requirements. Also, it serves some designs that are already a work in progress, with navies already set orders for the acquisition of actual units for their fleet operations.

With the designs that a shipbuilder also comes with an interesting tidbit on the offers made, likely aiming to market the product for operational use that involves maritime patrol objectives or to enhance the country’s maritime domain awareness even further. 

This is precisely the case for HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in a recently concluded exposition in South Korea, primarily catering to the Korean Coast Guard and other maritime-related bodies in the country.

In the event, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, like other Korean-based and foreign companies that took part in the exhibition, provide their respective scale model designs and other stuff that might look fascinating for the Korean law enforcement agencies to consider for their respective requirements. In that case, the shipbuilding company presented their usual product design, with an interesting tidbit regarding the coast guard stripes that the scale model presented.

As seen in the image provided above, the HDP-2200 offshore patrol vessel design of the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is sporting a Philippine Coast Guard stripes and livery, even coming with a referenced scale model of what seems to be the AW-159 anti-submarine helicopter with the maritime law agency’s colors. Apparently, the presentation of the vessel might provide an idea that the Korean shipbuilder is interested in taking part in the Philippine Coast Guard’s ongoing modernization efforts.

Currently, the Philippine Coast Guard is getting its vessels from Japanese and French sources, as it has provided in the recent developments on the maritime law enforcement agency’s ongoing white hull fleet expansion. One notable example is the recently discussed topic that covers the Philippine Coast Guard’s plan to purchase five additional Teresa Magbanua-class Multirole Response Vessels, complementing the first two vessels of 97-meter size already serving the fleet.

Meanwhile, the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is primarily pushing its products to the Philippine Navy, whereby the latter bought warships from the former with designs like the Jose Rizal-class frigate (HDF-2600 design), Miguel Malvar-class frigate (HDF-3200 design), and the Offshore Patrol Vessels (HDP-2200+ design). 

As for the latter, the Offshore Patrol Vessels that the Philippine Navy sets to receive come similarly to the scale model design with Philippine Coast Guard colors, minus a helo hangar.

In this topic, the discussion delves deep into the ongoing modernization efforts of the Philippine Coast Guard in terms of its white hull vessel requirements, along with the specifications of the HDP-2200 patrol vessel design and its difference to the ones provided for the Philippine Navy requirements. Finally, the correlation between the Philippine Coast Guard’s modernization and its role in the West Philippine Sea will also get covered accordingly.

SCALE MODEL FIRST SIGHTED IN KOREA OCEAN EXPO 2024

The Korea Ocean Expo also exhibits advanced technologies, such as the Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) seen in the image. Retrieved from an Image Source.

Showcasing the product designs and future visions have always got a presentation through an exhibition or exposition typically conducted at a certain convention center in a notable city within a country, with the end users and relevant stakeholders usually conducting and sponsoring the activity. This aims to showcase any products offered by a company of specific expertise, like those with shipbuilding, that might help improve the end users and stakeholder capabilities.

For the Korea Ocean Expo, it markets itself as the only marine-specialized exhibition within the country, aiming to provide an attraction of interest among major maritime organizations, as well as maritime organization within the confines of South Korea’s key metropolitan areas like in Seoul or the adjacent city of Incheon. From this exhibition, it only makes sense for shipbuilding companies like HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to showcase its products at the exhibition.

This exposition comes the opportunity for local South Korean firms like HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to showcase its products, suites, and mission-based solutions that might find applicable or appropriate to the end-user requirements for clients like the Korea Coast Guard. It is also from this venue that product solutions present the current push of each firm on their current developments or projects pushed, which have led to the aforementioned shipbuilder to showcase a scale model with Philippine Coast Guard colors.

The Korea Ocean Expo is just one of the multitude of expositions held in Incheon, South Korea, whereby it provides a sufficient influx of people that boost the city’s tourism industry and prospects for holding such events in the city’s own convention centers. Aside from shipbuilding, there are other different marine solutions presented in the exhibition, such as the safety features found onboard a shipping vessel such as lifeboats and fire alarm systems, to shipping equipment that deals with ventilation and ballast.

With different marine firms and shipbuilding companies pushing their respective marketing pitch, hoping that key South Korean maritime-oriented government agencies such as the South Korean Coast Guard will take their offer, the different offers and scale model designs that speak perspectives of each firms provide any sign or an indicator that expresses their interest, especially that HD Hyundai Heavy Industries actively producing the similarly designed offshore patrol vessel platform for the Philippine Navy.

