Philippines to give US forces access to up to five military bases

Up to five Philippine military bases will be made available for U.S. forces to rotate aircraft, ships, equipment and troops, Manila's chief negotiator of a new security pact said on Friday, as the Philippines looks to counter China's rising power in the region.A new 10-year military agreement, which also covers storage of equipment for maritime security and humanitarian assistance, was signed with the United States last week, hours before President Barack Obama arrived for a two-day visit to Manila.

"Right now, the discussions would be ranging from three to five Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) bases," said Pio Lorenzo Batino, a defense undersecretary and head of the negotiating panel, told a news conference. "That's not final."He said the army's jungle training base in Fort Magsaysay, north of Manila, was "ideal location" for the United States because the two oldest allies in the region regularly hold joint exercises there.Military sources familiar with the discussions said the United States has also requested access to three former U.S. bases -- Clark airfield, Subic bay, Poro Point -- and Camp Aguinaldo, the military general headquarters in Manila.

The United States is also considering whether to seek access to four civil airports - Palawan, Cebu, General Santos, and Laoag - as well as Batanes airfield for refueling and emergency servicing, the sources said. There are also nearby bases in Cebu and Palawan.Defense and military officials said the new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) will boost the Philippines' defense capabilities.Territorial disputes have made the South China Sea, believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas, a potential flashpoint for the region.Other countries and territories with competing claims include Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.
China has become increasingly assertive in the disputed waters, seizing control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and has been blockading Second Thomas Shoal, where a Philippine Navy transport ship was deliberately run aground in 1999 to establish a presence.

Philippine Navy eyes French frigates

Amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the government is looking at French frigates for the Philippine Navy’s use.Naval officials were given a tour yesterday of the French Navy’s surveillance frigate Prairial – a 93.5-meter ship with both military and civilian characteristics, making it ideal for multiple purposes including disaster relief and other humanitarian missions, operations against piracy and international drug trafficking, and territorial patrol.

The Prairial is one of two French warships deployed in the Pacific – one in Tahiti and the other in New Caledonia.Prairial Commander Frederic Daumas said at a reception on the ship last night that the frigate, with 93 crewmembers, has performed well in various weather conditions including hurricanes since being commissioned in May 1992, and would last many more years.The Prairial is armed with 20 mm and 100 mm guns and Exocet surface-to-air missiles, and carries a transport craft, three boats and one Alouette III helicopter.

An information sheet on the frigate states: “Their main duty is to patrol overseas maritime zones over which France implements its sovereignty. In peace time, they enforce navigational police, control fishery and protect trade traffic.”Daumas said his crew would conduct joint exercises with the Philippine Navy tomorrow in Manila Bay before the frigate leaves for Hong Kong.The Prairial, which arrived Monday from Guam for its seventh port call in Manila, is on the fourth month of a seven-month deployment. It will also visit China, Japan and South Korea before returning to Tahiti.

Several months ago, the Philippine government considered acquiring coast guard patrol boats from France, but the plan did not push through.


http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/05/01/1317952/navy-eyes-french-frigates

U.S.-Philippines Pact Could Boost Arms Sales

A new 10-year security pact between the United States and the Philippines could lead to modest increases in U.S. weapons sales in coming years, especially for maritime surveillance equipment, analysts said on Sunday.The agreement, to be signed on Monday, establishes a framework for an increased U.S. military presence in the Philippines and is part of a "rebalancing" of U.S. resources toward the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region.

The deal comes 23 years after the Philippine Senate voted to evict the U.S. military from bases there, ending 94 years of American military presence in the Asian nation.Virginia-based defense analyst Loren Thompson noted that the deal came as China increasingly encroaches on maritime areas claimed by Manila in the South China Sea, even as a long-running Muslim insurgency in the southern Philippines is abating.
"What Manila needs most in the way of military technology is weapons that can help enforce its claim to areas in the South China Sea," Thompson said.

