Lankan Ranger
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Philippines eyes submarine acquisition by 2020
Philippine Navy (PN) intends to procure a submarine before the end of this decade in a bid to secure national interests and maintain the military balance within Southeast Asia.
A PN official told on 17 May that the service is undertaking a series of studies that will outline the submarine requirement as well as assess the plan's feasibility. Based on these studies, the PN expects to submit a purchase proposal to the Department of National Defense (DND) within the next year.
The official said that it was too early to comment on whether the PN will seek to procure a second-hand submarine or a new platform. A lack of money has often forced the Philippines to buy second-hand materiel. The PN's new flagship vessel when it arrives later this year, for example, will be the former US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Hamilton.
The submarine is necessary, said the PN official, to increase the PN's capability to patrol its territorial waters. Ownership of much of these waters - where significant deposits of oil and gas are thought to reside - is contested by China and several Southeast Asian countries, all of which have recently acquired, or plan to acquire, submarine assets.
The Philippines submarine procurement plan is part of the PN's Sail Plan 2020, which sets out a strategy for modernisation balanced against financial constraints. The plan outlines the need for the PN to become more responsive and develop "reliable naval facilities" and an "up-to-date naval capability" by the end of the decade.
http://www..com/products//defence-s...D=1065929630&channel=defence&subChannel=naval
Philippine Navy (PN) intends to procure a submarine before the end of this decade in a bid to secure national interests and maintain the military balance within Southeast Asia.
A PN official told on 17 May that the service is undertaking a series of studies that will outline the submarine requirement as well as assess the plan's feasibility. Based on these studies, the PN expects to submit a purchase proposal to the Department of National Defense (DND) within the next year.
The official said that it was too early to comment on whether the PN will seek to procure a second-hand submarine or a new platform. A lack of money has often forced the Philippines to buy second-hand materiel. The PN's new flagship vessel when it arrives later this year, for example, will be the former US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Hamilton.
The submarine is necessary, said the PN official, to increase the PN's capability to patrol its territorial waters. Ownership of much of these waters - where significant deposits of oil and gas are thought to reside - is contested by China and several Southeast Asian countries, all of which have recently acquired, or plan to acquire, submarine assets.
The Philippines submarine procurement plan is part of the PN's Sail Plan 2020, which sets out a strategy for modernisation balanced against financial constraints. The plan outlines the need for the PN to become more responsive and develop "reliable naval facilities" and an "up-to-date naval capability" by the end of the decade.
http://www..com/products//defence-s...D=1065929630&channel=defence&subChannel=naval