THE HDP-2200 VESSEL

This vessel comes slightly differently to the Philippine Navy’s HDP-2200+ Offshore Patrol Vessel.
From HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' brochure.

The scale model provided in a Korean exposition came as the HDP-2200 offshore patrol vessel, whereby it shares design cues with the HDP-2200+ offshore patrol vessel that the Philippine Navy will eventually have, except for some minor tweaks in the design as those type of information will delve deeper throughout this sub-discussion. 

Despite the tweaks, both share similar dimensions on the ship's size and tonnage, although the differences show the effective modularity of the offshore patrol vessel design.

As provided in the product brochure by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for the said offshore patrol vessel design, both the HDP-2200 and the HDP-2200+ design share the most attribute on its capability and other key specifications, whereby both have the displacement of 2,450 tons, overall length of 94.4 meters, breadth of 14.3 meters, draught of 3.7 meters, speed of 22 knots, range of 5,500 nautical miles, and maximum endurance at sea at 30 days.

Both platforms have space for two (2) Rigid-Hull Inflatable Boats or RHIBs, a single helipad for a helicopter to land and take off, and also having similar design features on how the bridge and the navigational mast get positioned. 

The clear difference between both the HDP-2200 and the HDP-2200+ offshore patrol vessel design, as provided in the brochure, is in terms of weapons subcomponents involved and essential features that define one vessel's design objectives to the other.

One clear difference is in the helicopter hangar, whereby the HDP-2200 Offshore Patrol Vessel always come with a single hangar for a dedicated helicopter platform to shelter in, whereas this feature comes absent to the HDP-2200+ Offshore Patrol Vessel that the Philippine Navy purchased under the Offshore Patrol Vessel or OPV Acquisition Project. With one lacking feature always comes with a tradeoff, as the HDP-2200+ design always comes with more firepower as compared to the HDP-2200 variant.

For example, as provided again in the brochure of the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for both platforms, the weapons and sensors suite of the HDP-2200+ offshore patrol vessel comprise with additional weaponry features as compared to ones found onboard the HDP-2200 offshore patrol vessel variant. 

Weapons such as Close-In Weapons System or CIWS, 76mm main gun, Combat Management System or CMS, and even Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAVs, are coming with the HDP-2200+ OPV and are absent on the HDP-2200 OPV.

The highlighted difference makes the HDP-2200 Offshore Patrol Vessel more ideal as a platform intended for the Philippine Coast Guard or the PCG, whereby the maritime law enforcement agency does not require naval subcomponents for its operations and instead use lighter armaments and even water cannons to enforce its mandate in the high seas. The availability of the helicopter hangar enables its helicopters, like the Airbus H145, to shelter on and use for Maritime Search and Rescue operations.

This offer gets timely, as the Philippine Coast Guard now has an actual requirement to beef up its capabilities, particularly regarding the increase in the number of its existing white hull vessels that addresses all the shortcomings of the maritime law enforcement agency, especially for the support of Filipino fisherfolk and increased presence of Philippine authorities in the West Philippine Sea. Added to this is the increased aggression by the China Coast Guard that inflicted damage on the PCG vessels.

PCG'S PLAN FOR FLEET IMPROVEMENT

The ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea give more justification to the increase of Philippine Coast Guard vessel acquisition plans.

Recent developments, such as the one in the West Philippine Sea, as depicted in the image above involving the deployment of BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) and BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) of the Philippine Coast Guard in Escoda (Sabina Shoal), gives additional justification for the need of additional white-hulled vessels for the Philippine Coast Guard to get. Case in point, China did the ramming to the MRRV-9701 that it eventually needs to get pulled out from the area back to the mainland for repairs.

Currently, the Philippine Coast Guard pursues at least forty-six (46) additional vessels, of which it includes at least five (5) additional Teresa Magbanua-class Multirole Response Vessels or MRRVs, and prospects to purchase several 61-meter patrol vessels and 40-meter fast patrol boats into the pipeline. This prospect might provide additional change for shipbuilders like HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to pitch in their offers, particularly for its line of offshore patrol vessels.

As expected, the Philippine Coast Guard will probably tap both Japan and France for its white-hulled vessel requirements, as it is with these countries that help provide the bulk of the actively serving white hulls that the maritime service branch currently uses, such as the ten (10) Parola-class Multirole Response Vessels that Japan provided on top of the aforementioned ninety-seven (97) meter long vessels, and the smaller, 24-meter Boracay-class patrol boats from France, along with BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301).

