Philippine Arms Procurement Summary (1950-2014)

Benigno Aquino Jr., the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines

All these military equipment bought thus far or are planning to be bought by President Benigno Aquino Jr. got me into thinking as to how his Administration compares with the other past Presidents of the Philippines in terms of military arms procurement, and it just so happens that an excellent tool to do the comparison is available in the form of the Arms Procurement Database of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).1

'SIPRI Database'
SIPRI describes itself as “... an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.” This to me means that they are gathering these data in order to find ways to be able to push thru their agenda for arms control and disarmament. That's not exactly very promising if you don't favor total arms control or total disarmament, but nevertheless their database is the best available out there right now if you want to research about arms transfers per country. You won't be able to find a database as comprehensive as what they have now that is available or open to the public.

Their database is not perfect, though, as first there are arms transfers that they were not able to cover which I was able to find from other single sources. I have noted these arms transfers not on their database but which I have added in the summaries below with an asterisk () next to them. Despite these omissions, at this point *let us just work with what we know rather than what we don't know. We don't know what other arms transfers they missed, and until we do then let's just ignore them at the moment until we get better data.

Second is that their database only goes all the way back to 1950, and since we were granted independence from the United States in 1946, that means four years of arms procurement data are missing. Also, their database is only up to 2013, hence procurements made during the months of 2014 are not included yet. Last is that they only monitor transfers of major military equipment but not small arms transfers (i.e., Rifles, Grenade Launchers, etc.).

'Summaries'
What I've done with their database is first download an Excel file of all arms procurement from all foreign sources for all military equipment from 1950 to 2013. From there, I then sorted them out based on “Year of Order”. This is important because the time the equipment was ordered shows under which Administration it was really bought. Equipment takes time to be delivered, usually one to two years, maybe more for some equipment, hence one Administration might buy it but it arrives at the time of the next Administration.

I then color-coded the rows covering each Administration based on the “Year of Order” so we can see what Administration bought which equipment. So, here is the resulting file:
- 1950-2013_Arms_Transfers_to_Philippines

Below are the summaries of what I think are the major or most notable purchases made by each President:

Elpidio Quirino (1948-1953, five year term)
Notable Purchases:
- 40 second-hand P-51D Mustang Fighter Aircraft

The list of equipment bought under President Quirino's term is incomplete as SIPRI's record goes only as far as 1950, but the available record does cover more than half of Quirino's term already. The more than 3 squadrons of Mustang aircraft was a pretty good purchase in my book, we have not bought that many fighter aircraft since.

Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957, four year term)
Notable Purchases:
- Ten second-hand P-51D Mustangs
- 38 second-hand T-6 Texan Propeller Trainer Aircraft
- Thirteen second-hand T-33A Shooting Star Jet Trainer Aircraft
- 15 second-hand M3/M5 Half Tracks
- 25 second-hand Sherman Tanks
- 36 second-hand F-86F Sabre Aircraft
- 150 second-hand M101 Artillery
- Two brand-new Adjutant-class Minesweepers

President Magsaysay had a good number of purchases, but majority of them though were second-hand equipment. The most notable purchases for me are the more than 2 dozen tanks, 150 cannons, our first Jet Trainers in the T-33A, and our first Jet Fighter Aircraft in the F-86F Sabres.

Carlos Garcia (1957-1961, four year term)
Notable Purchases:
- 25 second-hand M-24 Chafee Light Tanks
- 20 second-hand T-28A Trojan Propeller Trainer Aircraft
- 18 second-hand F-86D Sabre Jet Fighter Aircraft
- One second-hand Buckley-class Frigate
- 36 brand-new T-34 Mentor Propeller Trainer Aircraft

President Garcia followed up Magsaysay's good military procurement record with another good arms procurement record, buying more tanks and buying more jet and propeller driven aircraft. The most important purchase for me would be the F-86D Sabres, which would be the first all-weather, day/night Jet Fighter-Interceptor Aircraft in our inventory. The previous F-86F Sabres we bought under Magsaysay only had ranging radars that help them improve their gun's accuracy, but the “D” Sabre had a sophisticated radar that could be used also the same way and at the same time detect enemy aircraft over longer distances. They were also more heavily armed with 4 20 mm cannons instead of just Machine Guns.

Diosdado Macapagal (1961-1965, four year term)
Notable Purchases:
- Two second-hand Auk-class Frigates
- 190 brand-new AIM-9B Sidewinder Missiles
- 22 brand-new F-5A Jet Fighter Aircraft
- 25 brand-new Mk44 Torpedoes

