Armed Forces expects delivery of new military hardware

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is due to receive next month a considerable number of air, sea and land military hardware it has acquired from local and foreign sources to boost the country’s internal and external defense.

AFP spokesman Col. Anglo Marcelo Burgos Jr. said under the AFP’s capability upgrade program, the Philippine Air Force would get 20 units of MG520 attack helicopters, four combat utility helicopters and an aerial reconnaissance camera.

On the other hand, the Philippine Navy will get a new landing craft utility ship, three multipurpose attack craft, three Jacinto-class patrol vessels with upgraded weapons system, 20 units of 2-1/2-ton truck troop carriers, 1-1/4-ton truck troop carriers and 105 units of 20-watt radio vehicles.

The Philippine Army, now in the thick of addressing internal threats, will have 62 units of audio-visual systems for its civil military operations in the countryside.

Burgos said with these military deliveries, alongside the support of military allies, particularly the US as promised by recent visitor US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the AFP will now be able to intensify its maritime and interdiction operations, especially in the West Philippine Sea.

At the 60th commemoration of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the US the other day, Clinton vowed to stand and fight with the Philippines to help the country achieve its development goals and address security concerns.

Aside from the deliveries late this year, Burgos said the AFP is also expecting more military hardware for its three major services next year.

Already on the pipeline and slated to be delivered next year are four combat utility helicopters and six refurbished UH-IH helicopter for the Air Force, while the Navy will have two upgraded Coast Watch Stations, one lot of command and control system, 335 units of Rocket Launcher Light and 100 units of 81-millimeter mortars for the Army.

“We are both enhancing further our presence and continuously improving our Coast Watch System to suffice the security and monitoring requirements, particularly in the West Philippine Sea,” Burgos said.

He added the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, a Hamilton-class Coast Guard cutter recently acquired from the US, will be deployed at the West Philippine Sea by the end of this month.

Burgos said the military also received an assurance from the US government of its continued support in efforts to address the Abu Sayyaf menace in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, the Department of National Defense has sealed a multimillion-peso deal with a Canadian firm for the procurement of equipment that would enhance the capability and capacity of the government arsenal in manufacturing ammunition for small arms.

Defense spokesman Zosimo Jesus Paredes II said the P335.8-million contract entered into by the Bataan-based Philippine Government Arsenal with the Canadian firm Waterbury Farrel covers the acquisition of a multi-station bullet assembly machine, case manufacture equipment, and cartridge assembly equipment.

The AFP has been heavily dependent on the government arsenal for its ammunition requirements in most of its ground operations against the New People’s Army, rogue Muslim rebels, and Abu Sayyaf terrorists.