Philippines Defence Forum

[Penguin]

The Hamiltons look nice in grey. They just need a bit more 'hardware' imho.

 

[Penguin]

PHILIPPINE NAVY SET TO RECEIVE POHANG CLASS (PCC 759) MISSILE WARSHIP
Posted on February 2, 2016

Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is set to transfer Pohang-class Mokpo (PCC 759) to Philippine Navy after decommissioning took place on 31 December 2015 at Jinhae naval base.

These are aesthetically pleasing, small but capable ships. However, as much as I like these ships, I like the Ulsan class - shown below as the farthest away ship - even better. Get as many of both as you can!

http://i.imgur.com/zjvchIZ.jpg

 

[Satria Manggala]

Duterte says China's Xi threatened war if Philippines drills for oil

Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte in Beijing.

REUTERS/Etienne Oliveau/Pool

By Manuel Mogato | MANILA
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday Chinese counterpart China Xi Jinping had warned him there would be war if Manila tried to enforce an arbitration ruling and drill for oil in a disputed part of the South China Sea.

In remarks that could infuriate China, Duterte hit back at domestic critics who said he has gone soft on Beijing by refusing to push it to comply with an award last year by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which ruled largely in favor of the Philippines.

Duterte said he discussed it with Xi when the two met in Beijing on Monday, and got a firm, but friendly warning.

"We intend to drill oil there, if it's yours, well, that's your view, but my view is, I can drill the oil, if there is some inside the bowels of the earth because it is ours," Duterte said in a speech, recalling his conversation with Xi.

"His response to me, 'we're friends, we don't want to quarrel with you, we want to maintain the presence of warm relationship, but if you force the issue, we'll go to war."

Duterte has long expressed his admiration for Xi and said he would raise the arbitration ruling with him eventually, but needed first to strengthen relations between the two countries, which the Philippines is hoping will yield billions of dollars in Chinese loans and infrastructure investments.

The Hague award clarifies Philippine sovereign rights in its 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone to access offshore oil and gas fields, including the Reed Bank, 85 nautical miles off its coast.

It also invalidated China's nine-dash line claim on its maps denoting sovereignty over most of the South China Sea.

Duterte has a reputation for his candid, at times incendiary, remarks and his office typically backpeddles on his behalf and blames the media for distorting his most controversial comments.

Duterte recalled the same story about his discussion with Xi on oil exploration in a recorded television show aired moments after the speech.

He said Xi told him "do not touch it".

He said Xi had promised that the arbitration ruling would be discussed in future, but not now.


Duterte said China did not want to bring up the arbitral ruling at a time when other claimant countries, like Vietnam, might also decide to file cases against it at the arbitration tribunal.

It was not the first time the firebrand leader has publicly discussed the content of private meetings with other world leaders.

His remarks came the same day that China and the Philippines held their first session in a two-way consultation process on the South China Sea.

They exchanged views on "the importance of appropriately handling concerns, incidents and disputes involving the South China Sea", the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that gave few details.

(Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Martin Petty)

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southchinasea-philippines-china-idUSKCN18F1DJ

 

[Suika]

Some videos of Balikatan 2017.

 

[Banglar Bir]

‘West is just double talk, I want more ties with Russia & China’ – Duterte
Published time: 21 May, 2017 10:37

The Philippines should have stronger ties with Russia and China, as Western nations are only interested in double talk and disregard Philippines interests, President Rodrigo Duterte told RT and other Russian media ahead of his visit to Moscow.
The Philippines leader is due to arrive for a five-day visit on May 22.

Philippines eyes $500mn loan to buy Chinese arms, says strings attached to US weapons
Duterte said that while he has nothing personal against Washington, his country needs a change in its foreign policy to separate it from American interests.

“I have nothing against America, [US President Donald] Trump is my friend. But my foreign policy has shifted. I want to deal with China and Russia. Because in Western world, it’s double talk,” he said.
“You treat me as if I’m your colony still. You must be kidding! We’re an independent country. I want my country to be treated with dignity,” he added.

Duterte has repeatedly expressed his desire to have countries such as China and Russia provide military hardware for the Philippines.
This week, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana signed a letter of intent with Chinese state-owned arms manufacturer Poly Technologies on future purchases.

Next week, Duterte is expected to sign a similar agreement in Russia on his visit to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Speaking to Russian media ahead of the visit, Duterte said he will not leave Philippines national security dependent on Washington.
“If my country collapses, who will bring it back? The US? We need weapons,” he said.
“Russia sells weapons, no conditions. With the US it’s a different story. They make conditions. But I’m not gonna stand on bended knees.”