President Macapagal managed to buy a lot of brand-new modern equipment which further modernized our armed forces. He bought our first Multi-Role Light Combat Aircraft in the F-5A. The Sabres that were bought before were mainly Fighter or Interceptor aircraft, but the F-5A was designed to be able to do different roles as Fighter, Interceptor and Attack aircraft. He also bought the first GUIDED missile in the armed forces inventory in the Sidewinder missiles, and probably the first Torpedoes in our inventory also.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (1966-1986, 20 year term)
Notable Purchases:
- 26 second-hand LST/LCL/LSM Ships
- 24 second-hand T-28D Nomad Propeller Trainer Aircraft
- Two second-hand Aggressive-class Minesweepers
- Eleven second-hand AC-47 Dragon Propeller Gunship
- Ten second-hand C-123 Propeller Transport Aircraft
- 70 second-hand M107 Mortar
- 17 second-hand LVTP-5 Amphibious Carriers
- Three second-hand PCE-class Corvettes
- Four second-hand Cannon-class Frigates
- Foursecond-hand Barnegat-class Frigates
- 25 second-hand F-8 Crusader Fighter-Interceptor Aircraft
- 24 second-hand M102 Artillery
- 104 brand-new UH-1H Huey Transport Helicopters
- 80 brand-new M113 Armored Troop Carriers
- 36 brand-new SF-260 Propeller Trainer Aircraft
- Eleven brand-new BN-2 Nomad Propeller Transport Aircraft
- 19 brand-new BO-105C Helicopters
- 31 brand-new BN-2 Islander Propeller Multi-purpose Aircraft
- 130 brand-new V-150 Armored Troop Carriers
- 51 brand-new Armored Infantry Vehicles
- 41 brand-new FV101 Scorpion Light Tanks
- 20 brand-new Chamite Armored Personnel Carriers
- 120 brand-new M56 Artillery
- 14 brand-new S-76 Transport Helicopters
- Eight brand-new C-130 Hercules Large Propeller Transport Aircraft

President Marcos is our longest-serving President, and in fairness to him he did use that time to buy a lot of military equipment. Among his most important purchases for me would be:
- Our first military transport helicopters in the UH-1H
- Our first armored personnel carriers in the V-150/M113/Chamite/AIFVs
- He bought a lot of large naval vessels, eight Frigates, three Corvettes and over two dozen Landing Vessels
- The only fixed-wing aircraft gunship in the history of our air force
- The most capable aircraft in Philippine Air Force inventory in the F-8 Crusaders, surpassed only recently with President Benigno Aquino's purchase of the FA-50 Advanced Jet Trainer
- Our first large transport aircraft in the C-130

Ferdinand Marcos, the 10th President of the Republic of the Philippines
Ferdinand Marcos, the 10th President of the Republic of the Philippines

Cory Aquino (1986-1992, six year term)
Notable Purchases:
- Ten second-hand UH-1H Helicopters
- 24 second-hand OV-10 Bronco Aircraft
- 18 brand-new SF-260TP Aircraft
- 24 brand-new S-211 Aircraft
- 150 brand-new Simba Infantry Fighting Vehicles
- 25 brand-new V-150 Infantry Fighting Vehicles
- Ten brand-new UH-1H Helicopters
- 28 brand-new MD500E Defender Helicopters
- Nine brand-new Mistral Surface to Air Missiles2

I actually found President Cory Aquino's purchases to be quite surprising because she did buy a lot of military equipment, and note that most of them were brand-new. It's not something you'd expect from a former Housewife. Most of her purchases were for use in internal conflict, though, like more Helicopters, Troop Carriers, etc. although she did buy our first new type of Jet Trainers (the S-211) since the T-33 Shooting Stars that were bought before Marcos' time.

Fidel Ramos (1992-1998, six year term)
Notable Purchases:
- Three second-hand Peacock-class Corvettes
- 15 second-hand F-5A Freedom Fighters
- 24 brand-new V300 Infantry Fighting Vehicles
- Twelve brand-new M101 Artillery

President Ramos' term was quite a disappointment for me as being a decorated military man himself, you'd think that he would go out and buy a lot more equipment for our armed forces, but as far as the record shows, he didn't. In fact, President Cory Aquino, who was just a Housewife prior to her Presidency, ended up buying much more important military purchases than he did.

Gloria Arroyo (2000-2010, ten year term)
Notable Purchases:
- 59 second-hand UH-1H Helicopters
- 48 second-hand M113 Armored Troop Carriers
- Eight second-hand OV-10 Aircraft
- 18 brand-new SF-260 Aircraft
- Eight brand-new W-3 Sokol Helicopters

After the disappointment of the Ramos' Presidency, we end up with another disappointment in Gloria Arroyo's Presidency. The next longest serving Presidency after Marcos, and what did President Arroyo bought? Just a lot of Helicopters and Troop Carriers, in TEN full years as President. While his father, President Diosdado Macapagal modernized our armed forces, his daughter did very little to do the same. In fact, almost NONE. She did buy our first Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), but these were in very low quantities, not enough to make much of a difference in our military forces.

Benigno Aquino Jr. (2010-2013)
Notable Purchases:
- 25 second-hand Humvee Troop Carriers
- Two second-hand Hamilton-class Frigates
- 114 second-hand M113A2 Armored Troop Carriers3
- 14 second-hand M113A2 with Scorpion Turrets3
- Ten second-hand M113A2 with .50 cal and 25 mm gun Remote Weapon System turrets3
- 22 brand-new JDAM Bombs
- Thirteen brand-new AW-109 Multi-Purpose Helicopters4
- Twelve brand-new FA-50PH Fighting Eagle Advanced Jet Trainers5
- Two brand-new Strategic Sea Lift Vessels (SSV)6
- Eight brand-new Bell 412 Helicopters7
- Twelve brand-new Soltham Athos 155 mm Artillery8
- Three brand-new C-295 Medium Propeller Transport Aircraft9

(For a more comprehensive list of the procurement of military equipment under PNoy, see my new blog about it here: Military Equipment Acquisitions Under the PNoy Administration.)

After the three disappointing Presidential terms under the Ramos, Estrada and Arroyo Presidencies, we finally saw the light under the Benigno Aquino Presidency. He has already bought a lot of stuff, and with two years still to go in his term, more are still in the process of being bought.