That could include P-8A maritime patrol aircraft built by Boeing Co, which have already been sold to India, conventional munitions such as the Standard Missile-3 built by Raytheon Co and small warships built by Lockheed Martin Corp or Australia's Austal, he said.A renewal of counter-insurgency operations would probably move helicopters up the list of acquisition priorities, particularly UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters built by Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United Technologies Corp.U.S. industry executives said they were keeping a close eye on the situation in the Philippines, but arms sales ultimately would be negotiated between the two governments.

"This is a new market," said one industry executive who was not authorized to speak publicly. "Chinese ambitions are making many countries look for support from the United States - even ones that have been out of the U.S. sphere for some time, such as the Philippines and Vietnam."Byron Callan, an analyst with Capital Alpha Partners, cautioned that any U.S. arms sales would be limited in scope, given the small size of the Philippines' defense budget, which totaled just $2.2 billion in 2013, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies."You could assume that 25 percent or so of that amount is for investment," Callan said. "And that spending power is not going to move the needle for U.S. defense primes."

Jim McAleese, a Virginia-based defense consultant, said the agreement's initial focus was on ship porting and military rotations, but arms sales could follow later.He said purchases of large weapons systems like Boeing's P-8A, which sells for about $275 million, would likely have to be funded by U.S. foreign military aid.


http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/USPhilippines-Pact-Could-Boost-Arms-Sales-2014-04-27/

Philippine to Buy More Planes for Air Force

President Benigno Aquino III on Friday unveiled a plan to acquire more aircraft to boost the capability of the Philippine Air Force.
Presiding over the Air Force change of command in Lipa City, the President said the Armed Forces would purchase eight combat utility helicopters, six close air support aircraft, two-long range patrol aircraft, and radar systems.

“We intend to buy also full-motion flight simulator to improve the training of our pilots,” he said in a speech aired over state-run dzRB radio.These are on top of the new FA50 from South Korea that will be delivered to the Air Force next year, Mr. Aquino said.“In 2005, we retired our last F5 freedom fighter. It’s our wish to enhance the capability of our pilots to fly this type of aircraft for military operations,’’ he said.

Last month, the military signed contracts for the acquisition of 12 lead-in fighter trainer jets worth P18.9-billion from South Korea and eight combat utility helicopters worth P4.8-billion from Canada.Under the watch of Lt. Gen. Lauro Catalino dela Cruz, who retired as Air Force chief on Friday, the PAF acquired a number of aircraft. It now boasts of three C-130 transports, eight combat utility helicopters, and 18 basic trainer aircraft, the President said.

Dela Cruz turned over his post to Major General Jeffrey Delgado, AFP deputy chief of staff for plans and programs. Delgado is a former senior military aide to the President.

The President did not make any reference to a defense agreement allowing increased US military presence that is widely believed to be signed during President Obama’s visit on Monday.
Reports say that the signing of the Agreement on Enhanced Defense Cooperation will be the cornerstone of Obama’s visit to the country.
Under the deal, the Philippines has agreed to allow the United States access to the country’s military bases in the face of China’s increasing aggressiveness in the South China Sea.
Philippine authorities will have access to US facilities inside local military bases.


Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/597341/ph-to-buy-more-planes-for-air-force-aquino#ixzz30AqHr134

U.S. and Philippines Agree to a 10-Year Pact on the Use of Military Bases

Signing Of The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement

Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images

Philippine Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, left, and U.S. Ambassador to the Philipinnes Philip Goldberg shake hands after signing the enhanced defense cooperation agreement in Manila on April 28, 2014.

The United States has reached a 10-year agreement with the Philippines that will give American warships, planes and troops greater access to bases in the archipelago, American officials said Sunday.

