A legislator on Saturday proposed the recommissioning of retired military aircraft to be used as force multipliers during natural calamities as well as for patrols over the West Philippine Sea.
“The leadership of the DND [Department of National Defense] and Armed Forces should take a long, hard look at recommissioning decommissioned helicopters and other aircraft in our military’s inventory so we can maintain a strong and efficient modern defense that can better protect our country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity from internal and external threats, including natural disasters,” Camarines Sur Rep. Luigi Villafuerte said.
“In support of the AFP and its modernization program, the 20th Congress should consider new legislation that aims to put back into service decommissioned military helicopters and other aircraft as the country’s immediate response to fill the urgent gap during natural disasters, maritime patrols, border security, and humanitarian assistance,” Villafuerte added.
In House Bill 1363, Villafuerte is seeking the rehabilitation, refurbishment, and recommissioning of decommissioned military helicopters and other aircraft to strengthen the country’s national defense capabilities as well as its response to natural disasters and other emergencies.
Otherwise known as the Military Air Asset Rehabilitation and Modernization Act, HB 1363 tasks the DND to initiate a Military Air Asset Rehabilitation Program (MAARP) to conduct technical inspection and feasibility analysis of available aircraft for possible recommissioning. It also directs the DND, with the AFP, to complete a full inventory of all decommissioned aircraft in military storage nationwide within 90 days from the effectivity of the bill, if enacted into law.
HB 1363 allocates an initial ₱5 billion for this recommissioning program, to be sourced from unprogrammed funds of the national budget or other available funding sources. Subsequent funding shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).
According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the average lifespan of an aircraft is around 25 to 40 years, depending on the type of aircraft, Villafuerte said.
“Aircraft are eventually decommissioned for safety reasons and also for economic reasons, because, just like every vehicle, aircraft depreciate and lead to an increase in maintenance costs,” he said. “Moreover, newer and more efficient models become available to the military.”
As the state’s cost-effective strategy, Villafuerte said HB 1363 aims to recommission old yet operational aircraft to meet the military’s demands without compromising major capital outlay.
The bill also mandates the MAARP to:
Reduce the Armed Forces’ reliance on foreign procurement by maximizing existing military inventory;
Support local aviation industries, including parts manufacturing, retrofitting, and repair;
Enhance the capability of the AFP for both combat and disaster response operations;
Promote cost-effective modernization of national defense; and Recycle materials of decommissioned air assets for upgrading or repairing existing aircraft.