'Judging the Presidents'
So the big question now is, which Philippine President is the “best” or “worst” in terms of arms procurement? I think that judging the value of each President's purchase will be a bit subjective since each person will tend to have their own opinion based on what criteria they value more. For me, I base my judgement on the following criteria:
- Actual NUMBER of line items of arms procured;
- The QUALITY of the arms procured (i.e., were they new or used, how sophisticated are they, etc.);
- The length of TIME a President was in office.

'Best President'
For the “best” President in terms of arms procurement, as of NOW, grudgingly I will have to say it is President Marcos. He stayed for a very long time in power, and he did end up buying a lot of military equipment. One main reason for that is probably due to self-preservation. By buying a lot of military equipment, he made the military “happy” and thus is probably one reason why he got to stay so long in power despite being a dictator. At the time of the purchase, equipment like the UH-1H Huey helicopters and M113 troop carriers were state-of-the-art, it was like buying UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopters or M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles now.

Tied for second place for me would be President Macapagal and President Benigno Aquino (or PNoy). Macapagal because despite staying for only four years in office, he modernized our air force with the F-5A combat aircraft with air to air missiles, plus he managed to add two second-hand Frigates to the mix. PNoy to me has the potential to EQUAL or even SURPASS Marcos' procurements not in terms of number of line items bought, but the QUALITY of the items he bought and is buying.

For example, despite his long stay in office, Marcos never bought any brand-new aircraft or large ship, or never bought any major missile system. You will notice that the brand-new items he bought were geared more for INTERNAL conflict (i.e., Helicopters, Troop Carriers, etc.) than for dealing with external threats. Aside from keeping the military happy, he also made sure that most of the equipment he bought could be used to preserve his power against uprisings from the populace and/or some sectors of the military itself (not that it helped him much in the end).

P-Noy on the other hand, has bought a lot of brand-new equipment geared for dealing with external threats, like the FA-50 Advanced Jet Trainers, Multi-role AW109 Helicopters and advanced munitions like the JDAMs. The problem though is that as of this writing, the other high-end items he is planning on buying like the Frigates, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopters, Medium-range Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) and/or Shore-based Anti-Ship Missiles (AshM), Sidewinders, Mavericks, etc. have not yet been finalized. If they ALL push thru, then personally for me it means his purchases will be as good or maybe EVEN BETTER as that of the late dictator. Remember that PNoy's terms is only a THIRD as long as that of Marcos, six years versus 20 years, and within that time if he can pull in all these modern equipment then in my book he would be the best.

'Worst President'
As for the worst President in terms of arms procurement, a case could be said for President Joseph Estrada who never bought anything while he was in office, but then again he only stayed in power for two years, hence he has a good excuse. The worst President would have to be no less than President Gloria Arroyo. She stayed in office for a full decade, and in terms of length of service she is second only to Marcos. You expect that she would've at least bought half of what Marcos bought, but NO. For ten years she bought only very few stuff in terms of line items for the Philippine Armed Forces.

In second place would probably be President Fidel Ramos, who just didn't buy as much during his term in office, which is very ironic considering his military background. People could argue that the terms of Arroyo and Ramos were wracked by global economic downturns, during Ramos' time there was the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 while during Arroyo's term there were some global financial crisis also, but I don't really agree with this. In Ramos' case, the crisis occurred only near the end of his term, and the same thing could be said of Arroyo in that most of her years in office were not covered by any crisis.

'Parting Shot'
Starting from President Quirino's term up to President Diosdado Macapagal's term, from 1950 to 1965, or a period of 15 years, we were modernizing our armed forces at an EXCELLENT clip. Within that fairly short period of time, for example, we went from P-51D Mustangs to F-86F Sabres to F-86D Sabres and then to F-5A Freedom Fighters in only one and a half decade. I would call this as the “Golden Age” of Philippine arms procurement. President Marcos in his 20 year term bought a lot of stuff, but the equipment he bought were mainly for dealing with internal threats, not for external threats.

President Cory Aquino surprisingly also bought a good number of equipment, but her Administration was followed by three mediocre Presidents in terms of arms procurement covering 18 years, from President Ramos to President Estrada and to President Arroyo. I would call this period to be the “Dark Age” of Philippine arms procurement. It is only now that we are experiencing a RENAISSANCE of sorts in terms of arms procurement under the PNoy Administration. With only two years or 24 months to go under PNoy, we need to see if all of his planned procurements push thru, and it is important that they do due to the uncertainties of how the next President's arms procurement policies will be. Will the next Administration be as good as Pnoy’s in terms of buying military equipment, or will it be back again to the “Dark Ages” for us? That is the big question which only our 'masa' voters will be able to answer ...

Diosdado Macapagal, the 9th President of the Republic of the Philippines
Diosdado Macapagal, the 9th President of the Republic of the Philippines


Revision History:
* May 20, 2014: Originally posted.
* June 7, 2014: Added more arms procurement in the summary for the PNoy Administration.
* November 22, 2016: Moved the purchase of the W-3 Helicopters to under GMA’s time; removed references to the Blowpipe Missiles; added link to PNoy Acquisitions blog.


