France renews offer to help build submarine for AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Acknowledging the need to modernize the military amid rising challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region, France is renewing its offer to help build a submarine for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

This was among the matters discussed when Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro met with French Ambassador Marie Fontanel-Lassalle at Camp Aguinaldo last week.

Emphasizing France’s role as a partner in the Indo-Pacific, the French envoy reiterated her government’s offer to support the AFP Modernization Program.

Department of National Defense spokesman Arsenio Andolong said such offer includes “the Naval Group’s readiness to assist in building a Philippine submarine force.”

Talks of how France has offered to help arm the Philippines with a submarine date back to the previous Duterte administration, while plans to acquire one were discussed as early as 2013.

In October last year, Andolong revealed that the DND is slowing down on its efforts to acquire a submarine for the AFP because of financial limitations and though plans to purchase the naval vessel are still on the table, it is being set aside for other priority procurements.

“Although submarines are in our wish list for Horizon 3, the Department is prioritizing the implementation of contracts signed during the previous administration, cognizant of the limitations in the resources available to the government,” he had explained.

During their meeting, Fontanel told Teodoro that she looks forward to the continued improvement of relations between the Philippines and France as the French embassy in Manila has recently opened its Defense Mission.

Welcoming the shared commitment of the Philippines and France to the rules-based international order and adherence to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Teodoro for his part underscored the importance of enhancing defense ties with other countries around the globe and how it strengthens complementary relationships such as on trade, investment and commerce.

Without mentioning the country’s problems with China in the West Philippine Sea, he further suggested that France converge with other like-minded states in upholding freedom of navigation and addressing maritime challenges.