‘France may have submarines best suited for Navy’

MANILA, Philippines — Among several countries, including Russia, offering submarines, France appears to have the best model for the Philippine Navy, especially in terms of technology and weapons system.

This was according to Navy chief Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad who revealed yesterday standing offers from South Korea, Germany and Russia to provide the Philippines with submarines.

But it’s the French-made diesel electric Scorpene, Empedrad said, that best fits the Navy’s requirements owing to its stealth design, good weapon systems and sonar capabilities.

“I am not saying that we are now procuring the French-made submarine, but for now their offer fits the requirement of the Navy. We continue to request for proposals from other companies like those in South Korea and Germany,” Empedrad said.

“We are continuously studying this and then hopefully we finalize what is our preference and then when budget comes out we can bid it,” he pointed out.

It is also possible that the Navy submarine project would be funded through government-to-government arrangement, he said.

Empedrad explained that while the subsurface capabilities of the French submarine are also found in Russia’s Kilo-class submarine, the latter is very large and expensive for the Navy to acquire and operate.

He said what Navy needs now is funding for its submarine acquisition project.

He added the Navy had spent around P18 million last year alone in preparing its sailors for future submarine operations.

Empedrad stressed that having submarines would significantly boost the Navy’s defense capabilities.

“Hopefully, Congress will approve and release the budget so that we can proceed with our submarine acquisition project,” he said.