Philippines Defence Forum

[CountStrike]

Basler Offers BT-67 Gunship to Philippines

14 Oktober 2016



BT-67 gunship (photo : xfwspot)

US company Basler Turbo Conversions is offering its BT-64 gunship to the Philippines as that country looks for a replacement for its ageing Rockwell OV-10 Broncos, the company announced on 12 October.

The BT-67 is essentially a twin-turboprop conversion of the Douglas DC-3 Dakota fitted with updated systems such as digital avionics, a night-vision goggle-compatible cockpit, weather radar, and a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor. It is being offered as a multirole platform that not only performs the ground attack role of the OV-10, but can also fulfil transport, surveillance, aero medical evacuation, and maritime patrol requirements of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

According to the Basler Turbo, the BT-67 offers a flexible configuration depending on the mission, a rough-field short take-off and landing (STOL) capability, a readily accessible pool of parts and spares, and reduced vulnerability to manportable air defence systems (MANPADS) on account of the exhaust vents for the twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R engines being angled over the wings.

The BT-67 is based on arguably the most proven airframe in the history of aviation, with the DC-3 having originally entered service in the mid-1930s. Performance specifications for the turboprop-powered Basler variant give it a more than 4,500 kg payload capacity over 650 n miles (or 1,200 kg over 1, 875 n miles with long-range tanks), and a 35 m 3 cabin volume. The aircraft has a cruising speed of 210 kt and a service ceiling of 13,000 ft.

Already fielded by the air forces of Colombia (gunship), El Salvador (transport), Guatemala (transport), Mali (transport), Mauritania (surveillance), Thailand (scientific research), and by the US State Department (transport and surveillance), deliveries to the Philippines could start a year after a contract signature.

The Philippines is set to re-launch its OV-10 Bronco-replacement programme, with a new request for proposals (RfP) to be issued in the coming months.

(Jane's)

 

[CountStrike]

Duterte OKs Plan to Buy 2 PCG Helicopters

17 Oktober 2016



PCG currently operates 2 helicopter Bo-105 (photo : PCG)

MANILA, Philippines – President Duterte has approved the acquisition of two helicopters to be used in search and rescue operations by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Duterte promised PCG commandant Rear Admiral William Melad that the agency would soon receive the helicopters when the President toured BRP Tubbataha during the PCG’s 115th anniversary on Oct. 13, PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said yesterday.

Air assets such as helicopters are vital in the PCG’s performance of its functions, particularly in search and rescue missions.

“The helicopters can be utilized in air dropping of relief goods, dropping of rescuers at sea and evacuation of people trapped on roofs and on trees during calamities,” Balilo said.

Aside from the 10 units of newly built 44-meter vessels from Japan that would arrive in the country in staggered delivery until 2018, the President also approved the acquisition of two more ships from Japan.

The ships measuring 90 meters long may be delivered by 2020, the PCG said.

The government is also planning to order two ships from France to add to the PCG’s fleet.

(PhilStar)

 

[ahojunk]

While US companies fret in Philippines, Swedes are moving in

Business delegation led by Sweden’s Minister of Enterprise will coincide with November opening of new embassy in Manila

By JOHAN NYLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2016 3:52 PM (UTC+8)

Swedish defence contractor Saab is reportedly in pole position to secure a deal to sell its JAS 39 Gripen fighter
aircraft to the Philippine Air Force. Photo: Oleg V. Belyakov/AirTeamImages/ Wikimedia Commons​

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-American outbursts have made US businesses in the country increasingly worried about their future. For Swedish companies, the outlook seems quite different.

In early November, a business delegation led by Sweden’s Minister of Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg will arrive to coincide with the opening of the country’s new embassy in the capital Manila.

At the same time, defence contractor Saab Group is opening a new office in Manila and is reportedly in pole position to secure a deal to sell its JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft to the Philippine Air Force. Trade promoter Business Sweden may also open a new office in the country.

During a visit to Beijing this week, Duterte said it was “time to say goodbye” to the US and that military exercises between the two countries should end. If that wasn’t clear enough, Duterte has previously told US President Barack Obama to “go to hell.” An anti-American demonstration outside the US embassy ended violently on Wednesday with dozens of people arrested and many injured.

