PHL defense modernization should allow quick acquisitions — analysts

PHILIPPINE LAWMAKERS should revise the country’s military modernization framework to allow faster acquisitions of defense assets, security analysts said at the weekend, as confrontations with China in the South China Sea continue to escalate.

- By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio Reporter

They said a shift toward agile procurement would help the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) respond more effectively to real-time threats in contested waters, where flexibility and speed are critical.

“There are still significant adjustments to be made in the modernization program including abandoning the 15-year horizon framework for a flexible and agile model that allows assets to be acquired in real time as threats and technology continuously develop,” defense economist Rocio Salle Gatdula said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

She added that analysts are studying a “single horizon” approach that would allow the government to buy and upgrade equipment more quickly, rather than waiting for subsequent phases under the present system.

The Philippines is implementing a $35-billion (P2 trillion) modernization program that seeks to strengthen its defense posture in the next decade. The plan includes acquisitions of advanced warships, aircraft and missile systems, and is seen as a response to China’s growing military footprint in the South China Sea.