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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Philippine Army to get 400 brand-new light rocket launchers

The Philippine Army still uses the M68 90mm recoilless rifle together with a few dozen of the smaller and older M18 57mm recoilless rifles. A new requirement for rocket launchers to replace them is in the pipeline.

The PA also uses the Armbrust rocket launcher, but this is a disposable one-shot system. The PA is looking for a reuseable system which is more cheaper in the long run.

In line with its modernization program, the Philippine Army (PA) on Friday announced that it will be getting 400 units of LRRs (light rocket launcher anti-tank weapons) before the end of 2014.Capt. Anthony Bacus, Army spokesperson, said that these weapons are meant to replace the 186 units of 90-mm and 26 pieces of 57-mm recoilless rifles currently in service.

He added the decision to acquire the 400 units of LRRs was done as the recilless rifles were too heavy to be carried by a single soldier alone."One of the downside aspect for these old weapons is that they are too heavy to be carried by an individual soldier, that most instances, it impedes the movement of maneuvering troops," Bacus stressed.

Aside from these LRRs, the PA also has 12 units of 76-mm guns and 300 25-mm cannons for its anti-armor role.Anti-armor capability refers to the ability to destroy or disable enemy armor in the battlefield.PA anti-armor weapons are issued to elite and special operations units and the newly-created mechanized infantry companies which consist of 14 armored vehicles each.

Philippines to Bolster Surveillance with new Maritime Air Patrols, Radar Stations

The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) plans to acquire two long-range patrol aircraft at an investment of US$135 million, (P5.98 billion). Support facilities for these aircraft will be established at the Lipa, Palawan and Zamboanga airfields located at the western and southern perimeters of the Sulu Sea.

Philippine Navy Gets AW109 Power Naval Helicopters

The Philippine Navy (PN) commissions its first 3 AgustaWestland AW109 Power multipurpose naval helicopters as part of the AFP 78th Anniversary and Thanksgiving celebrations at AFP's headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

On March 2010, the Philippines' Department of National Defense (DND) released an invitation to bid for the procurement of 2 multipurpose helicopters including Intergrated Logistics Support (ILS) and air and ground crew training with an Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) amounting to Php 850.91 million. Award should have been to PZL Swidnik of Poland for a navalized W-3 Sokol variant, but this was deferred after reports of collusion between PZL Swidnik and a joint group from the Philippine Air Force and Navy was made public.

Another attempt was made in 2012 now under the Naval Helicopter Acquisition Program, and the PN planned to embark these helicopters on the Gregorio del Pilar-class frigates. The DND decided to negotiate with AgustaWestland for navalized AW109 Power helicopters, and was found to be the single calculated and responsive proponent. With the help of the Italian Ministry of Defense upon their review, the notice of award was provided to AgustaWestland S.p.A. and a contract was signed on December 20, 2012 for 3 helicopters worth Php 1,337,176,584.00 (US$32.544 million), to be financed by the AFP Modernization Program with assistance from the Department of Energy. An option for 2 more is also included in the contract, which was realized later on for a total budget for the 5 helicopters plus ILS for probably less than Php 2.2 billion. Expected delivery is around early 2014.

The first batch of avionics and maintenance crew were sent to Sesto Calende, Italy for training on May 2013, while the 1st batch of pilots for training were sent to Italy on June 2013 while the last batch were sent on November 2013. The training for different crews vary between 2 to 4 months which will enable them to maintain and operate the helicopters with minimal or no help from AgustaWestland specialists.

Philippine Air Force Signs Contract for Eight AW109 Power helicopters

Click to see hi-res

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the Philippine Air Force has signed a contract for eight AW109 Power light twin helicopters.

These aircraft will be used to perform a range of duties including homeland security, armed reconnaissance and close support. Deliveries will start in 2014.

The contract also includes initial logistics support and training for aircrew and maintenance personnel.