15 AFP modernization projects completed last year

MANILA, Philippines – A total of 15 armed forces upgrade projects, including air assets and communication equipment, were completed last year, military data obtained by The STAR showed. 

The projects have a total cost of more than P18 billion and are expected to improve the military’s security and disaster response capabilities.

Six of the projects will go to the Army while four will benefit the Navy. Three projects will boost the capabilities of the Air Force while two will go to the General Headquarters and Armed Forces of the Philippines Wide Support and Separate Units.

Big ticket items completed this year include the three units of C-295 medium lift aircraft, the eight units of 412EP combat utility helicopters and eight attack helicopters for the Air Force, 50,629 assault rifles for the Army and Marines, and two units of naval helicopters.

Security officials previously said that the three C-295 planes cost P5.29 billion while the eight 412EP helicopters were acquired for P4.65 billion.

The eight attack helicopters cost P3.44-billion while the assault rifles and the two naval helicopters were worth P1.94 billion and P847.5 billion, respectively.

Other projects completed in 2015 were 720 units of 40 mm grenade launchers (P45 million), 330 units of personal role radios (P86 million) and eight units of 40mm automatic grenade launchers (P19.75 million) for the Navy; 473 units of 20W Man Pack Radios (P652.8 million), 1,376 units of 5W handheld radio and 210 units of high frequency 50 W radios (combined amount of P863.7 million), 62 units of 100W base radio amplifier and accessories (P80.4 million) and 114 units of M113A2 armored personnel carrier (P67.5 million) for the Army; and communication equipment (P10.87 million) and enhanced data generation system (P19.97 million) for the General Headquarters and Armed Forces of the Philippines Wide Support and Separate Units.

The Aquino administration has so far completed 65 military upgrade projects worth P30.96 billion, surpassing the 45 projects implemented under the previous regime.

Of the 65 completed projects, 24 went to the Army while 22 benefitted the Air Force. The Navy and the General Headquarters and Armed Forces of the Philippines Wide Support and Separate Units each got eight projects, while the Government Arsenal benefitted from three projects.