The deal, which will be the centerpiece of President Obama’s visit to the Philippines on Monday, returns the United States to a visible presence in the country for the first time since the American military gave up its sprawling naval and air bases, including one at Subic Bay, in 1992.The accord will also give the United States more flexibility to project its military assets in a region that has become increasingly tense, with China and its neighbors, including the Philippines, squabbling over territorial claims in the East and South China Seas.

Still, administration officials said the deal was not intended to contain China.President Obama, with Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia, answered questions from youth leaders at the Malaysia Global Innovation and Creativity Center in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.Listening Post: In Malaysia, Obama Works to Mend Troubled TiesAPRIL 27, 2014
President Obama at a state dinner in Malaysia, one of four stops on his Asia tour, with King Abdul Halim and Queen Haminah.News Analysis: On a Trip That Avoids Beijing, Obama Keeps His Eye on ChinaAPRIL 26, 2014. “We’re not doing this because of China,” said Evan Medeiros, senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council. “We’re doing this because we have a longstanding alliance partner.”

The American military presence in the Philippines was a frequent source of tension between the countries, who are treaty allies. But the rapid response of American ships and planes after Typhoon Haiyan, amid a more chaotic Philippine response, has increased popular support for allowing the United States military to have more access.

Phillipines Air Force KAI FA50 and Augusta Westland AW 159 Wildcat acquisition

Philippine Air Force up gradation deals pipeline

Philippine, Vietnam navies to unite against China

A Vietnamese naval soldier stands quard at Thuyen Chai island in the Spratly archipelago January 17, 2013.

CREDIT: REUTERS/QUANG LE

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/11/us-philippines-vietnam-insight-idUSBREA3901520140411?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

The Philippine navy will soon return to a South China Sea island it lost to Vietnam 40 years ago to drink beer and play volleyball with Vietnamese sailors, symbolizing how once-suspicious neighbors are cooperating in the face of China's assertiveness in disputed waters.Diplomats and experts describe the nascent partnership as part of a web of evolving relationships across Asia that are being driven by fear of China as well as doubts among some, especially in Japan, over the US commitment to the region.

When US President Barack Obama visits Asia this month he will see signs that once-disparate nations are strategizing for the future, even though he will likely seek to shore-up faith in America's "pivot" back to the region.Among the new network of ties: growing cooperation between Japan and India; Vietnam courting India and Russia; and Manila and Hanoi, the two capitals most feeling China's wrath over claims to the potentially energy-rich South China Sea, working more closely together. The Philippines and Vietnam are also talking to Malaysia about China.

"We are seeing a definite trend here, one that is likely to accelerate," said Rory Medcalf, a regional security specialist at Australia's independent Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney."It is quite a creative dance as countries hedge and try to cover themselves for multiple possible futures."While it was unlikely the new-found relationships would become military alliances, there was an intensity to their strategic discussions, including the sharing of assessments about China's rise and influence, Medcalf said.

Regional diplomats confirmed increasing levels of trust at a working level, as countries find that China's projection of naval power into Asia's waters is driving them together.

Philippine sailors gloat after China fails to block Sierra Madre supply run

The Sierra Madre

Restocking supplies while Chinese Coast Guard Ship watches

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20140401000062&cid=1101&MainCatID=0

After successfully providing supplies to its marines on board the Sierra Madre, a World War II-era tank landing ship beached near the Second Thomas Shoal (Ren'ai Reef or Ayungin Shoal), one of the disputed Spratly Islands, sailors of the Philippine Navy gave the victory sign to Chinese coast guard vessels, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency.

When the Philippine fishing boat carrying foods and fresh troops for marines on board the Sierra Madre, reporters from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Associated Press and other international media outlets were invited on board another vessel to cover the event. An AFP report said four Chinese coast guard vessels were ordered to intercept the approaching Philippine fishing boat on Mar. 29. Previously, on Mar. 9, two Philippine supply vessels had been driven away by the Chinese vessels surrounding the disputed waters.