While there is a preference with Japanese-built vessels like the Teresa Magbanua-class Multirole Response Vessels and also to the French-made ones, the HDP-2200 offer provided by the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries actually has benefits, particularly in terms of interoperability and logistics chain with the Philippine Navy’s HDP-2200+ Offshore Patrol Vessels purchased. This is particularly the case when the Philippine Coast Guard seeks an interest in securing vessels made by the Australian shipbuilder Austal.

The necessity of getting additional white hull vessels in the height of increasing tension in the West Philippine Sea by overseas intruders gives added justification that shipbuilders like HD Hyundai Heavy Industries can attempt to market for the Philippine Coast Guard to consider, especially that this move will also enable the South Korean shipbuilder to get a portion of the organization’s shipbuilding pie, expanding its market in the Philippines aside from its usual prospect with the Philippine Navy.

MORE TO COME

Other vessel designs as presented by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries during the Asian Defense And Security Exhibition or ADAS 2024.
Image from Department of National Defense.

Aside from the HDP-2200 Offshore Patrol Vessel, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries actually provided a wide range of options that the Philippine Coast Guard might consider during the three-day Asian Defense and Security Exhibition or ADAS 2024 that took place from September 25-27, 2024. Since the offers go beyond the single type of vessel that came with this topic, this discussion deserves its own separate entry that is entirely accessible on this website resource medium.

Showcasing the HDP-2200 Offshore Patrol Vessel scale model with Philippine Coast Guard colors once again, coupled with a multiple range of different scale models for offshore patrol vessel sizes still with the said colors, come as a sign that HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is serious in marketing and providing its solutions for the maritime law enforcement agency to consider, an indicator of its planned expansion in the Philippine maritime market.

With the role of the Philippine Coast Guard into ensuring the country’s presence in the West Philippine Sea, and also in expanding its current capability for Maritime Domain Awareness, they may have a chance in considering the offshore patrol vessels made by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for its operations, as this boost the number of vessels that help complement the 97-meter Teresa Magbanua-class Multirole Response Vessels in patrolling and deterring Chinese activity in the West Philippine Sea.

This also goes similarly with the offer made by the Australian shipbuilder Austal, as it presented the Improved Cape-class Multirole Response Vessel as part of its offer to the Philippine Coast Guard. The presented offer goes primarily in line with the sixty-one (61) meter offshore patrol vessel requirement the maritime law enforcement agency seeks on as part of the forty-six (46) white hulls needed. This recent offer by Austal also deserves its own separate entry within this website resource medium.

Presentations provided by the shipbuilders also give an indication of the Philippine Coast Guard’s serious interest in improving the number of white-hulls in the fleet, expanding its capability of increasing its presence within the country’s territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone waters, while flying the flag and ensuring the country’s lawful operations in areas like the West Philippine Sea as they operate in coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources or BFAR and the Philippine Navy.

The growth of the Philippine Coast Guard fleet also comes as part of its own modernization push, in which this goes differently to the ones typically discussed as part of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program or RAFPMP, that typically comes with its own special item in the annually enacted General Appropriations Act. Both of which underscore the Philippine government’s need for improving its territorial defense posture, ensuring national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Looking forward, the Philippine Coast Guard’s desire to expand its fleet composition may help improve the capabilities of the Philippine government to use its resources that ensures national security and interest of the citizenry gets protected, especially with providing added support to the Filipino fisherfolk who make a livelihood in the high seas. Also, this ensures protection of the country’s waters against unwanted smugglers and intruders that puts more harm than good on the nation’s own well-being.

(c) 2024 PDA.

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The Highlights of the House Deliberation for the Department of National Defense' 2025 Budget

The Department of National Defense, so as with the other departments within the executive branch, has presented its stance regarding its budgetary needs under the 2025 General Appropriations Bill, which will eventually be the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

This entry only provides the highlights on the recently concluded proceedings for the Defense Department's budgetary requirements.

AT A GLANCE

Projects presented in the image are among those mentioned in the defense budget deliberation.

The Department of National Defense's budget deliberation come as its sub-units like the Armed Forces of the Philippines are currently undertaking its modernization push, which basically means additional capacity-building tools and related requirements, with an aim to improve further the country's defense deterrence, particularly in the light of an ever-increasing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region such as in the areas like in the West Philippine Sea.

This means that the budget for each branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the year 2025 will come at around 124.991 Billion for the Philippine Army, 49.088 Billion for the Philippine Navy, and 49.800 for the Philippine Air Force, all of which on its total allotments from Personnel Services (PS) down to Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) and smaller projects earmarked under the Capital Outlay (CO). This is still different from the budget provided for the Revised AFP Modernization Program.