Ebb Hinchliffe, head of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, told Reuters that Duterte’s statements have unnerved American businesses. US trade delegations in technology, financial services and manufacturing have canceled trips in recent weeks, he said. At least two American companies have chosen to do business in Vietnam instead “because of the president’s anti-American sentiment.”

“Every time he opens his mouth and says something negative about America, that hurts me personally… and from a business standpoint, it’s not helping,” he said in the Reuters interview.

Guenter Taus, the head of the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, also raised concerns, saying “uncertainty is a factor that we do not like in business, and that is exactly what we’re experiencing right now because we don’t know where we are heading.” The credit-rating agency S&P Global said that stability and predictability of policy making in the Philippines has diminished under the new presidency.”

Optimistic Sweden

In contrast, Joona Selin, Executive Director or the Nordic Chamber of Commerce in Manila, said its member companies remain optimistic. “There has been a lot of headwind lately, but from a business and economic perspective, the Philippine story hasn’t changed. All positive fundamentals in the economy are in place.”

The country’s GDP growth accelerated to seven percent in the second quarter from 6.8 percent in the first, making it one of the region’s fastest growing economies. “We remain bullish,” Selin said.

Still, Duterte’s defense of his bloodstained anti-drug campaign – with some 3,500 people killed in alleged extra-judicial executions in just three months – has created unease in several Western countries. That includes Sweden as the country opposes the death penalty, regardless if it’s in the Philippines, China or the US.

Sweden strongly rejects the executions taking place in the Philippines, Damberg said in an interview in Singapore last month.

“We believe that trade and exchange with countries is essential for the development of human rights. But we are not naive. We know that some countries violate human rights,” he said in an interview.

“Perhaps it’s even more important to have an embassy in countries where there are challenges. Our increased presence in the region makes it easier for us to support Swedish companies to do right.”

 

[katarabhumi]

In Indonesia, PH military chief attends expo of weapons makers

General Ricardo Visaya says the expo will give the military new insights and inputs on how to proceed with the AFP's capability upgrade

MANILA, Philippines – Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Ricardo Visaya flew to Indonesia last week to attend the 7th Indo Defense Expo and Forum, which brought together senior government and military officials from all over the world.

The bi-annual expo held from November 3-5 also gathered over 750 major and minor weapons manufacturers, according to a military statement.

"We have a standing commitment to our soldiers and by extension to the Filipino people that we will exert all efforts to bolster our own military capabilities. With this exposition and different bilateral meetings we will conduct on the sidelines, we can expect to gain new insights and inputs on how to proceed in realizing our vision of fully capable Armed Forces,” Visaya said in a statement.

In aiming to forge a military policy that is independent of the country's longest treaty ally, the US, President Rodrigo Duterte declared he wants the Philippines to look for alternative sources of weapons.

The companies represented at the expo came from Germany, India, Italy, Australia, South Korea, France, Turkey, USA, UK, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Belarus, and Indonesia.

AFP Public Affairs Office chief Marine Colonel Edgard A. Arevalo said the AFP chief flew to Indonesia to meet with his Indonesian counterpart, General Gatot Nurmantyo, and heads of delegations from East Timor, Malaysia, and Poland.

They discussed shared concerns like terrorism, drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, and other transnational crimes.

The expo that carried the theme “Bolstering Defense industry Cooperation: Achieving a Global Maritime Fulcrum and Secure World” was held simultaneously with the 5th Indo Aerospace, 2nd Indo Helicopter, and 4th Indo Marine Expositions.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/151458-indonesia-general-ricardo-visaya-weapons

 

[Pinoy]

The history of the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty since 1951

A POINT OF AWARENESS (The Philippine Star)
November 17, 2016

Since President Duterte declared the “separation” of the Philippines from America, the whole country was very puzzled why suddenly the new president is rejecting a long time ally. Before US Ambassador Nicholas Platt and his wife Sheila left the Philippines in August 1991 for their next post in Pakistan, his office sent me a pack of leaflets narrating the basic facts behind the RP-US Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Security. Most inspiring was the comprehensive documentary, “In Our Mutual Interest.” In the foreword, Ambassador Platt eloquently appealed to our leaders:

“In Our Mutual Interest” appears at a critical juncture in our bilateral relations. As both countries look forward to the challenge of the 21st century, we are asked to re-evaluate the security and cooperation which has been one of the cornerstones of our relationship over the past 40 years.”

