BBM approves military procurement 'wish list'

Amid continuing maritime aggression by China, President Marcos has approved a $35-billion budget to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), with the Philippine Navy getting the largest chunk to strengthen capabilities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

- MICHAEL PUNONGBAYAN

The budget will be used to finance various acquisitions enumerated in a lengthy "wish list" submitted by the AFP to the President, and will be spread out over 10 years, Philippine Navy spokesman for the WPS Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said yesterday at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum.

"As to the proportion, I would say that the larger chunk goes to the Navy, and then the Air Force, and then the Army, and then the General Headquarters. Because the thrust now is already external. It says there that there are different capabilities that will allow the Philippine Navy to fight across a broad spectrum of warfare," he said.

Trinidad explained that broad spectrum warfare refers to air, surface, sub-surface and electronic spectrum.

"So our ships or our capabilities, including those on land, should have the capability to fight in the air, on land, on surface, at sea and sub-surface undersea, and of course in the electronic spectrum," he said.

"The details of this are with the Department of National Defense and they will determine which will be prioritized, where and how will it be acquired and how it will be developed. Will it be bought? Will it be manufactured locally, so that the local labor force can be utilized and the money will be spent here? So we are thankful that the AFP is fully supported," he added.

Asked if the Philippine Navy is still looking to acquire a submarine, Trinidad did not say if it was included in the wish list but noted that it is still part of the plan.

"The project is still there for undersea warfare capabilities. When you say undersea warfare, there are a lot of components to it, not just a submarine. These include support components that are on the surface like our bases and the training of our personnel," he said.

Trinidad said the Philippine fleet already has a submarine group, which has sent officers and enlisted personnel locally and abroad for training.