View image on Twitter

The Philippines is a former US colony which has a military alliance with its former master. For decades, three-fourths of its arms purchases came from US suppliers.

Duterte says he does not want his country dragged into a potential US confrontation with China.
“They want me to fight China. With what? Do I have cruise missiles? It’s gonna be a massacre! And then what? We’ll sit at the bargaining table and be like – I want this, and they say I want that. Do I look stupid?” he said.

https://www.rt.com/news/389105-duterte-west-russia-visit/

 

[skyhigh88]

Indonesian-made BRP Tarlac during BALIKATAN 2017
Rappler
May 15, 2017

BALIKATAN. A Philippine Air Force C-130 cargo plane flies over Philippine navy sea lift vessel BRP Tarlac, while a speed boat loaded with US and Philippine marines sails during a simulation of a disaster drill as part of the annual joint Philippines-US military exercise at a sea port in Casiguran, Aurora province on May 15, 2017. Photo by Ted Aljibe/AFP

Philippine special forces guide an amphibious landing craft on a beach on May 15, 2017 in Casiguran Province, Philippines. Philippines and U.S. troops held the annual 'Balikatan' (shoulder-to-shoulder) joint military exercises with an approximately 6,000 participating troops, consisting of some 2,800 Philippine troops and 2,600 U.S. troops.

 

[Cossack25A1]

Philippines needs modern weapons vs ISIS, Duterte tells Putin
Reuters
Posted at May 24 2017 05:02 AM
Updated as of May 24 2017 05:11 AM

MOSCOW - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told Russian leader Vladimir Putin that the Philippines needs modern arms to fight Islamic State and that he expected Russian support.

Duterte also said he had to halt his visit to Moscow and return home as there was still fighting with ISIS's militants there.

Putin said he hoped the conflict in the Philippines would be resolved "with minimum losses". He also said there were the prospects for economic and military cooperation between Moscow and Manila.

Putin met Rodrigo Duterte late Tuesday, instead of meeting on Thursday as originally planned.

Duterte earlier declared martial law in southern Mindanao province after fighting raged in southern Marawi City between the army and militants linked to Islamic state.

Duterte, a native of Mindanao, cancelled a meeting set for Wednesday with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Two soldiers and a policeman were killed and 12 wounded amid chaos in Marawi, a predominantly Muslim city of about 200,000 people, where members of the Maute militant group took control of buildings and set fire to a school, a church and a detention facility.

"The government is in full control of the situation and is fully aware that the Maute/ISIS and similar groups have the capability, though limited, to disturb the peace," presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella told a news conference in Moscow.

The Maute and Abu Sayyaf militant groups have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and have proved fierce opponents for the military as Duterte seeks to crush extremists and prevent radical Islamist ideology from spreading in the Philippines.

Abella said the militants "have shown no hesitation in causing havoc, taking innocent lives and destroying property."

Duterte has warned repeatedly that Mindanao, an impoverished, restive region the size of South Korea, was at risk of "contamination" by Islamic State fighters driven out of Iraq and Syria.

Brigadier General Rolando Bautista, commander of the Philippines' First Infantry Division, said security forces were trying to locate militants who had scattered everywhere and were blocking reinforcements from arriving.

"There are more or less 100, divided into groups of 10 in different locations," Bautista told news channel ANC.

"Since they are advocating ISIS ideology they have to show ISIS that they are a force to be reckoned with."


MAUTE SNIPERS

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said and some 1,000 soldiers would be in Marawi by morning, but warned civilians to stay in their homes.

"There are Maute snipers all around, so the troops are still holding and elements have already joined," he said.

The purpose of Tuesday's raid was to capture Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf group which is notorious for piracy and for kidnapping and beheading Westerners. The U.S. State Department has offered a bounty of up to $5 million for Hapilon's arrest.

The military has not explained how the raid on an apartment turned into urban warfare that was still raging 12 hours later.

The incident highlights the challenges facing Duterte, who has pleaded with separatists and moderate Muslims in the predominantly Catholic nation to shun Abu Sayyaf and Maute.

He has threatened several times to declare martial law in Mindanano, and deliver a "harsh" crackdown. Martial law will apply for 60 days.

The government has blamed the Maute for a bombing in September 2016 at a street market in Duterte's hometown of Davao City, which killed 14 people and wounded dozens.

Maute fighters took over a disused building in the region in November and endured five days of military air and ground assaults before fleeing, with 61 fighters killed. - with a report from Doris Bigornia, ABS-CBN News

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http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/23/17/philippines-needs-modern-weapons-vs-isis-duterte-tells-putin
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[MarveL]

any updates on Marawi's ops?