SOURCES:

  1. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Arms Transfer Database,
    (https://www.sipri.org/databases) 

  2. The Phoenix Journal, Doris’ Corner – The Roving Eye on Malacanang’s Mistral Missiles p. 18,
    (https://web.archive.org/web/20041218010039/http://www.phoenixsourcedistributors.com/001115.pdf)

  3. ACDO's CORNER: Material Development: Additional 142 Armored Vehicles for the Mech Division,
    (https://web.archive.org/web/20161122081037/http://www.mechdiv.net.ph/armor%20Journal/2013/2nd%20n%203rd%20qtr%202013.pdf) 

  4. Attack helicopters set for delivery,
    (https://web.archive.org/web/20160323123131/http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/11/08/1254354/attack-helicopters-set-delivery) 

  5. KAI won a contract to export 12 FA-50s to the Phil,
    (https://web.archive.org/web/20151208081200/https://www.koreaaero.com/english/pr_center/cpr_view.asp?pg=1&gubun=v&seq=25777&bbs=10) 

  6. Indonesian firm wins bidding for supply of 2 Navy vessels,
    (https://web.archive.org/web/20140306190017/http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/01/09/14/indonesian-firm-wins-bidding-supply-2-navy-vessels) 

  7. While its own navy waits, Canada sells military helicopters to the Philippines,
    (https://web.archive.org/web/20140328012604/https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/while-own-navy-waits-canada-sells-military-helicopters-224931579.html) 

  8. Israeli firm bags P368-M deal to supply artillery to Army,
    (https://web.archive.org/web/20150321161419/http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83658/israeli-firm-bags-p368-m-deal-to-supply-artillery-to-army) 

  9. Spanish firm wins bidding for supply of fixed wing aircraft,
    (https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225619/http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/02/28/1295451/spanish-firm-wins-bidding-supply-fixed-wing-aircraft) 

84 comments:

  1. Bravo for an excellent presentation RHK!

    Non-pareil...

    BTW, I am surprised that we had missiles in our inventory. Where are these now?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Deewii. The Mistrals are probably still in Malacanang, although the Presidential Security Group reportedly does not want to talk about them, for obvious reasons. As for Marcos' Blowpipe missiles, they are a bit of a mystery since nobody knows where they are now.

    The only reason we know we have them in our inventory is because of the picture shared in a Facebook page. At any rate, the Blowpipes were proven to be very ineffective in combat during the Falklands war, I think only around 2-3% kill rate.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm amused by your tags on the worst president. Even before you posted your blog, everyone else is thinking of the same person or persons.

    Bad politics did our military in during those 'dark ages'. Ya, Ramos for me is the worst simply because he is a disappointment.

    GMA as worst president is also a no brainer. In all aspects, she is, she was and she will ever be.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am really mystified why a military war hero like Ramos would end up not buying a lot of stuff for the AFP. I really find it very strange.

    As for Gloria, I think she was trying to balance the budget (i.e., equal the government spending to the GDP) thus didn't want to spend too much. Whatever the reason, China ended up being quite happy with the fact that our country continued to be weak when it comes to defense against external threats ...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Please be corrected:
    1. The 8 brand-new W-3 Sokol Helicopters were procured from the term of ex-President Arroyo and delivered only on Pnoy’s presidency.
    2. Only 3 brand-new AW-109 Multi-Purpose Helicopters for President Aquino, although more are on orders.

    ReplyDelete
  6. 1. Yes, you are correct, the deal for the Sokols were started under the Gloria Arroyo Presidency. HOWEVER, when PNoy stepped into power, the procurement of the Sokol was delayed due to review for possible anomalies. It eventually pushed thru, that is why they only started arriving around 2012. See this news item for reference:
    - http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20101207-307592/PH-drops--73M-helicopter-deal

    2. Only 3 AW109 Helicopters were delivered so far, but the additional 2 for the Philippine Navy and 8 for the Philippine Air Force are confirmed orders already, hence they are final as they are set for delivery late this year. News item for reference below ...
    - https://www.agustawestland.com/news/philippine-navy-signs-contract-two-additional-aw109-power-helicopters
    - http://www.defencetalk.com/philippine-air-force-contract-aw109-power-helicopters-49573/

    ReplyDelete
  7. RHK, can i repost the link of this particular blog in my timeline?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Of course. Actually you don't even need to ask my permission about this, just post away, unless you have technical problems posting it. If you are having technical problems, please tell me so I fix it right away ...

    ReplyDelete
  9. F 86 sabres were like the f 15's of today. We also had the last jet gun fighters in the crusaders. In the age of the legacy fighters we only got an ov10. Truly a laughing stock. I guess we could blame bad politics. Rp should plan ahead for more than ten years and not purchase assets within a sitting presidents term only. The rp is very short sighted in its purchases. There should be a 20 year plan that encompasses everything from transport to stealth.

    ReplyDelete
  10. You know why the military did not rise or revolt against President Arroyo despite she did little in procuring arms? She increased the soldiers salary several notches up compared to other government employees (so brilliantly evil!).

    I think another reason why Marcos procured a lot of military hardware is because during his term (earlier years) our economy is in stable condition, we seem to be one of the leaders of the ASEAN nations. And thus the country must project a sort of military might just like what Singapore is doing right now. Any powerful nation must project its military capability.

    Very very nice article sir, and I do say you did your research well sir.

    But there is a big question that runs through my mind for several months already that is somewhat connected to your article. I am aware that this administration is really upgrading our soldiers well but where is the money coming from?

    I mean is PNOY a war freak? and maybe he is channeling other government funds that is why our country is buying all these. Or did the previous administrations (Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo) pocketed the AFP budget that should be used for military procurement. Or is PNOY using a special fund or some outsiders are helping the administration by providing financial assistance secretly. I mean, I myself is a little bit overwhelmed by the kind of military spending that our country is doing right now. I have not seen such kind of magnitude for such a long time, yes even during Marcos time (from my memories as a young child). New Jets! New Frigates! New Helicopters! and more, more, more! I mean where the hell is the money coming from?