The Chinese government has said that the Sierra Madre was grounded intentionally by the Philippine government near the disputed reef in 1999 to solidify its claim of sovereignty over the Second Thomas Shoal. Reuters reported that about eight marines had been stationed aboard the beached ship for three months in harsh conditions. Due to the Chinese blockade, the Philippine government had to mobilize aircraft to drop supplies to the marines on board the Sierra Madre.

"If we didn't change direction, if we didn't change course, then we would have collided with them," said Ferdinand Gato, captain of the Philippine fishing boat, after his boat had anchored on the Second Thomas Shoal to supply the isolated marines. Reuters said that the Philippine vessel was spotted by the Chinese coast guard vessel about an hour away from the Second Thomas Shoal. A warning message was then sent to the Philippine boat by the Chinese.

"We order you to stop immediately, stop all illegal activities and leave," said the radio message in English from the Chinese vessel, despite which Gato continued his mission. At the same time, Philippine troops wearing civilian clothing, along with journalists, then flashed the victory sign — also known as the peace sign — at the Chinese coast guard according to Reuters. Gato did not stop or reverse, but picked up speed and eventually maneuvered away from the Chinese after a two hours chase.

The Spratlys, the largest group of islands in the resource-rich South China Sea, is also the archipelago with the greatest number of claimants. China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim the islands in whole or in part.

Canada signs $105 million Bell helicopter deal with Philippines

Canada has signed a $105 million contract with the Philippines to supply eight military helicopters made by Bell Helicopter Textron Canada, a unit of Textron Inc TXT.N, Canadian International Trade Minister Ed Fast said on Friday.

The contract was negotiated under a memorandum of understanding between the Philippines military and Ottawa's government-to-government contracting organization, the Canadian Commercial Corp.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that memorandum during his visit to Manila in November 2012. The choppers are to be made in Quebec over the next two years.

Israeli firm - Elbit Systems - bags P368-M deal to supply artillery to Philippines Army

Elbit Systems Land and C41, a defense material manufacturer based in Israel, won the bid to supply the Army more than P368 million worth of artillery, a source privy to the bidding said.

“Elbit offers P368,837,332 for 12 pieces of 155 Howitzer canons with accessories and ammunition,” beating Bosnian firm BNT, the source said.The second conference that concluded with the choosing of the winning bid was held in Camp Aguinaldo.

The defense department’s Bids and Awards Committee for the project is led by Assistant Secretary Efren Fernandez.Elbit offered its Athos howitzer system.

Bids for the contract were opened on December 5 last year, following a pre-bid conference on November 22.

Phillipines Department of National Defense (DND) Weighs Options on P3-b Radar

American FPS-117

Elta ELM 2288 Radar

 The Department of National Defense is looking at two options in its plan to purchase three units of Long-Range Surveillance Radar which the Philippine Air Force needs.The radar units will be fitted into  the lead-in training fighter jets  the DND  will buy from South Korea.

The radar units will cost P3 billion or a little more and it’s all up to the Defense officials to decide whether US or Israeli firms will firm up the contract.The planned acquisition came after   President Benigno Aquino III earmarked a P75-billion budget to make Defense and military equipment meet  the “minimum credible defense”.

The US is offering its TPS-77 model which is very similar to the FPS-117 the American are using.But the DND and PAF are also considering the Israel-made Elta ELM 2288 Radar system.

Philippines DND, suppliers to sign multi-billion contracts for trainer jets, attack choppers

Finally lot of long pending defense deals for Philippines Armed forces go through. Multi Range fighter and Long Range Surveillance Radar System next on the acquisition wishlist.



The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) will be signing on Friday contracts with suppliers for the manufacture of 12 training jet fighters worth P18.9 billion and 8 attack helicopters worth P4.8 billion.The defense materials are all intended for use by the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

South Korea’s Korean Aerospace Inc. (KAI) will be supplying FA50 jets and the Canadian Commercial Corp. will manufacture Bell 412 combat utility helicopters.President Benigno Aquino III had approved a total amount of P75 billion for the DND and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to achieve at least a “minimum credible defense” in the face of China’s aggressive incursions in the West Philippine Sea where it illegally posting Philippine territories.