Now speaking of the RAFPMP or the Revised AFP Modernization Program, the National Expenditure Program or NEP for the year 2025 has the budget provided for the AFP's material acquisition projects at around Php 50 Billion in programmed appropriations and at least Php 25 Billion in un-programmed appropriations, with a total allotment for the Revised AFP Modernization Program earmarked at around Php 75 Billion total, or at least Php 25 Billion more compared to the 2024 RAFPMP budget.

Presenting the budget before the plenary within the chamber of the House of Representatives is Representative Jose Aquino II, who is the primary sponsor of the Department of National Defense' budget for the year 2025 as the legislature pushes the enactment of the 2025 General Appropriations Act before the year ends. A separate discussion for the defense budget in-detail will come separately from this article, which focuses more on the house budget deliberation highlights.

Totaling the overall budget for the different units under the Department of National Defense, including those belonging to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Government Arsenal, and others, is at Php 254.155 Billion. Adding up for the Revised AFP Modernization budget of Php 75 Billion, the figures will add up to at least Php 329 Billion. Ultimately, the overall figure presented as currently reported is at around Php 344.426 Billion.

CRITICISMS OF THE MAKABAYAN BLOC

One criticism pointed is with bilateral exercises the Philippines have with the United States.

Budget deliberation will not be complete without the interpellations that are usually done by the minority bloc, scrutinizing the detail, the numbers, and the purpose of each budget items that a department within the executive branch of the government presented, especially the figures already provided under the National Expenditure Program or NEP as crafted by the Development Budget Coordination Committee or DBCC, again under the executive branch.

Going through the details of the deliberation as provided through this video link here (timestamp starting at around 11:45 minutes), most of the criticisms dwell much to the average arguments of the bloc against the Visiting Forces Agreement and the annually held Balikatan Exercises, as aired out by the likes of ACT-Teachers party-list representative France Castro (timestamp at 17:00 minutes), although there are also arguments against the Revised AFP Modernization Program.

Regarding the Joint Exercise Balikatan, the criticisms pointed on its impact to the communities where the activities taking place, whereby daily activities get suspended as the conduct of the live fire exercise and other matters taking place. Another thing pointed out is on the criticisms involving the military sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA between the Philippines and the United States, saying that it might undermine the country's own sovereignty without taking China into account.

As for the Revised AFP Modernization Program, they pointed out the details regarding the Un programmed Appropriations, of which the list of projects earmarked for the 2025 General Appropriations Bill for this portion of the Revised AFP Modernization Program will come as this article goes on. 

There are at least eleven (11) separate acquisition programs that primarily delve into the upgrades of existing military hardware, increase of existing units of military hardware, and outright purchase of new ones.

In the following list, each detail will come according to the information already provided through this website, and also coming from multiple defense sources that will help grasp the plans and programs that the Department of National Defense have in lining up for the year 2025, using the un-programmed appropriations of the budget. 

Take note that this goes differently to the 2025 programmed appropriations of the Revised AFP Modernization Program, in which it will help fund ongoing projects under the Multi-year Contracting Authority or MYCA and priority projects such as the Multi-role Fighter Jet Acquisition Project.

EARMARKED PROJECTS

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries offered the HDF-3500 frigate design for the Batch 2 Frigate Acquisition Project (full complement) of the Philippine Navy.
From Frances Mangosing, X (formerly Twitter).

The highly important highlight of the budget deliberation for the Department of National Defense for the 2025 General Appropriations Bill is the list of acquisition projects earmarked for the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program or RAFPMP, particularly to the un-programmed appropriations of the budget amounting to Php 25 Billion. Take note that the appropriation has uncertain implementation, as the funding sources depend primarily on the remaining availability throughout the fiscal year.

There are at least eleven (11) key earmarked projects, plans, and programs that are earmarked to push if the funding becomes available for the un-programmed appropriations of the government budget, ranging from upgrading of existing platforms that are currently serving the different branches within the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to the new materials-based acquisitions project that helps increase the current firepower and military capabilities of service branches like the Philippine Navy and Air Force.

As already discussed the overview of this topic on our Facebook page, with the archived version link right here, this portion will provide a more comprehensive detail to delve on, with the following information that is barely touched on the original social media post provided.

1. AFP Electronic Warfare System

The electronic warfare system under this scope also covers the cyber systems concept of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, particularly in aspects covering interconnectivity of systems and its usage as an offensive weapon that can disrupt and deny its use by opposition actors in an event of a conflict. 

