AFP nears ‘minimum defense posture’

By: Bong Lozada - 10 years ago

Armed Forces of the Philippines. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines is gaining some muscle.

Continuing its efforts to improve its capacity and identity as the defenders of national integrity, the AFP nears a “minimum defense posture” and more deliveries are expected to arrive.

In a statement, Dr. Peter Paul Galvez, Department of National Defense Spokesman, said 14 projects worth P6.2-billion are set to be completed at the end of 2014 while another 10 projects worth P17.3-billion are set to arrive by the end of 2015.

In an interview Monday, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said President Benigno Aquino III can be proud of his department during the President’s State of the Nation Address with the ongoing modernization program that has been surpassed the previous administrations.

“Under the Defense Department, the President takes pride on the modernization program,” Gazmin said. “The benefits of the soldiers, like housing, the equipment, all of these could be compared to the previous administrations.”

Galvez said 37 projects worth 9.2 billion have been completed under the Aquino presidency.

Projects set for completion in 2014 are: The delivery of assault rifles for the Philippine Army and the Philippine Marines, additional UH1-H “Huey” helicopters for the Philippine Air Force, close combat optics, and explosive ordnance disposal equipment.

Also, the projects set for 2015 include the delivery of armored vehicles for the Army, attack helicopters, combat utility helicopters, light lift and medium lift aircrafts for the Philippine Air Force, and naval helicopters for the Philippine Navy.

Galvez added that two units of FA-50 fighter jets are set to arrive in 2015.

He said that “minimum credible defense posture” is the “establishment of an effective force present inside the Philippines and its exclusive economic zone with exhibited competence to defend the country and protect its national interests if the need arises.”

“We are getting closer to our desired state in terms of capability and readiness with our recent acquisitions,” Gazmin said.

He added that the new equipment would also be used in disaster response and humanitarian missions.

Galvez said the revised AFP modernization program for 2013 to 2017 has a total budget of P85.3-billion, with P8.6-billion for the Army, P43.3-billion for the Air Force, P28.2-billiom for the Navy, and P5.2-billion for the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.