    ReplyDelete
  11. This present term of Pnoy is the most dangerous period in our country’s history bec.we are up against the world’s 3rd largest military power over a very resource-rich territorial dispute. There is probably millions of barrels oil and natural gas waiting to be extracted underneath the Spratly Islands which will make our country super rich just like any other oil-producing countries. China knows that and won’t hesitate to use it’s military might & break all international laws and agreements it signed to take control of the whole South China Sea. Sabah & the whole Spratly Island groups could have been part of the Philippines. The only way we can get back Sabah & the whole Spratly Islands is if we become a state of the United States or we have a next president who has the combined good qualities of Presidents Marcos, Macapagal & Pnoy. I think Roilo Golez can fit that type of president.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Read an article about Roilo Golez in Wikipedia so you will know the reason why...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Our purchases are .00000001 percent of the budget of other countries. We are at this situation because we neglected our afp for more than 3 decades. We dont want war but a country that does not believe in arbitration is knocking at our doorstep. What we are purchasing right now are the most cost effective assets there is albeit also not as effective. If We dont want to spend on the afp then might as well prepare for more bullying from china, rival spratly claimants, insurgents, taiwan etc.

    ReplyDelete
  14. It does take getting used to the fact that for the longest time, the Administrations of Ramos, Estrada and Arroyo lately have been saying again and again when it comes to the AFP Modernization that ... "there's no money ... there's no money ... there's no money ..." And then PNoy comes along and starts buying all of these stuff and making his predecessors look stupid.

    I think the reason why PNoy was able to do so but other Presidents have not is because of a combination of PRIORITY, GOOD GOVERNANCE and INCREASED BORROWING. The previous Presidents tended to prioritize local "projects" than the AFP because that was the best way for them to "reward" their allies. Money is channeled to the government officials (i.e., lawmakers, local government officials, etc.) who all end up taking cuts from the budget and leaving little for the completion of the actual projects itself.

    PNoy's governance meant LESS (not "no", but "less") corruption and therefore more money for the AFP. Government borrowings have also increased under his Administration, but since our economy is doing well we can pay them anyway so that is not much of a concern.

    PNoy has been transparent about the AFP Modernization program, the budget he set is at almost USD 2 Billion or P 75 Billion, which is not really that much because PNoy's budget for Flood Control programs is P 351 Billion. Also, that money is spread out to 6 years, its not P 75 Billion every year. The biddings or deals for military equipment have also been quite transparent so far, ensuring that we get the best equipment for our money.

    If every Administration from hereon will follow PNoy's example and spend at least P 75 Billion for their 6-year term and the bidding/deals continue to be "clean", we will have a more modern armed forces in no time that we can really be proud of.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I think every President should budget a certain amount of money for modernization for their entire term, just like what PNoy did. At least P 75 Billion for every President for modernization I think will make our armed forces much stronger ...

    ReplyDelete
  16. HI RHK, I noticed that the brand new 2 NC-212 Light lift Aircraft from Indonesia and the 3 C-295 Medium Lift Aircraft from Spain are not among those in the list of PNoys acquisition.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I fully agree and completely concur

    ReplyDelete
  18. Yeah, you're right, those have been awarded, so I will try to include them later. But some controversies about those 2 procurements, though, so I might take my time editing them in.
    - http://finance.detik.com/read/2013/12/30/121655/2453903/1036/tutup-tahun-ptdi-jual-2-pesawat-made-in-bandung-ke-militer-filipina
    - http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/02/27/14/spanish-firm-wins-bidding-supply-fixed-wing-aircraft

    I think I missed 1-2 more major purchases under PNoy, will try to put them in also later ...

    ReplyDelete
  19. BTW, are the Long Range Patrol Aircrafts (LRPA) up for bidding of the P3 Orion class? At 66.4M USD it's too high for a P3 Orion unit but too low for a Poseidon 8.... Perhaps including the Anti-Ship and anti-sub missiles plus the training program, it might just be of the P3 standards.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm glad you posted this. I'm confused which came from who's administration. At least i have good reference to check. You forgot the 3 C-295 medium lift aircraft recently signed. Also the Coast Guard ships coming from Japan. Also do you have any news regarding the 3rd Hamilton class if it will push through and the Mk38 mod 2 is already fitted to our Hamilton class?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Not really sure about the prices of the LRPAs as of now, but there is a good suggestion from some people that an LRPA version of the C-295 would be ideal for parts commonality and easier logistics ...

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yeah, will update the blog later to include the C-295s. For the 3rd WHEC, we will have to wait until next year (2015) to get firm news about that one.

    As for the Mk38 Mod2, they keep postponing it, it was supposed to be fitted during Alcaraz's drydock, then it was moved over to March 2014, but no news up to now. I wonder what's happening with this upgrade. At any rate, I would consider this as only a minor upgrade, not really a major one hence I think it can wait ...

    ReplyDelete
  23. In defence of Ramos, i believe that despite being a military man, he only had few military hardware acquisitions due to the Asian Financial crisis (which happened two years after his signing of the AFP Modernization Law). Secondly, and probably the most probable reason to the hindrance of military procurement is the priority of budget allocation to debt servicing. During Ramos' time as well as that of Cory, the biggest allocation for the GRP budget was for the payment of debts which Marcos made and Cory unfortunately acknowledged (despite advise not to do so). Correct me if i am wrong but the said debt was only fully paid during the Arroyo term.
    As to the GMA lack of military procurement, i believe it is rooted either to the fact that PRC was investing heavily in the PHL and making us believe (especially GMA) that China was a friend or that GMA was under the payroll of Communist China. Also, we were so engrossed with our counter-insurgency operations that we have completely forgotten the fact that there are also external threats that we are greatly incapable of dealing with.