In an interview, PAF spokesman Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol said the acquisition of the FA50s is a good start to enhance the present air capability of PAF.“Well, the FA50s will greatly enhance our air defense capability. This would signal the start of our territorial defense initiatives so that brings us closer to what we want to attain, what we plan to achieve which is the minimum credible defense. Definitely, this is a positive start towards that end,” he said.

But Okol said the acquisition of the FA50s does not stop there because the aircrafts are just training fighter jets.“Eventually we will be acquiring multirole fighter (MRF) jets when the time comes, and that is another level of territorial defense,” Okol said.

With the FA50s, the DND has yet to decide which Long Range Surveillance Radar System it will buy, whether the United States-made TPS-77 or the Israel-made ELM 2288.PAF is planning to acquire 3 radar units worth about P3 billion for the country’s air defense and to also fit with the FA50s.“The radars provide situational awareness so they look far beyond the horizon to see if somebody is infringing on our territorial sovereignty. The maritime patrol aircraft, the long range patrol aircraft are the ones looking into our maritime domain awareness,” Okol said.The DND is also eyeing the purchase of 4 anti-submarine helicopters worth P5.4 billion for its BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz, two 47-year-old decommissioned Hamilton-class cutters the Philippine Navy acquired from the US Coast Guard.

The helicopters, AW 159 “Wildcat”, are manufactured by Augusta Westland.

PH Eyeing 3rd Hamilton Cutter from US?

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83361/uss-michigan-us-guided-missile-sub-to-dock-on-tuesday-in-subic

A defense source said the government was reportedly negotiating for a third Hamilton-class from the US Coast Guard under the US Foreign Military Sale (FMS), similar to the terms that covered its earlier acquisition of the first two Hamilton cutters that were renamed BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz.The US Coast Guard decommissioned the high-endurance ship a long time ago but placed it on its excess defense materials for interested countries.

Up to three C-130s are also expected to be acquired by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) to boost its lift transport capability, the source added. PAF  currently only has three operational C-130s.USS Michigan, US guided-missile sub, to dock on Tuesday in Subic

 The USS Michigan (SSGN 727), an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine, will arrive in Subic Bay on Tuesday. Its arrival coincides with the resumption of the sixth round of talks between the negotiating panels of Manila and Washington for increased rotational presence of American forces in the country.
In a statement, the US embassy in Manila said the warship’s visit is “for a routine port call that highlights the strong historic, community, and military connections between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines.”  “This visit will allow the ship to replenish supplies as well as give the crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation.  While in Subic the sailors of the USS Michigan will visit a school that helps persons with disabilities, and visit the Olongapo City Museum to learn more about Filipino culture and history,” the embassy statement said.

The USS Michigan is part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and is homeported in Puget Sound, Washington.  It is commanded by Capt. Erik A. Burian and crewed by approximately 150 sailors.The submarine was commissioned on September 11, 1982 and is the third United States Navy vessel to bear the name of the state. In 2003, the Michigan entered the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington for conversion from a Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine into a Guided Missile Submarine.

In June 2007, the new USS Michigan SSGN-727 was returned to service as one of only four SSGN's in the submarine fleet.

Philippine Plans to Procure 8 Combat Utility Helicopters and 2 ASW Helicopters

The Department of National Defense on Monday said it has allocated P5.4 billion for the acquisition of two brand-new anti-submarine warfare helicopters for the Philippine Navy."The ASW helicopters is one of the projects included in the list of the AFP Modernization Program. The project is for implementation," DND undersecretary for finance, modernization, installations, and munitions Fernando Manalo said in a message to the PNA.