Filipinos – Heartbeat of the US military facilities in Asia Pacific Defense

The other brochures were a three-fold red, white and blue handout entitled 15 Facts About the US Military Facilities in the Philippines, and black and white brochure entitled 1998 Memorandum of Agreement on US Facilities in the Philippines. The magazine, Asia Pacific Defense Forum: Filipinos – Heartbeat of the US Military Facilities had information on the Filipino expert technicians, engineers, computer programmers, plant managers and medical personnel for just about everything from food to electronics and F-5 jet planes.

Since 1946, the US provided the Philippines with $3.3 billion in economic assistance. They are vital to the life of the nation and the global security of Asia.

Television, radio and print media barely focused on the fact that about 50 percent of Asia’s oil and 80 percent of its strategic materials pass through nearby straits such as Malacca, Lombok and Sunda. Of the oil used in the Philippines, 95 percent is imported by sea. Its security is reinforced by the Subic Naval Base.

The fact remains that US military assistance under the MBA permits the Philippines to have one of the lowest defense budgets in the ASEAN, despite an active internal security threat. It was only when the generals, led by Gen. Abadia revealed that 42 percent of the military budget had been sustained by America since she granted us our independence in 1945. At the same time, every year, the US military facilities purchase a broad range of services and supplies from nearly 2,000 local companies and Filipino entrepreneurs. This provides jobs for tens of thousands of other Filipinos. Since World War II, the US Veterans Administration has paid over $3.2 billion in benefits to Filipino veterans.

The history of American presence in the Philippines

The Philippines became a colony of the US following the Spanish-American War (April 21-Aug. 13, 1898) and the subsequent Philippine-American War (1899-1902). In 1935, under the terms of the Tydings-McDuffie Act, the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth, the Philippine Commonwealth, with full independence planned for 10 years later. Delayed by World War II and the Japanese invasion and occupation of the Philippines, the Philippines became fully independent on July 4, 1946.

Following independence, there remained in the Philippines a strong American military presence including a number of US military bases in the Philippines, all allowed by treaties between the newly independent Philippines and the US.

There were also a number of treaties that created a strong bond between the Philippines and the US which gave both countries rights not enjoyed by other nations. The Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty was signed on August 30, 1951 in Washington, D.C. between representatives of the Philippines and the United States.

After Spain, ceded the Philippines to the US in 1898, Fort Stotsenberg was established in Pampanga. This original site of Clark Air Base occupied part of 250,000 hectares of land in 13 provinces. It became the basis for the Philippine-US Bases Agreement.

The 99-year lease provided the US with more than 20 base sites. The MBA has undergone 40 amendments since its signing in 1947.

By 1979, all the bases reverted to Philippine control. Thus, American facilities were created on Philippines base lands greatly reducing them from 53,036 at Clark to 3,760, and at Subic from 14,800 to 6,303 hectares.

Preparing the Philippines for independence

Two centuries ago, America as a young nation was suffering from piracy in the open seas. To have a self-sufficient armed force and naval defense facilities were among their priorities.

To stand strong and free alongside the democratic countries of the world, the US felt the necessity for a self-sufficient military. As they prepared us for our independence way back in 1935, they gradually restored to us the 20 military base sites installed in 13 provinces of the Philippines.

First American Governor General of the Philippines Arthur MacArthur, father of Gen. Douglas MacArthur even helped establish the Philippine Military Academy of Baguio, Philippine counterpart of the US West Point to train Filipino military officers. Historically, this was contained in the 99 years MBA land lease agreement whose foundation President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid himself, in the dark days of December 1941.

On December 8, 1941, the US air force at Clark was decimated, the day after the destruction of the US fleet at Pearl Harbor by Japan. This event presaged the fall of the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma and French Indochina to Japan.

Some 80,000 Filipinos employed in Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base compose the second largest group of specialist workers employed by a foreign agency.

The US Base Facilities are the Philippines’ second largest employer. Total salaries amount to $110,590,000 (about P2.356 billion in 1988). It provides the second largest payroll in the Philippines.

