The Philippines will pursue the modernization of its armed forces to “address present dangers.”
That was the latest pronouncement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the matter of procuring equipment and supplies, apart from enhancing training, to bring the AFP closer to the goal of securing national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as mandated by our Constitution.
For far too long, the country depended on the protection provided by American military bases—mainly Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base—until the Philippine Senate decided to terminate the RP-US Military Bases Agreement in 1991.
We relied as well on hand-me-downs from the US military arsenal, from jet fighters to naval ships and firearms.
That served us well in the post-WWII era, and later, when we had to fight two armed insurgencies from the 1970s onwards.
But current geo-political realities in the region compel us now to strengthen our military capability even as we have been given no less than an “ironclad” guarantee by the United Sates that they will honor the Mutual Defense Treaty we signed back in 1951.
This is not the first time, of course, that the President stressed the importance of modernizing the Philippine military.
Last year, upon assuming office, he promised to support the AFP modernization program, citing geopolitical tensions and challenges facing the country brought about by terrorism and natural calamities.
He even described the AFP modernization program as “crucial” to make the military “ready for all eventualities.”
The AFP’s modernization program began in the mid-1990s during the Ramos administration.
In fact, part of Fort Bonifacio, the headquarters of the army, was even sold to the private sector to jump-start the modernization effort.
Since then, as the economy improved and the government managed to save funds, we began to gradually purchase military equipment from other countries to upgrade the capability of our Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard.
But the first horizon of AFP modernization from 2013 to 2017 was for the acquisition of equipment mostly for internal security operations.
What is now known as Horizon 2 of the modernization program is aimed at making the AFP “mission capable for territorial defense in the West Philippine Sea” by the end in this year, but COVID-19 delayed its completion.
Its third and final phase, or Horizon 3, was supposed to start next year and last until 2028.
But the lack of adequate funds could further delay the acquisition corvettes, offshore patrol vessels and combat utility helicopters to achieve what is called a “minimum credible defense posture.”
The acquisition of “game changer projects” such as missile systems, and multirole jet fighters and advanced C4ISTAR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, targeting acquisition and reconnaissance) would definitely be a huge leap to enhance the country’s external defense capabilities in the years ahead.
The question is: Can we afford all this while our resources are focused on economic and social priorities?