As the modern warfare environment now allowing the use of sophisticated informations technology medium and electronics signaling that effectively sends and receives communication for a real-time coordination of military movements, different defense vendors across the globe offer a wide spectrum of system suites that might help protect critical electronic and cyber systems of the Philippine Armed Forces, while tapping this spectrum not only to disrupt the opposition actors of its usage but also to gather critical information through the term coined as "Electronic Intelligence or ELINT". 

There are examples of pushing this technological capability integration into the Armed Forces of Philippines' wide array of what count as electronic warfare tools, such as with the Philippine Air Force's Hermes 900 Unmanned Aerial Systems.

As of this time this article published, there are no specific details regarding this acquisition project yet. But with its inclusion into the list of important earmarked projects for the 2025 un-programmed appropriations of the Revised AFP Modernization Program underscores the Department of National Defense's need to improve this capability, both to secure its cyber and electronic networks while using the offensive tools to undermine the country's potential adversaries.

2 and 3. Frigate and Corvette Weapons and Sensor Systems Upgrade

Combining the second and third list, this calls for the acquisition projects that will address the improvement of capabilities of the Philippine Navy's currently operational vessels under the Offshore Combat Force, particularly the current Jose Rizal-class Frigates, BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39), and possibly the future Miguel Malvar-class Frigates, of which count by some as Corvettes under the Corvette Acquisition Project, even though it has the FF nomenclature.

The likely area of development that this upgrade will focus and address on is with the vessel's subcomponents that count as Fitted For, But Not With or FFBNW provisions. This refers to capabilities and subcomponents that are not available with the vessels during the time the contract has signed and the vessels start construction from steel cutting to the delivery, citing limited budgetary concerns as the primary reason of resorting to this arrangement.

For the Jose Rizal-class Frigates, it currently lacks the Vertical Launch System or VLS cell mounts and Close-in Weapons System or CIWS for expanded air defense coverage to protect the ship against incoming aerial threats, and the Towed Array Sonar that serve as a platform fitted with hydrophone, enabling a passive sonar activity that receives any submarine signatures and other faint seismic movements in the sea that is better than the capabilities that came with hull-mounted sonar onboard the ship.

As for the Corvette Acquisition Project, the one that produces the Miguel Malvar-class Frigates, it has the similar lacking capability on submarine warfare as it has the Towed Array Sonar coming as FFBNW provisions, although the systems upgrade aimed by the acquisition project funded under the un-programmed appropriations might enable the vessels to get the added capabilities it deserves to get, aiming at conducting anti-air and anti-submarine warfare capabilities effectively using these naval platforms.

3. Ground-Based Air Defense System (GBADS) Basing Support Development

Currently, the Philippine Air Force possesses several batteries of the Israeli-made Spyder-MR Ground-Based Air Defense System, provided accordingly by Rafael Advanced Systems Limited for the Philippine Air Force's acquisition project that bears this similar name. As usual, this project helps provide sufficient air defense coverage as part of implementing the country's air defense identification zone.

A basing support development provides sufficient mechanisms that ensure the overall operability of the air service branch's ground based air defense systems, especially in ensuring its serviceability and providing its overall readiness that maintenance, repair and operational requirements are always complete, lengthening the service life of each vehicle units within an air defense missile battery.

This development is just one among multiple projects undertaken that ensures additional support and enhanced serviceability of the Philippine Air Force's ground-based air defense systems, with others being the bunker and missile storage facilities in areas like in Basa Air Base, with support from Israel's Rafael Advanced Systems Limited as posted by the Israeli Embassy to the Philippines showing the improvement of bilateral defense ties of both countries.

Just as presented in the DOTMLPF concept, basing support facilities always play a crucial role that as similar to the personnel that operates and maintains both the facility and the purchased military hardware, along with importance stressed by buying sophisticated military hardware and to adhere to the doctrines in both decision-making on acquisition and its usage according to established military standards.

4. FA-50 Systems Upgrade

Since its entry into active duty within the Philippine Air Force's 5th Fighter Wing, the FA-50PH light fighter trainer aircraft bought from Korea Aerospace Industries will come with continuous support for its maintenance, repair, and operational requirements. This also comes with upgrades that the South Korean has in offering to this type of aircraft.

As discussed in an article published in 2019 and as presented by Korea Aerospace Industries in a Philippine Air Force symposium in 2023, there really is a clear interest from the leadership to improve the capabilities of its existing FA-50PH aircraft, particularly to the Block 20 configuration that the South Korean aerospace company is currently work into.