Night club rows spark anti-US sentiments

The nightclubs and social hotspots rows surrounding Clark Air Force Base and Naval Base Subic Bay became the flashpoint of anti-US sentiment. This continued to grow and was reflected in the election of the Philippine Senate leading Pres. Corazon Aquino to sign the Anti-Base Manifesto Bill. Then the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo volcano damaged both US military bases. This created “Operation Fiery Vigil,” the emergency evacuation of roughly 20,000 people, all non-essential military and US military and defense civilians with their dependents from the bases and the last of them removed by November 1992.

However, with the unfortunate events surrounding the 9/11 bombing in New York, the US began restructuring and exercising its rights in the US-Philippine Defense Treaty as a part of its ”War on Terrorism” which included deployment of US forces to the Philippines in “Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines” to advise and assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA)

On April 28, 2014, desiring to enhance cooperative capacities and efforts in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the Philippine and US governments executed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). This was intended to promote the following between them: interoperability, capacity building towards AFP modernization, strengthening AFP for external defense, maritime security, maritime domain awareness and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR).

The agreement allows US forces to access to and use of designated areas and facilities owned and controlled by the AFP at the invitation of the Philippine Government. It contains clear provision that the US will not establish a permanent military presence or base in the Philippines and prohibition of entry to the Philippines of nuclear weapons. The EDCA has an initial term of 10 years, and thereafter will continue in force until terminated by either party after having given a one-year notice of intention to terminate.

 

[Hindustani78]

World News | Wed Dec 14, 2016 | 12:49pm EST

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-usa-defense-idUSKBN1432BY

The U.S. government has approved the sale to the government of the Philippines of two Sea Giraffe radars and related equipment, support and training for about $25 million, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Wednesday.

The Philippines requested the sale to improve monitoring of its territorial waters. The radars will be installed on two Philippines Navy ships and the principle contractors will be VSE Corp and Saab.

The radar sale will allow the Philippines to beef up its maritime security and helps reinforce an important U.S. regional security relationship at a time when Washington is concerned about what it sees as China's overreaching claims in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has for decades been one of the closest U.S. allies in Asia, but the relationship has been strained recently as President Rodrigo Duterte has voiced disdain and mistrust of Washington while U.S. officials are worried over potential human rights violations under his government.

The U.S. Congress was informed of the radar sale and did not object.

A recent sale of assault rifles to the Philippines' national police was blocked in the U.S. Senate over concerns that they could be used against civilians.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, editing by G Crosse)

 

[Nevsky]

Pictures from the Russian visit in Philippines.

 

[James David]

@Cossack25A1 I am now in Bohol but here is a picture taken in Boracay!!!! Awesome place!!! The wife is very very happy!!! Now where in the world did I put my SMB!??! Will go up north in a few days I will be in the old John Hay next week!

 

[pr1v4t33r]

 

[Caan]

2 More FA-50PAH Jet Fighters Arrived

Arrival ceremony for Philippine Air Force’s fifth and sixth South Korea-made FA-50PH “Fighting Eagle” (005 and 006) was conducted today in Clark Air Base, Pampanga. The ceremony started at 11 am. FA-50PH with tail number 005 touched down 11:05 am, while 006 touched down 11:07.

The Philippines has 12-plane order from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) worth PHP18.9 billion. FA-50PH aircraft are Mach 1.5 capable.

The 1st and 2nd FA-50PHs arrived in November 2015, while the 4th and 3rd arrived a year after. The remaining six aircraft on order are expected to be delivered within this year.

PAF’s FA-50PHs were recently blooded in combat during the surgical air and artillery strike that wounded Abu Sayyaf Group commander Isnilon Hapilon last January 26.

The FA-50PH has a top speed of Mach 1.5 or one-and-a-half times the speed of sound and is capable of being fitted air-to-air missiles, including the AIM-9 “Sidewinder” air-to-air and heat-seeking missiles, aside from light automatic cannons.


It will act as the country’s interim fighter until the Air Force gets enough experience in operating fast jet assets and budget allocation for more capable fighter aircraft.