Manalo said the acquisition process is expected to be completed by this year.The Philippine Navy earlier announced it is considering the AW-159 "Wildcat" made by Augusta-Westland.The choppers will be assigned to the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz.The AW-159 is an improved version of the Westland Super Lynx military helicopter.The AW-159, which has been ordered for the British army and navy, will serve in battlefield utility, search and rescue and anti-surface warfare roles.

It has a crew of two, has a maximum speed of 291 kilometers per hour, a range of 777 km, ferry range of 963 km and an endurance of one and a-half hours, (four hours and 30 minutes if fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks).The AW-159 is fitted with forward firing CRV7 rockets and machineguns, pintle-mounted machinegun, Sea Skua missiles and Sting Ray torpedoes and depth charges.

The acquisition process for the AW-159 is expected to commence in earnest once the Navy completes an acquisition deal for five AW-109s from Augusta-Westland by the third quarter of this year.

Philippines and South Korea to sign P18.9-B jet deal this week

The Philippines and South Korea are expected to sign this week a multi-billion peso deal that would allow the military to acquire 12 lead-in fighter trainer jets.“Within next week, starting Monday, within that week, we will have a signing of contract for the FA-50 (jets) with the South Korean government,” Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told reporters here.

He said a deal involving the purchase of eight combat utility helicopters from Canada may also be forged this week.Last month, the defense department and the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) completed the negotiations for the lead-in fighter trainer jets project which has an approved budget of P18.9 billion.

KAI will be supplying FA-50 jets, which are derived from the family of T-50 advanced jet trainer air assets. The jets will be used for territorial defense operations.The first batch of jets is expected to be delivered late next year. KAI is required to deliver at least two air assets within 18 months after the signing of the contract. 

Philippines says US defence agreement close, amid China row

The Philippines said yesterday a deal to allow a greater US military presence on its territory could be signed next month, in a timely defence boost amid a worsening territorial row with China.There was optimism the pact could be secured ahead of US President Barack Obama’s April visit to Manila after the two sides agreed on a contentious issue that would see US forces build “structures” on their hosts military bases, Filipino officials said.

“Discussions in the sixth round were substantive and productive, and significant progress was made,” Philippine Defence Undersecretary Pio Batino told reporters in Manila following the latest round of talks in Washington last week.Fellow negotiators said: “If the negotiations are successfully concluded and that happens before the arrival of President Obama, then we will be happy of course”.However, the officials declined to set an April deadline, citing the need to ensure the language was in line with Philippine laws and yielded the maximum benefits for the hosts.



Washington has said Obama will visit the Philippines in April as part of a four-nation tour of East Asia.
The Philippine government sees hosting more US forces as an important part of its strategy to counter an increasingly assertive China in an escalating dispute over rival claims to the South China Sea.With its military capabilities dwarfed by China’s the Philippines has been looking for more diplomatic and military support from the US, its former colonial ruler and longtime ally.

A decades-long dispute over rival claims to parts of the South China Sea has sharply worsened over the past two years, with the Philippines accusing China of bullying and violating international laws.Among the recent flare-ups, Manila accused the Chinese coastguard of firing a water cannon on January 27 at two Filipino fishing boats near a shoal that is within the Philippine exclusive economic zone.

The Philippines then said Chinese ships blocked Filipino vessels from bringing food to Filipino marines on another shoal within its territory.

Both outcrops lie many hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest Chinese landmass, but China claims most of the sea, even waters approaching the coasts of its neighbours.

American forces were forced to pull out of major military bases in the Philippines in 1992, ending nearly a century of military presence, amid a rental dispute and rising anti-American sentiment.

However since 2002 several hundred Special Forces troops on short term deployments have training Filipino counterparts who are fighting militants in the south.