    Personally, I believe that Diosdado Macapagal had the more quality purchase considering that he was only President for 4 years.

    On a different note, (hope the Chinese get to read this) the recent tactics of China is plain stupid. Unlike prior tactics espoused by past leaders which was to attain a peaceful rise, China of today chose to antagonize ASEAN countries with claims to the Kalayaan Islands. China's prior tactics were centered onnvesting heavily in the economy of its ASEAN neighbors, instead of aggressively patrolling the WPS like what the are doing right now, Before, PRC instead entered into co-management agreements with the claimant ASEAN nations. Even doing geologic surveys with Vietnam and the Philippines. Yet, instead of peacefully rising and drawing its neighbors into its fold, China chose to bully those neighbors and flexing its military might. Thus resulting with these asian neigbor running towards the US for alliance and protection. Instead of China becoming a superpower with friendly neigbors and thus effectively controlling the WPS and the pacific, it instead chose to give the US a reason to control the WPS and thus the tool to finally be able to confine China as it did to the former USSR.

    ReplyDelete
  24. sir you also forgot the 128 m113 which 28 of those will have RCS and these m113 will be delivered within this year, 12 ATHOS 155 mm howitzer which was awarded to elbit system and 3 MPACS which were built here, since you did not consider small arms and rifles are not included in your list but the bulk of order will have significance in upgrading our soldiers on the ground like 63,000 M4, 400 RPG-7 and 100 81 mm mortars. And soon will be included after the bidding process will be materialized; 8 amphibious assault vehicle, 4 light transport amphibious craft, 2 sea plane, 3 MPACS with RCS and missile launching capability, 2 anti submarine helicopter, 6 CAS/COIN aircraft, 2 long range patrol aircraft and 2 frigates.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yes, I will incorporate the 128 M113s and also the 12 Athos 155 mm Guns. About the 3 MPACs Mk2, not sure if these were Gloria or PNoy's orders, though. I will need to check more ...

    ReplyDelete
  26. Just found out that the MPAC Mk2s were, indeed, ordered by PNoy in 2010, not Gloria, although Gloria ordered the first 3 MPACs Mk1 in 2009. But its a small Patrol Craft sized vessel, and I intentionally omitted Patrol Crafts from the summaries of most notable purchases. The quantity is pretty low also, only 3 at a time so I'm not keen on including them on the summaries list ...

    ReplyDelete
  27. PDI just summarized the latest hardwares for acquisition.

    http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/604114/dnd-to-shell-out-18b-for-acquisition-of-military-vehicles

    ReplyDelete
  28. Its just right they are rushing things, PNoy's term is going to end soon. They didn't mention what type of vehicles these are for, though ...

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hope the third whec will be fitted with harpoons, ciws, asw suite. They did it with uscgc mellon w

    ReplyDelete
  30. Not likely. The Hamiltons will come with whatever equipment and arms they currently have, sometimes in the case of the previous 2 ships we got with even LESS equipment and arms. It will be up to us to up-arm them ...

    ReplyDelete
  31. As for Ramos, his term was from 1992 to 1998, and the Asian Financial Crisis only happened in 1997, so it was on the tail end of his term. As for debt servicing, Cory Aquino's Administration also paid those, and yet her Administration bought more stuff than Ramos.

    As for GMA ... Actually, yes, the thought of keeping our external capability weak did enter my mind. Remember that China paid a lot of money to our politicians, P 300 million to Abalos as per the reports, hence part of that could be to persuade the Philippines not to invest too much in better weapons. To her credit, GMA did crush the ASG leadership during her time, which promptly weakened them. They were able to recover, but not to the same levels they were before.

    As for China, they want to show their neighbors who is boss. Now if the US won't help on the issue of the Spratly's Islands and treats us like a "minor ally" like China chided us about, then perhaps we really don't have much of a choice except to remain "neutral" on the issue and deal with China whether we like it or not.

    ReplyDelete
  32. well Cory bought Mistral Missiles, some trainer planes and our ground attack work horse the OV-10s. but Ramos bought 15 jet fighters (although second hand) so that would at least be points for quality. GMA on the other hand bought equipment to be used for insurgency. another possible reason could be due to the fact that the US was focusing on the war on terror.
    though i read information as to the fact that Erap re-positioned our existing fighter plane assets in palawan. Erap even issued orders to bomb markers and posts erected by the Chinese. I think Erap was a hawk thus he tended to be quite agressive. In Mindanao, many people like him for his all-out war against the MILF. would have wondered what war equipment Erap would have bought if he stayed longer. Oh and how may more billions would have filled his pockets. hahahaha

    ReplyDelete
  33. since you mention about acquisition of humvees.. you forgot to mention also the kia km450, km451.. is it under PNOYS term?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hi RHK, checked this out and I may have to say that it is an appropriate move. But what kind of armament(s) to be fitted is the question...

    http://www.angmalaya.net/nation/2014/05/22/652-philippine-navy-tankers-to-be-armed-2

    ReplyDelete
  35. Wow, thanks for the link. I don't think putting ordinary cannons on these ships will improve their survivability much mainly because there are just too many threats out there. Aircraft, Missiles, Submarines ... All of these can sink these ships. I would stress more on things like a sophisticated decoy system, for example, or an ASW Escort since these will be tempting targets for subs.