Air Force now has six ‘Fighting Eagles’

With the delivery of additional two South Korean-made FA-50PH “Fighting Eagle” jets, the Philippine Air Force now has six supersonic aircraft that can reach the speed of Mach 1.5 (1852.2 km/hour) or 1.5 times faster than the speed of sound.
FA-50PH with tail number 005 touched down 11:05 am in Clark Air Base, while 006 touched down at 11:07, February 22.

The Philippine Air Force ordered 12 units of FA-50PHs from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) worth 18.9 billion pesos.

The 1st and 2nd FA-50PHs arrived in November 2015, while the 4th and 3rd arrived a year after. The remaining six aircraft on order are expected to be delivered within this year.

These aircraft will act as the country’s interim fighter until the Philippine Air Force gets enough experience in operating fast jet assets and budget allocation for more capable fighter aircraft.

PAF’s FA-50PHs were recently blooded in combat during the surgical air and artillery strike that wounded Abu Sayyaf Group commander Isnilon Hapilon last January 26.

 

[Svantana]

PN's Second SSV Nears Completion, Sea Trials by March

MANILA (PNA) -- The country's second strategic sealift vessel (SSV), tentatively known as the BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602), is almost completed and will start dock and sea trials by March.

This was confirmed by Philippine Navy (PN) spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna in a interview with the Philippine News Agency.

"LD-602 is more than 95 percent complete. By March (she) will have a series of dock and sea trials to test her systems, machineries and equipment," he added.

At the moment, PT PAL (Persero) shipbuilders in Surabaya, Indonesia are now installing navigational, deck and engineering equipment on the PN's second SSV.

The BRP Davao Del Sur was launched last Sept. 29. She is the sister ship of the BRP Tarlac (LD-601), currently the largest Filipino warship in commissioned.

BRP Tarlac was commissioned during short ceremonies at Pier 13, Manila South Harbor last June 1.

She arrived in the Philippines last May 14 after a five-day journey from PT PAL shipyard in Surabaya which started on May 9.

BRP Davao Del Sur is also a Makassar-class landing platform dock like her sister ship BRP Tarlac.

Its delivery to the Philippines, is tentatively scheduled this coming May, will complete the two-unit SSV procurement project with an approved budget contract of PHP4 billion sourced from the AFP Modernization Act Trust Fund.

Just like the BRP Tarlac, the PN's latest SSV will serve as a floating command-and-control ship especially in the conduct of humanitarian assistance and disaster response and will also serve as a military sealift and transport vessel.

The ship has an overall length of 120 meters,breadth of 21 meters, draft of five meters and can carry a payload of 2,800 tons.

She has a cruising speed of 13 knots and maximum speed of 16 knots and a minimum operating range of 7,500 nautical miles.

BRP Davao Del Sur can carry 500 troops, two rigid-hull inflatable boats, two landing craft units and three helicopters.

http://defense-studies.blogspot.co.id

 

[katarabhumi]

Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia to patrol piracy-prone waters
Thursday, Mar 9, 2017

Manila - The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia will launch joint patrols in piracy-plagued waters, Manila's defence secretary said Thursday, after a wave of attacks that saw Islamic militants kidnapping and murdering foreigners.

The Abu Sayyaf, a kidnap-for-ransom network that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, has been kidnapping sailors on fishing vessels and cargo barges including an elderly German whom it beheaded last month after ransom demands were not met.

Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he and his counterparts from Malaysia and Indonesia had agreed to patrol a sea lane where commercial vessels could pass with protection from the three nations' navies.

"We are inaugurating some time in April or May a joint patrol of the three nations in that area," Lorenzana said in a news conference.

"(Vessels) cannot stray beyond that lane so that we can help protect them." The waters between the three nations have become increasingly dangerous in recent years, with maritime officials warning of a "Somalia-type" situation if the attacks are not addressed.

In February, the Abu Sayyaf murdered Jurgen Kantner, 70, five months after his yacht was found drifting off the southern Philippines with the body of his female companion, Sabine Merz, who had been shot.

The Abu Sayyaf are holding 31 foreign and local hostages including six Vietnamese seamen attacked on their cargo ship off the southern Philippines last month, according to Lorenzana.

