Philippine military don’t need to be in par with China, PNoy
August 18,2014
President Aquino said during an exclusive interview aired by TV5 Sunday night, the Armed Forces of the Philippines really needs to be equipped with modern hardware. But having said that, Philippines don’t need to be in parity or some semblance of parity with China’s military.
Aquino noted that China has nuclear power and China is indeed a military super power. He added that our constitution does not allow the government to invest in nuclear weapons.
On earlier report, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said “The Armed Forces of the Philippines is drawing closer to its projected minimum defense posture with the expected deliveries of more equipment under its modernization program.”
“We are getting closer to our desired state in terms of capability and readiness,” Gazmin noted.
Gazmin said that Philippine military will reach the state of having minimum credible defense in 2016.
Philippine military don’t need to be in par with China, PNoy
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PAF to buy affordable yet best combat aircraft
August 5,2014
Philippine News Agency – With two South Korean F/A-50 “Fighting Eagle” jet aircraft expected to arrive and be in commission by 2015, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) announced that it will soon form an assessment team that will sift through the technical specifications of the various fighter aircraft available and decide which one is the best and affordable for the country.
This was stressed by Lt. Col. Enrico Canaya, PAF spokesperson, in a statement to the PNA.
“There are several fighter aircraft available in the market that can fit the requirement for future fighter aircraft of the PAF,” he added.
But Canaya said that an assessment team will need to look and evaluate the specification of these fighter aircraft .
“An assessment team (is needed) to determine the technical specifications which will be the basis for selection. At present, we don’t have the team in place yet but (it) can be expected soon now that the F/A 50 lead-in fighter aircraft is expected to be delivered beginning next year,” he added.
This is in wake of reports that the Swedish SAAB JAS-39 “Gripen” light engine mult-role jet aircraft is being considered by the Philippine defense establishment as the next jet fighters of the PAF.
The “Gripen” has a delta wing and canard configuration with relaxed stability design and fly-by-wire flight controls. It is powered by the Volvo RM12, and has a top speed of Mach 2.
The “Gripen” was designed to be flexible as it had been anticipated that newly developed sensors, computers, and armaments would need to be integrated as technology advances.
It can be armed with a variety of air-to-air, air-to-surface missiles and automatic cannons.
Production models are priced at an estimated USD68 million per unit.
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PH finalizing P2.68B air defense radar deal with Israel
The project will fund the installation of radar systems in Palawan to cover the West Philippines Sea and old radar sites Lubang and Pasuquin
'BETTER TERMS': The Department of National Defense says Israel's Elta Systems offered the best terms for the country's air defense radar system. Rappler photo
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is fast tracking the acquisition of air defense surveillance radars from Israel’s
Elta Systems so it can monitor intrusions in its air space.
The project worth P2.68 billion ($62.85 million*) will fund the installation of radar systems in Palawan to cover the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea) and old radar sites Lubang Island in Occidental Mindoro and Pasuquin Air Station in Ilocos Norte.
“Palawan is a new location but even the old ones have to be restored or we have to build new basing facilities. This is part of the overall capability upgrade. Even without the incidents that came in recent years, this was already programmed,” Defense Undersecretary Eduardo Batac told reporters on Wednesday, July 9, after a meeting of the Bids and Awards Committee to discuss the project.
The radar systems cover a 350-nautical mile radius, Batac said.
Batac said they are now determining the the proposed values to specific deliverables in the government-to-government project. Aside from the radar systems, the project includes the construction of radar platforms, communication systems, tests, and provision of spare parts.
Technical specifications were discussed during the pre-negotiation stage although Batac said this has to be formalized. Limited details were divulged to the media. The committee held an executive session following a discussion of the proposed values.
Batac gave assurances that Israel offered “better terms” than other proponents of the project.
The project is part of the capability upgrade of the Philippine Air Force, which is also acquiring a
squadron of fighter jets from South Korea,
long range patrol aircrafts, and
anti-submarine helicopters, among other brand new air assets.
The Philippines has one remaining radar system at the Wallace air station in San Fernando, La Union, leaving its Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) practically unprotected. The radar system there also has limited range and is no longer fully operational.
"Your radars are supposed to be 24/7 facilities for purposes of detection against intrusions into our air space," Batac said.
The Philippines had first rate air defense capabilities from the 1950s until the early 1990s when radar systems were in place as well as several squadrons of F-86F and fighters like F-5s.
The US, which used to maintain bases here, also complemented the country’s air defense capabilities.
“Over the years, we have lost almost all of our air defense equipment. Our fighters are old and there are no more spare parts to maintain them,” Batac said.
The first radar system is expected to be installed 22 months after the notice to proceed is issued and the letter of credit is signed.
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Aquino hits China over 2 ships in Recto Bank
Aug 18, 2014
China's hydrographic ships have been sighted within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. President Aquino says he fears heightened tension between the 2 countries in the South China Sea.
FEARING TENSION. President Benigno Aquino III says the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spotted two Chinese hydrographic ships in the disputed South China Sea. In this photo taken on August 14, 2014, Aquino leads the ceremonial distribution of assault rifles at the AFP Headquarters. In front of him is Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. Photo by Robert Viñas/Malacañang Photo Bureau
MANILA, Philippines – Philippine President Benigno Aquino III criticized China in an interview aired Sunday, August 17, after the Philippines spotted 2 Chinese hydrographic ships in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
In his exclusive interview with TV5, Aquino said the Armed Forces of the Philippines reported seeing these hydrographic ships in the potentially oil-rich Recto (Reed) Bank in the West Philippine Sea.
Aquino pointed out that Recto Bank lies 80 nautical miles from Palawan in the Philippines.
This means it falls within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, an area 200 nautical miles from a coastal state's baselines or edges, within which it has the exclusive rights to exploit sea resources.
“
Anong ginagawa nila diyan? Anong studies nila? Sana hindi nagbabadya 'to ng mas malaki, may dagdag na naman, o panibagong tensyon sa ating dalawa,” Aquino said in his interview with lawyer-columnist Mel Sta Maria.
(What are they doing there? What are their studies? I hope this doesn't lead to worsened or additional tension between the two of us.)
The sighting of the 2 Chinese vessels came after the Philippines, in July, extended a British company's permit to conduct oil drilling activities in Recto Bank.
China promptly
rejected this as “illegal and invalid.”
The permit allowed Forum Energy, a British firm led by Filipino businessman Manuel Pangilinan, to conduct its oil drilling in Recto Bank until August 15, 2016.
China 'harassment' in 2011
Aquino recalled that Recto Bank was already the site of heightened tension between the Philippines and China earlier in his presidency.
In 2011, a year into his term, the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of harassing a Filipino exploration vessel in Recto Bank.
The Philippines and China both show interest in Recto Bank because of its oil potential.
In a report in February 2013, the United States Energy Information Administration said Recto Bank could possibly hold up to 5.4 billion barrels of oil and 55.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. (READ:
Reed Bank 'holds huge oil, gas reserves')
The dispute between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea, however, has delayed the exploration of Recto Bank.
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, while the Philippines
has challenged the Asian giant by filing a historic case over the contested waters.
Despite this, Pangilinan earlier said Forum Energy
was negotiating with the state-run China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) for the joint exploration of Recto Bank.
His only condition, Pangilinan said,
was for CNOOC to respect the Philippines' rights over Recto Bank.
Aquino
has said he is willing to jointly develop Recto Bank as long as the Philippine claim is respected.