    If they really want to arm these, I think a multi purpose gun like the Oto Melara Twin 40L70 would be ideal because it can be used against aircraft, missiles, ships, etc. and is the lightest modern naval gun mount right now.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Yes, those trucks were under PNoy's term, but I would prefer to put the more expensive and more sophisticated military equipment on the list of PNoy's most notable purchases ...

    ReplyDelete
  37. ok thanks RHK.. you had a very nice blog.. good job! i looking forward for the additional info.. thanks again..

    ReplyDelete
  38. Great blog. Very infornative. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  39. COA can question but it can't block the transaction... Right?

    ReplyDelete
  40. COA will question a certain government transaction only after money has been given. The COA is vested by the Constitution with powers and duty to question government transactions that has irregularity.The entities that can block government transactions are Congress (during deliberation of the budget), the President (during the signing of the Congress resolution) or the SC (when a case is filed before it or any of its lower courts).

    ReplyDelete
  41. I think CoA can block certain transactions, but if you are referring to this article http://www.rappler.com/nation/58573-coa-military-treasury), it seems they are content on just criticizing the slow pace of the procurement process, at least for now. I would assume that if there is another fiscal year delay of the process, then they will take action ...

    ReplyDelete
  42. Thanks, I appreciate it.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Thanks, I'm glad you liked it ...

    ReplyDelete
  44. Good job sir! Now a new standard has been set by Pnoy. The succeeding one's will be hard pressed to keep the economy going to pass Pnoy's standard.

    ReplyDelete
  45. RHK, if this is not a show of force, I might just term this PH move TAUNTING...

    http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/05/23/1326463/navy-celebrate-anniversary-near-spratlys

    ReplyDelete
  46. You will definitely hear China complain about this when it happens. I think one problem with PNoy is his refusal to compromise on the issue of the WPS. Either he is too dense to realize all the signals the US is giving him that THEY WILL NOT HELP ON THE SPRATLY'S, or he just chooses to ignore them. As a leader, I would like him to approach the WPS-China issue with a little less emotion and a little bit more pragmatism ...

    ReplyDelete
  47. Thanks, Santiago. As for PNoy's successor, let us hope he or she will not be too thick-faced to ignore the standard PNoy has set when it comes to arms procurement ...

    ReplyDelete
  48. Thanks sir. probably billions of pesos devoured by the previous "killer croc" administrations.

    ReplyDelete
  49. I hope the next president would be a belligerent one as in he/she would say in his/her SONA the words /lines....."and the millions of viewers around the world.......................LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!". hehehehehe.

    ReplyDelete
  50. I think pnoy does not want to negotiate much is bcoz china dictates terms. They want to negotiate as long as all parties concerned agree that china owns the wps then they can talk about resource sharing. China is after all a shrewd chinese businessman. They know this but they refuse to acknowledge it because mapapahiya sila. Aariin ko spratlys tapos mali pala ako, pahiya ako sa mga tao ko.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Don't expect China to behave like the US. They are not a democracy, they have complete control of their media hence they are not beholden to their people. Hence they can always act one way and keep feeding lies to their people. In other words, China will always be an asshole.

    But it is a powerful asshole, and with the US not willing to fight for us on the issue of the Spratly's Islands, we need to deal with the asshole that is China whether we like it or not. In cases like this, as the Tagalog saying goes, 'ang pikon ay laging talo.' So 'wag mapikon' as much as possible.

    Right now, I think what they want is an agreement that will be something like Joint Exploration of the Spratly's Islands. The terms will likely favor them, but either we get a little, or we don't get anything at all. That is their terms, and that is how the Philippines will have to live with in the age of an authoritarian superpower ...

    ReplyDelete
  52. RHK, it would appear China is a step ahead with their landgrabbing plans:

    http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/05/27/14/chinese-military-building-artificial-island

    ReplyDelete
  53. And this one gets the situation a bit more interesting but worrisome...

    http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/world/05/27/14/hanoi-says-chinese-boat-sinks-vietnamese-fishing-vessel

    ReplyDelete
  54. Yes, and what the US have to say about it? NOTHING, they are keeping their mouths shut ...

    ReplyDelete
  55. I don't think it will lead to anything serious. Vietnam cannot afford to go to war with China on the Spratly's issue, and even if they do China will likely win. My feeling is that China is free to do anything it wants in the Spratly's when it comes to Vietnam.

    The only thing it cannot do is invade Vietnam because then Russia might have to step in on behalf of Vietnam. But Russia won't intervene for Vietnam when it comes to the Spratlys, much like the US won't intervene on our behalf on the Spratly's issue. Vietnam will likely keep making noise about this, but not much beyond that ...

    ReplyDelete
  56. Antagal pa naman kasi ng November 2016... I hope GOP makes a grand comeback in the white house...

    ReplyDelete
  57. yup. that is the worst part. their people know nothing and are brainwshed. The line between nationalism and the common good is literally blurred. id rather have an imperialist yank than an authoritarian ass as a neighbor. those left winged politicos want us to fight the chinks with love and understanding when clearly they are not willing to reciprocate. wtf. maybe we can station them in brp sierra madre. I wonder what will happen to us by years end...

    ReplyDelete
  58. I don't agree with those left-wing politicos, they only have eyes against the US and clearly does not hate the Chinese as much as they hate the US.