Lorenzana said he told the Vietnamese envoy to Manila last week to arm his nation's crewmen passing through the waters or coordinate with Philippine authorities to avoid being kidnapped.

He added President Rodrigo Duterte was "very interested" in ending the kidnapping problem.

Duterte had asked China to help patrol the waters, citing Beijing's dispatch of a naval convoy to the Gulf of Aden in 2009 to protect Chinese ships from Somali pirates.

Lorenzana said equipment to help fight the Abu Sayyaf like fast boats, drones and radars would be acquired as part of a military modernisation programme.

The Abu Sayyaf, established with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network, have been kidnapping foreigners and locals for decades and holding them for ransom on its remote island strongholds in the southern Philippines.

Lorenzana, who identified the Abu Sayyaf and other extremist groups as the Philippines' top security threat, said the kidnappings were "embarrassing to the whole world".

http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/philippines-malaysia-and-indonesia-patrol-piracy-prone-waters

 

[Suika]

First 2 of 5 TC-90s arrived to the Philippines on March 27th.

 

[UMNOPutra]

PH is similar with Malaysia .. accept it as their destiny ..
-------
Chicken Out: Philippines' Duterte cancels visit to disputed South China Sea island

MANILA: Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte has cancelled a planned visit to an island the Philippines claims in the disputed South China Sea, after Beijing warned him against the visit.

The brash Philippine leader last week announced his plan to raise the Philippine flag in the island of Thitu and fortify it with barracks, setting off alarm bells.

"Because of our friendship with China and because we value your friendship I will not go there to raise the Philippine flag," Duterte said in a speech before the Filipino community in Riyadh late Wednesday.

"They said, do not go there in the meantime, just do not go there please. I will correct myself because we value our friendship with China," he said, adding that he might just send his son to the island.

China claims most of the South China Sea through which about US$5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. (http://tmsnrt.rs/1GHW1LC)

Duterte said Beijing warned him that "there will likely be trouble" if every head of state of contending parties will go to the disputed islands and plant flags.

The popular president is on a week-long state visit in the Middle East to facilitate trade and investments, and meet with Filipinos overseas. The Middle East is the second largest source of remittances, with more than one million Filipino workers sending home US$7.6 billion in last year, government data showed.

Duterte, who led the warming of ties with China, had blamed the United States for the current maritime tensions for not intervening to stop China building and arming artificial islands in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

The Philippines will reinforce, but not militarise, areas in the South China Sea controlled by Manila to maintain the geopolitical balance, Duterte said on Monday.

(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

[lcloo]

According to a Philippines newspaper, A Chinese PLA flotilla consist of a type 052C destroyer, a type 054A frigate and a replenishment ship will arrive at Davao city tomorrow for a 3 days visit.

The PLA flotilla is on a round the world trip, Philippines is the first of more than 20 countries that the PLAN flotilla will visit.

Photo: The flotilla leaving Shanghai for round the world trip.

中国军舰7年来首次抵菲律宾纳卯市访问
2017年4月29日 星期六 09:15 AM



菲律宾商报讯：3艘中国海军军舰将自明天起，前往纳卯市访问3天，彰显双方日益升温的关系。这是2010年4月以来，首次有中国军舰访问菲律宾。

东棉兰佬军区昨天发布通告说，导弹驱逐舰长春号、导弹护卫舰荆州号以及综合补给舰巢湖号将由东海舰队副司令员沈浩率领，于明天航进纳卯港，进行亲善访问直到5月2日。

杜特尔特总统预期将登舰参观。


军方表示，这是自2010年4月13日以来，首次有中国军舰访菲。

国防部发言人安多隆在简讯中说，“国防部对于外国海军来访保持开放态度，诚如美国、越南、俄罗斯与纽西兰一样，我们欢迎中国军舰访问我们。”

他补充说：“除了作为信心建立的措施之外，我们也认为这是中方彰显两国关系升温的动作。”

至于为何多数外国军舰访菲是停泊在马尼拉湾，而中国军舰选择到南部纳卯市？安多隆说：“中国可能选择对他们方便的地点，我不愿多做假设，或许他们想看看纳卯市是什么样子。”

中国舰队将与菲方进行友谊体育竞技，并于5月1日开放给民众登舰参观。

来源：菲律宾商报