Going through the discussion, the FA-50PH will probably receive additional upgrades on top of the Block 20, preferably up to the capabilities introduced in Blocks 50 to 70 configuration, enabling the Philippine Air Force to operate a light and cost-effective multi-role fighter aircraft, although its firepower and loitering capacity is still lighter compared to the candidates of the Philippine Air Force's Multi-role Fighter Acquisition Project such as the F-16 Block 70/72 Viper and SAAB JAS-39 Gripen E variants.

As with the upgrades that the existing FA-50PH light fighter trainer aircraft of the Philippine Air Force likely receives, there is another project, still included in this list that involves the FA-50s, except that this time, it refers to the force multiplier component that will probably increase the numbers in the air service branch's inventory.

5. Additional FA-50 Aircraft

While this information comes nothing new, as the Philippine Air Force already expressed an interest in securing at least an additional squadron or twelve (12) units of this type of aircraft on its inventory, it is in this plenary session that the air service branch's intent of purchasing additional FA-50s for its squadron of aircraft becomes a bit more official. 

This come as the manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries or KAI, presented its marketing for the Philippine Air Force to secure at least two (2) more squadrons, or twenty-four (24) units of FA-50s, enabling the air service branch to operate and maintain at least thirty-six (36) of such light fighter trainer aircraft on its inventory, typically in tandem with the upcoming multi-role fighter jets.

To clarify things up, this project is clearly not to replace the ongoing multi-role fighter jet acquisition project of the Philippine Air Force, but this likely will complement the said priority upgrade, as the acquisition of additional FA-50s falls under the project name 'Additional Strike Attack Aircraft/Lead-In Fighter Trainer Acquisition Project' or 'SAA/LIFT Acquisition Project.' 

The difference between this and the MRF project, along with the project's inclusion in the 2025 un-programmed appropriations of the budget for the Revised AFP Modernization Program, stresses the Department of National Defense's desire to improve the Philippine Air Force's capabilities, particularly on its implementation of the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone or PADIZ. The following project will involve a key acquisition program of the Philippine Navy.

6. Batch II Frigate Acquisition Program (Full Complement)

Among those mentioned on the list is a new acquisition project intended to boost not only the Philippine Navy's firepower capabilities but also the numbers required to fill in the naval service branch's requirements for sea deployment. Apparently, this new iteration of the Frigate Acquisition Project comes differently to the first one that now has the Jose Rizal-class Frigates of the Philippine Navy.

Just in the recently concluded Asian Defense And Security Exhibition or ADAS 2024 in Pasay City's World Trade Center convention from September 25 to 27, 2024, the shipbuilder that made the Jose Rizal-class Frigates presented its tender for this new frigate project pushed by the Philippine Navy (see image above). The design presented shows a resemblance to the Miguel Malvar-class Frigates under the Philippine Navy's Corvette Acquisition Project.

With the design named as HDF-3500, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries presented what sees to be a vessel based on the initial draft specifications of the Philippine Navy for this project, as this vessel bear 3,500 tons, hull size of 129 meters long, and onboard weapons subcomponent being almost similar to the Miguel Malvar class with having a 4x2 anti-ship missile canisters, 16x cell Vertical Launch System (VLS), a single Close-In Weapons System (CIWS), 76mm main gun, and twin triple torpedo launchers.

While HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has an edge with its partnership experience with the Philippine Navy, other shipbuilders like Navantia also presented their designs and apparently come with quirks that are attractive for the Spanish shipbuilder to provide as a package under this acquisition project. Elaborative details regarding the Batch II Frigate Acquisition Program will find its way as a separate discussion and writeup within this website.

7. Additional Air Defense Surveillance Radar (ADSR) System with Basing Support

Aside from fighter aircraft and ground-based air defense systems, surveillance radars also play a crucial role in implementing a country's air defense identification zone or ADIZ, whereby these sensors' ability to monitor and detect incoming threats from the air into the country's airspace gives real opportune time for fighter aircraft and ground-based air defense systems to intercept it and eliminate the threat whenever it comes necessary.

For the Philippine Air Force's current arrangement, its air surveillance radar option primarily compose of Israel's ELM-2288 AD-STAR from Elta under the first phase of the radar project, while Japan's J/FPS-3ME fixed air defense surveillance radars and J/TPS-P14ME mobile radar, both produced by Mitsubishi Electric, itself purchased under the second phase of the radar project. The 2025 earmarked project is likely slated for the third and final phase of this radar project.