Phillipines reaches deal to buy 12 fighters jets from South Korea

The Philippines said Friday a deal has been reached to buy 12 fighter jets worth P18.9 billion ($415.7 million) from South Korea as the country struggles to modernize its military.
“We did not only inch closer, we are almost there,” Undersecretary Fernando Manalo, chairman of Bids and Awards Committee, told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo Friday after Manila and Seoul reached a conclusion on the negotiations for the acquisition of 12 FA 50 lead-in fighter jets.

“We are considering it [FA-50 lead-in fighter jets] as not just an ordinary lead-in fighter because it can deliver short range missile and there is a potential for these to be classified as beyond the short range fighter aircraft,” Manalo said.

The deal came amid a seething territorial conflict with China over the resource-rich West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

The acquisition of fighter jets is one of the two big ticket items in the P85-billion AFP Modernization Program. The other is the purchase of two brand new frigates worth P18 billion.

The FA-50 is a new light combat aircraft manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries. It is a light combat version of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft.
The deal was reached after seven months of negotiations with the Korean firm.
The first two fighter jets will be delivered 18 months after the contract signing, which is targeted before March 15. The delivery will be completed in 2017.

The Philippine military is one of the weakest in Asia, and retired the last of its US-designed F-5 fighters in 2005.

C-295 Only Eligible Bid for PAF's Medium Lift Fixed Wing Aircraft Acquisition Program

A C-295 in MPA form used by the Chilean Navy. With the C-295 choice of the PAF, the C-295 bid for the LRMPA project

A C-295 transport aircraft delivered to the Mexican Air Force.

Airbus Military's C-295 transport aircraft, as used by the Spanish Air Force.

The CN-235 offered by PT DI was disqualified for failing to meet payload and space requirements.

The bid submission and opening for the Philippine Air Force's requirement for 3 Medium Lift Fixed Wing Aircraft has seen Airbus Military (EADS-CASA) and PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) joining the tender. They are offering the C-295 and the CN-235, respectively. Noted was the absence of another expected bidder, Alenia Aermacchi with its C-27J Spartan aircraft. It appears that Airbus Military's C-295 is the lowest eligible bid, with a quote of Php 5.289 billion, or a little lower than the Php 5.3 billion budget allocated by the PAF and DND.

It is expected that the post qualification process will start soon, and may involve DND and PAF personnel to check EADS-CASA-Airbus Military's facilities and C-295 production in Spain, where the C-295 is produced. No word though if PT DI will be involved in any way as they are also a licensed assembler of the C-295 for the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI). If everything goes as planned, it is expected that the planes will be available to the PAF after 26 months after opening of letter of credit, which will be in 2016. The PAF would be luckier if Airbus Military can deliver earlier as their production of the C-295 is still in full blast.

With the choice of the C-295, it would be interesting to see next what would be the PAF's choice on the future Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft (LRMPA) acquisition project, wherein the a modified C-295 is said to be one of the contenders as well. Although it was confirmed by the DND and PAF sources that the LRMPA project might be US-sourced, it is still possible for the C-295 to steal the show as everything is not yet final on that project.

Philippines Department of Defense to purchase 28 armoured infantry fighting vehicles from Israel

The Department of National Defense has signed a P882-million contract with an Israel-based firm for the purchase of 28 armored infantry fighting vehicles.DND Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez said in an interview on Thursday that the deal was signed last week with Elbit Systems Land and C4L for the "very capable" vehicles.

Velez declined to divulged the vehicles' specifications citing security reasons.He said that four of the 28 armored vehicles are recovery models to be used to tow damaged units and those incapacitated in the battlefield.Fourteen of the new acquisitions, meanwhile, will be used as fire support vehicles equipped with 76mm cannons taken from decommissioned vehicles.

The delivery of the vehicles are expected to be completed by January 2015.The Philippine Army is so far equipped with 343 armored fighting vehicles for its 10 infantry divisions.

The 28 armored infantry fighting vehicles are among the the department's planned acquisitions this year for the Army. The list includes a shore-launched anti-ship missile system, various grenade launchers, 155mm Towed Howitzers and a few other trucks.