The Philippine Army (PA) said yesterday that funds have already been allocated in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the purchase of a short-range air defense system, and it is now in the process of selecting what make and model to buy.
“Well, it is already in our appropriations, meaning in the budget of the Philippine Army, which was listed last year [in the GAA], that the Army will acquire short-range air defense systems.” Army Chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido told reporters.
“And this is now in operation, meaning the mechanism to acquire it is being undertaken,” he added.
Galido said that the Army is still deciding which products available in the market best serve its needs, enabling it to project its power within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), in collaboration with the Philippine Air Force and Navy.
“All of these are still under review and being tested. The template, I would say, would be based on the outcome of the first project the Navy has ventured into, the BrahMos. So we will take it from there because all of these are still a work in progress,” he noted.
Following the acquisition of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles last year, reports suggest that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is again looking to Indian suppliers for its latest air defense requirement.
An imminent sale of India-made short-range missiles to the Philippines in a deal worth more than $200 million was reported recently
Unnamed Indian officials were quoted as saying that the Philippines is already poised to buy the Akash missile system developed by Bharat Dynamics Limited.
The same report said the AFP would place an initial order for the missile system in April.
The surface-to-air missile system with a range of up to 25 km (16 miles) was exported to Armenia last year in a $230-million deal, the sources said, adding that the Philippine sale is expected to be bigger than the Armenian deal.
However, Galido denied that a decision had already been made on what missile system to purchase.
“There’s nothing yet in the pipeline right now because, as I’ve said, financial consideration has to be well established before you put things in the pipeline,” the PA chief explained.
“Probably what we can put into the pipeline is the thought of research or market research,” he added.
Galido, however, did not disclose how much money was set aside for the Army’s short range missile defense program.