 

[Banglar Bir]

ISIS conquers Philippines city of Marawi (pictures)
ADAM GARRIE 6 hours ago

The Philippines city of Marawi has reportedly been taken by ISIS in the most brutal way imaginable. According to the Amaq Agency, over 70 Philippines soldiers have been killed. However, the Philippine Army have contradicted this report saying that only 8 of their soldiers have been killed. It remains to be seen which report is the more accurate figure.

ISIS have set up check-points around the city in a manner reminiscent of how they came to control cities like Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria.

New pictures have been released by al-Masdar depicting the rapid conquest of the city by ISIS.

The rapid gains ISIS is making in Philippines could gain the group a foothold in South East Asia. Unlike previous Islamist insurgencies in Philippines, ISIS openly claim to hold regional and indeed global ambitions.

http://theduran.com/isis-conquers-philippines-city-of-marawi-pictures/

 

[帅的一匹]

China shall Provide heavy artillery to Phillipine army.

 

[帅的一匹]

Kill those terrorists relentlessly.

 

[pr1v4t33r]

BRP DAVAO DEL SUR Strategic Sealift Vessel is now at Sasa Port of Davao to support military operation in Marawi

 

[Banglar Bir]

Philippines deploys commandos, helicopters to retake city from Islamists

• Reuters
• Published at 03:59 PM May 26, 2017

A black smoke comes from a burning building at a Marinaot town, after government troops continuous assault with insurgents from the so-called Maute group, who has taken over large parts of the city, in Marawi City, southern Philippines May 26, 2017 `REUTERS

The battles with the Maute group, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, started on Tuesday during a failed raid by security forces on one of the group's hideouts that spiraled into chaos.

The Philippines mobilised attack helicopters and special forces to drive Islamic State-linked rebels out of a besieged southern city on Thursday, with six soldiers killed in street combat amid heavy resistance.

Ground troops hid behind walls and armoured vehicles and exchanged volleys of gunfire with Maute group fighters, shooting into elevated positions occupied by militants who have held Marawi City on Mindanao island for two days.

Helicopters circled the city, peppering Maute positions with machine gun fire to try to force them from a bridge vital to retaking Marawi, a mainly Muslim city of 200,000 where fighters had torched and seized a school, a jail and a cathedral, and took more than a dozen hostages.

“Our troops are doing deliberate operations in areas we believe are still occupied or infested with the terrorist presence,” said the head of the task force, Brigadier General Rolly Bautista.

The battles with the Maute group, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, started on Tuesday during a failed raid by security forces on one of the group’s hideouts that spiraled into chaos.

Eighteen rebels were killed on Thursday, the army said.

The turmoil was the final straw for President Rodrigo Duterte, who on Tuesday delivered on his longstanding threat to impose martial law on Mindanao, the country’s second-largest island, to stop the spread of radical Islam.

“If there’s an open defiance you will die,” he said on Wednesday. “And if it means many people dying, so be it.”

Islamic State claimed responsibility late on Wednesday for Maute’s activities via its Amaq news agency.

At least 46 people – 15 security forces and 31 rebels – have been killed and religious leaders say militants were using Christians taken hostage during the fighting as human shields. The status of those hostages was not known.

The White House condemned the Maute group as “cowardly terrorists” and said the United States was a proud ally of the Philippines and backed its fight against extremism.

Getting out
Hundreds of civilians had sheltered in a military camp in Marawi City as troops helped clear the few remaining people from streets where smoke lingered in the air.

“We’re leaving,” said a resident named Edith, walking along a rundown street carrying a small suitcase. “We can no longer take it and we need to save our children.”

Sultan Haji Ismael Demasala said he was staying and would leave his fate in God’s hands. “If Allah wills it so, then we cannot stop it,” he said, pointing his finger in the air.

Marawi is located in Lanao del Sur province, a stronghold of the Maute, a fierce, but little-known group that has been a tricky opponent for the military.

Military leaders say the Maute’s motivation for taking the city was to raise its profile and earn recognition from Islamic State.

Tuesday’s raid was aimed at capturing Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of radical faction of another militant group, the Abu Sayyaf. The government says Hapilon is a point man for Islamic State in the Philippines and has been collaborating with the Maute leaders.

“Based on our intelligence, Isnilon Hapilon is still in the city,” said Jo-Ar Herrera, spokesman for the First Infantry Regiment.