For context, both the first phase and second phase of the radar project already provide significant coverage for the monitoring and safekeeping of the country's airspace, with the third phase of this project slated under 2025 Revised AFP Modernization Program under un-programmed appropriations providing a complete 100% coverage for the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone's full materialization. This renders ensured protection and detection of intrusions as part of the Philippine Air Force mandate.

There are no candidates for this project yet, but there is a likelihood that the aforementioned air defense radar suites originated from both Israel and Japan may find once again as an option for this third phase of the radar project. Also, the repeat orders for military hardware under the New Government Procurement Act or the Republic Act 12009 now enable the leadership to simply securing already-purchased similar platforms for this project to push through.

8. 155mm Howitzer, Precision-Guided Munition (PGM) Ready

This project calls for the acquisition of an additional 155mm howitzers, likely to complement existing platforms within the Philippine Army. This service branch currently operates 155mm howitzer platforms, both towed and self-propelled. There is no mention of which type of such platforms might get chosen, although the mere inclusion of this project on the list under un-programmed appropriations gives intention to add the artillery pieces in use.

Currently, the Philippine Army operates both the Soltam M71 155mm towed howitzer, the M114 155mm towed howitzer, and the ATMOS 2000 155mm self-propelled howitzer. Both the Soltam M71 and the ATMOS 2000 have originated from Israel's defense industries, with Soltam producing the towed howitzer and Elbit Systems producing the ATMOS 2000 howitzer platform. The M114 howitzer originated from the United States, and also the oldest artillery piece in the army that fires 155mm ammunition.

Since the Israeli-made howitzers are fruits of recently accomplished acquisition projects, there is a likelihood that the Philippine Army might consider either the Soltam M71 or the ATMOS 2000 howitzer, with the latter having an advantage of mobility given that being a self-propelled howitzer, the Elbit Systems product has the capability of partaking a shoot and scoot strategy, whereby it fires its rounds and gets deployed to another location immediately to ensure increased survivability.

Hence, it is just appropriate to add more artillery pieces that the Philippine Army sees useful not only to pulverize and eliminate targets of insurgency in context but also to have added coastal effectiveness as these platforms will come with compatibility in firing precision-guided munition that ensures maximum accuracy and output of destruction against a desirable target that poses a threat to the country's national security.

9. Integrated Short-Range Air Defense (SHORADS)

Aside from medium range air defense solutions like the Spyder-MR air defense system that the Philippine Air Force currently have, another acquisition project that the Department of National Defense focus on is with the purchase of short-range air defense systems or SHORADS, of which this include the likes of the Man-Portable Air Defense Systems or MANPADS.

One of such short-range air defense platforms is the MBDA Mistral air defense system, which is currently the mainstay air defense platform onboard the Jose Rizal-class Frigates since dedicated air defense components like a Close-In Weapons System or CIWS and Vertical Launch System or VLS suites count as a separate purchase that count as Fitted For, But Not With or FFBNW at the time the frigates are in production.

Increasing the number of integrated short-range air defense systems that the Armed Forces of the Philippines highly considering under this list of projects under the un-programmed appropriations helps enhance this spectrum of air defense platform, considering that this layer of air defense still count as essential particularly against low-flying aircraft or a helicopter that belonging to the opposition forces (OPFOR).

Like the 155mm Howitzer, there are no specifics regarding this project at the time of this writing, although future discussions will help shed additional light to the development and specific details regarding the project's size, numbers, specifications, and other relevant details that have come as usual sub-topics that are regular information as discussed on this website.

10. Landing Craft Unit (LCU)

Completing the list is the acquisition plan to purchase landing craft units, of which this refers to small amphibious platform that have come in tandem with larger amphibious vessels like a Landing Platform Dock or LPD. For context, the Philippine Navy embarks on a project that adds two (2) more such amphibious platforms over the existing two (2) that currently comprise the Tarlac-class Landing Docks. The project name for the additional large amphibious platform is the Landing Docks Acquisition Project.

Referring to the linked article on the Landing Docks Acquisition Project, one highlighted part that goes correlated to this project is that each Landing Platform Dock only comes with at least one (1) landing craft unit or LCU per vessel, as opposed to the Tarlac-class Landing Platform Dock's two (2) landing craft units per vessel when this project, named the Strategic Sealift Vessel or SSV Acquisition Project, has materialized. This project for landing craft units basically resolves this issue that counts as an FFBNW item.

This means that the current Landing Docks Acquisition Project only comes with an overall sum of two (2) landing craft unit, as opposed to the original Strategic Sealift Vessel Acquisition or SSV Acquisition Project's four (4) landing craft units. Basically, this project provides at least another two (2) landing craft units as a separate purchase that will cover up any missing capabilities that the upcoming additional Landing Platform Docks that the Philippine Navy gets.

