The Philippine Navy acknowledged on Wednesday the continuing efforts of the government to modernize its equipment and war machines with great stride even though majority of its acquisitions were “ hand-me-downs” from foreign allies.
“The Navy saw an unprecedented momentum in the upgrade of our capability since the modernization program started,” Vice Admiral Caesar Taccad, Navy chief, said in his speech during the 118th anniversary. “Year after year, we saw the outpouring of support as our government acquired more and more assets, platforms and hardwares to boost our Navy’s capability. We have built better facilities and naval bases that boosted our naval defense posture within only six years.”
The occasion was highlighted by the acquisition of the BRP Tarlac, one of the two strategic sealift vessels from Indonesia’s PT PAL (Persero) in a deal valued at P3,863,999,529. It’s the Navy’s first ever command and control vessel.
The Navy has also in its arsenal brand new assets such as five Augusta Westland AW109 helicopters and three multi-purpose attack craft (MPACs) which have been retooled to be equipped with missiles.
Just recently, the Department of National Defense awarded the P594.4-million contract to Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, an Israeli firm, to equip with missile systems the 3 MPACs bought from shipbuilders Propmech Corp. and Taiwanese company Lung Teh Shipbuilding Corporation.
Apart from these new purchases, the Navy had more acquisitions of second-hand vessels to boost its capability.
“We were able to add to our inventory the two del Pilar-class frigates, BRP Gregorio del Pilar [PF-15] and BRP Ramon Alcaraz [PF-16],” he said.
The 50-year-old, more or less, two vessels were former Hamilton-class cutters from the United States Coast Guard it decommissioned and placed them for sale at lesser price to interested navies through the US Excess Defense Articles. The vessels were disarmed of its high-tech weapons systems when sold to the Philippine Navy. Now, the Navy has been taking steps to “weaponize” the two vessels.
Also recently, the Navy received five landing craft heavy from Australia. These vessels were renamed BRP Waray, Iwak, Agta, Ivatan and Batac.
“Today, we stand proud because we are a far cry from the old, decrepit Navy that we once were. We are a Navy poised for modernization and our shared aspiration of a strong and credible navy is almost at hand and this would not have been possible without your support,” Taccad said.
Meanwhile, Taccad said that sooner or later the Navy will be at par with its neighbors.
Without mentioning China, he took note of the growing regional tension created by Chinese grabbing spree of territories in the West Philippine Sea by the converting them into artificial islands for military purposes.
“The enemy stands at our doorstep and we can no longer over-exaggerate the urgency of the threat against our maritime interests and possibly our territorial integrity,” Taccad said.
He stressed that the first line of defense to defend these illegally occupied territories by China is the Navy and that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) needs to modernize at greater pace.
“The need for our country to bring more focus to territorial defense is more pronounced that every, a need which we have to answer to even while we are addressing our internal security problems. Our Commander-in-Chief once said, ‘what is ours is ours. Sir, rest assured that your Navy will abide by its duty to defend and protect what is rightfully ours,” Taccad said.