The Maute group’s rise is a source of concern for Mindanao native Duterte, who is familiar with Muslim separatist unrest but alarmed by the prospect of rebels helping Islamic State to recruit and establish a presence in the volatile region of 22 million people.

The president held a cabinet meeting on Thursday in Davao, his home city and the biggest on Mindanao.

Security was stepped up in Davao, with more military checkpoints and some businesses sending staff home during daylight hours. Residents were urged to stay vigilant.

In the city where Duterte was mayor for 22 years, and enjoys a cult-like following, residents were supportive of martial law.

“It’s not a hassle. It is good because it prevents harmful events,” said manicurist Zoraida Jakosalem Himaya. “He is like a father telling his children what to do.”

http://www.dhakatribune.com/world/a...commandoes-helicopters-retake-city-islamists/

BRP Davao Del Sur, PH Navy's latest ship, arrives in Manila
(UPDATE 2) The BRP Davao Del Sur is the second Strategic Sealift Vessel of the Philippine Navy. It is a versatile ship that can serve as a one-stop operations center at sea.

 

[Banglar Bir]

Russia helps Philippines fight ISIS
ADAM GARRIE 4 hours ago

Russia and Philippines have concluded an agreement wherein the former will supply much needed modern military hardware to the East Asian country as well as cooperate on further defence and counter-terrorism measures as well as the war against drugs.

The wide ranging talks were described by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the following way,
“These (agreements) include a defence cooperation agreement, memorandums on cooperation in nuclear energy, trade, investment, industry, transport, culture, and arts, as well as an action program for cooperation in tourism and a plan of consultations between our foreign ministries”.

According to the Philippines Star, President Rodrigo Duterte asked President Vladimir Putin for a loan to purchase much needed modern weapons. This comes after Philippines ran into difficulty securing weapons from its traditional ally, its post colonial ruler, the United States.

Duterte had a notoriously poor relationship with Barack Obama whom Duterte called a ‘son of a whore’. He has a notably better relationship with Donald Trump, but this has not changed Duterte’s position from looking increasingly to China and Russia as foreign partners.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Minister Alan Cayetano said that,
“The response of the Russian Federation through President Putin was very, very generous. So they said, well, we have the framework in place through our agreements to cooperate.

They have showed us what is available to us. I’m not at liberty now to discuss that…but they are awaiting our proposals.

It’s nothing new for the Russian Federation to lend a helping hand to countries that are their friends”.
Alan Cayetano also said that the Philippines will ask Russia for protective body armour for its troops and other protective gear in addition to modern weapons.

While Philippines has battled an Islamist insurgency for decades in the south of the country. Manila reports that unlike previous insurgencies the current fight with ISIS is internationalised. In addition to radicalised citizens of Philippines, the fighters include those of Indonesian and Malaysian origin, including some who were unable to get to Syria and Iraq in order to wage Salafist war/jihad.

According to Philippines Solicitor General Jose Calida,

“Before it was just a local terrorist group. But now they have subscribed to the ideology of ISIS. They want to make Mindanao a part of the caliphate”.

He also said that the intention is for ISIS fighters to turn Mindanao province in the south of the country into a province of the ISIS caliphate ruled from Raqqa in ISIS occupied Syria.

Rodrigo Duterte has promised total war on ISIS, but has made it clear that the war can only be won with the modern military equipment that the country currently lacks. He has turned to Russia for assistance in this matter.

There is however a distinct possibility that the US under Trump may come to Philippines’ aid in the war against ISIS. If the war becomes more protracted, Russia may also send special military advisers, although it is still far to early for such a thing to be an immediate possibility. If this happens though, there is interestingly a higher likelihood that Trump will finally be able to realise his goal of working with Russia against ISIS in Philippines rather than in Syria. The US after all is much better equipped to fight in Philippines than in Syria as it has an historic presence in and around the country. By contrast, the vast majority of America’s wars in the Middle East have been total strategic and at times military failures.

It is of note that ISIS began their violent assault on Marawi City when Duterte was in Moscow. Many have commented that this could imply that ISIS are taking their orders from those in the west who seek to undermine Duterte’s foreign policy which seeks historic new positive relations with both China and Russia.

It is also of note that illegal narcotics are a major source of funding for groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda.

Rodrigo Duterte has overseen the world’s most thorough war on drugs. Therefore Duterte’s struggle against drugs and ISIS terrorism are deeply related. It is the drugs which help to finance ISIS. Philippines is now at war with both.

http://theduran.com/russia-helps-philippines-fight-isis/

 

[MarveL]

PH signs some $500-million deals in Russia: delegate