As the additional Landing Platform Docks or LPDs are currently in production by the Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL Persero, it only makes sense that this same shipbuilder will produce the additional two (2) landing craft units, whereby the ending result will mean a completely capable large amphibious vessels together with a pair of landing craft units each vessel that can transport both troops and military equipment from ship to shore.

SENATE'S SUPPORT

Currently, the budget for the Revised AFP Modernization Program has allotted funds on ongoing projects under the Multi-Year Contracting Authority or MYCA, such as the Miguel Malvar-class frigates.
Image from L.A. Bernardino.

In a Senate Finance Committee hearing that took place on September 24, 2024, the senators provided support and urged the prioritization of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (RAFPMP) Modernization Program, especially in giving it sufficient budget given the increasing assertiveness by Chinese forces in heated areas like those in the West Philippine Sea.

This comes as the budget allotted for the Revised AFP Modernization Program for the year 2025 only has a sum amounting to Php75 Billion, Php 50 Billion of which counts under the programmed appropriations and the remaining Php25 Billion come as un-programmed appropriations. Take note that the projects under un-programmed appropriations only get materialized once there is a guaranteed availability of funds for its continuation.

For context, the Department of National Defense requested at around Php245 Billion for the Revised AFP Modernization Program, of which this gets reduced to only Php75 Billion by the time the National Expenditure Program or NEP for the year 2025 has released. Still, the budget saw a highly significant increase from the 2024 General Appropriations Act allotment for the Revised AFP Modernization Program, as the current budget comes at around Php50 Billion Pesos, of which Php10 Billion is under un-programmed appropriations.

One proposal raised is to get the Php25 Billion allotment under un-programmed appropriations re-aligned to programmed appropriations, which basically means guaranteed availability of funds for all the earmarked budget while highlighting the priority needed in materializing most acquisition programs under the Revised AFP Modernization in 2025 as the Philippine defense capability requires catching-up to its neighboring contemporaries.

In the end, it remains to see how this proposal goes, but it comes with a hope that the urgency and priority required for the Revised AFP Modernization Project now gets recognition, and all it takes now is to have that acknowledgement of the concerns put into consideration, and eventually finds its way to the final version of what will be the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

LOOKING FORWARD

Multi-role Fighter Jets are actually a priority under the 2025 budget for the Revised AFP Modernization Program.
Contributor Photo

In the discussion regarding defense budgeting for big-ticket projects like the ones under the Revised AFP Modernization Project, it always highlights the shortcomings of pooling up necessary resources to fund the capacity-building initiatives of the Department of National Defense, especially now that its leadership now resorts to some creative financing schemes, which now involves seeking support from the private sector, or to deal with weapons manufacturer with soft loan schemes or similar arrangements.

Resorting to such an approach not only helps decrease the defense department's reliance on the release of the annual budget, but also provides additional avenues that enable it to have multiple options that help fund various acquisition projects under the Revised AFP Modernization Program, while also having added flexibility on the financing schemes provided that fully gives benefit to both the government's push for external defense and in ensuring its fiscal stability in the upcoming years.

The direct and blunt answer from the Department of National Defense before the legislators of both the House of Representatives and Senate has given acknowledgement in stressing the need for prioritizing the projects under the Revised AFP Modernization Program, particularly the list of programs under the 2025 defense budget's un-programmed appropriations. Items such as additional frigates and FA-50PH underscore the defense department's urgency for capacity-building under the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept or CADC.

Currently, the Php50 Billion budget for the Revised AFP Modernization Program helps address the ongoing projects that the Department of National Defense has under the Multi-Year Contracting Authority or MYCA, of which includes the projects that are still ongoing at the time of this writing such as the Landing Docks from Indonesia, both the Offshore Patrol Vessels and the Miguel Malvar-class Frigates from South Korea, and three (3) C-130J-30 aircraft from the United States. 

As pointed out, the year 2025 might provide a promising stature for funding the Revised AFP Modernization Program, whereby the aforementioned projects under the un-programmed appropriations, along with priority projects under programmed appropriations such as the multi-role fighter jets for the Philippine Air Force, might eventually get materialized as intended. 

Still, as budget shortcomings now acknowledged, perhaps a justifiable increase in budget for the Revised AFP Modernization Program to desirable numbers might finally give justice not only to the needs of the defense department but also into addressing the need into enhancing the country's national security and preserving its sovereignty and interest.

(c) 2024 PDA.

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