    But we will need to face the reality that we may need to deal with China whether we like it or not as the US as an ally does not share the same passion of defending the Spratlys as we do ...

    ReplyDelete
  59. rhk.. when are going to post your another blog? thanks hehehe

    ReplyDelete
  60. In 2 days time, watch for it ...

    ReplyDelete
  61. i mean, are `YOU' going to post your another blog?

    ReplyDelete
  62. thanks... Nice blog ;-) do you any idea at what phase of capability upgrade the AFP reach? and can I also share it to social media about your blog?

    ReplyDelete
  63. The united states of america would not help us,unless we are willing to help ourselves and make a sacrifice for it...especially when they have a democratic president and democratic senate...just remember...china was granted a most favored nation during clinton's democratic administrations...so whatever what china has become now...its is also the fault of the u.s.a.....giving us free arms?that would be highly impossible..,they could even grant us p-3 long range patrol planes from their boneyard...becouse they know we have money to buy ...but we're loosing money from graft and corruption.
    As i read from one of the article,china would be spending $4billion to develops those shoals into military garrison at our WPS...and that $4billion would be easily recoup/ recover from the richness of our WEst Philippine Sea.
    Nobody to blame but ourselves first....

    ReplyDelete
  64. You mean my other blogs? Well, I admit I have neglected most of them already in favor of this blog. I just find it more interesting these days. I did update by Gadgets and Software blog about a new tablet I bought recently ...

    ReplyDelete
  65. Thanks. I read somewhere recently that the AFP is currently between Phase 1 and Phase 2 in their planned modernization, but for me the more important thing really is for each future President to always allocate enough money for the modernization during his or her term. Sure, go ahead and share my blog, I appreciate it.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Vietnam mulling lawsuit for the sinking. Hmmmm. 2 lawsuits china? What will you do? You know the perfect strategy is for obama to appvove its unclos as well. So china would shut up.

    ReplyDelete
  67. More Vietnamese ships attacked. China is using specialized ships designed for ramming and armed with water cannons, and disguising them as "Fishing Vessels" ...
    - http://www.voanews.com/content/vietnam-says-china-attacked-4-ships-in-disputed-waters/1924630.html

    Vietnam can't really do much now except complain. They can't because they are too near China, and China is too powerful ...

    ReplyDelete
  68. sir pls include the Rifles and RPG-7USA as well as the 142 2nd Hand M113 and the different kevlar armors,

    ReplyDelete
  69. The small arms and body armors won't be included to be fair to the other Presidents since the SIPRI database doesn't include these, but the M113s will be included ...

    ReplyDelete
  70. please incorporate 13 refurbished and 8 upgraded bell uh-1 huey helicopter and 2 aviocar light lift aircraft. maybe 1 pohang corvette will be added too although it was not procure by the government but it is the same process with the hamilton class in acquiring this ship. also i can't wait for our 2 asw helicopter, 2 long range patrol aircraft, 6 close air support aircraft and 8 aav. any updates about these equipments sir?

    ReplyDelete
  71. The ASW Helicopters, LRPAs, CAS are all undergoing the bidding process as of now. As for further updates, I will probably do it a year or so from now, 'para isahan na.' Or maybe after 2016. I don't include the light lift aircraft in the summaries ...

    ReplyDelete
  72. how about the 22
    jose andrada class patrol boat which the government acquired it brand new? to whom we should give to? maybe cory aquino and some of it will credit to fvr?

    ReplyDelete
  73. The Andrada-class boats were ordered under Cory, but I didn't include them in the summaries as I felt Patrol Boats are not that significant. Just my opinion, though.

    Aside from the Andrada-class, there are also the Yap-class (former Haksaeng-class) and Batillo-class (former Chamsuri class) boats donated by South Korea to the Philippines under Ramos. Ramos was a Korean War hero, hence the generosity of the South Koreans.

    Disappointed with those boats, though. They were heavily armed boats, but were significantly "defanged" or downgraded when transferred to the Philippines. I don't know if its because they were transferred with no or less weapons and sensors, or it was by choice by our Navy ...

    ReplyDelete
  74. I hope Pnoy can cut 25% of the budgets of DEPED, DPWH and DOH and re-allocate it muna to DND for his remaining 2 years so he can purchase more weapons for the AFP. Defense of our sovereignty is more of a priority right now. Spratly Islands, Scarborough Shoal and Sabah are worth trillions of US dollars which can make the Philippines very rich. The next president can resume back the normal budget of the 3 departments. They have to sacrifice only 2 years of their not so priority projects.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Would it be possible to put an 8 cell mk41 vls for quad pack ESSM's behind the 76mm gun and 2 quad harpoon launchers at the stern. Maybe two triple asw torpedo launchers port and starboard. If not the essm maybe the kastan ciws would be perfect for GDP class and the future frigates.

    ReplyDelete
  76. It might be possible to put the shortest VLS module, what they call the "Tactical Module". However, the problem now is where to put the AShMs if that space is taken up. A careful study needs to be done on how and where to place the upgrades on the GDPs ...

    ReplyDelete
  77. We used to have S-62 helicopters in the 60's. Can't find those in your list though. . .

    ReplyDelete
  78. I like your article, nicely done. I have been looking for this kind of presentation for my next blog. With this, I am asking for your permission to re-post this article.

    ReplyDelete
  79. Sure, all I ask is that you post a link back on it.

    ReplyDelete
  80. I will give a proper credit and at the same time the link for this blog. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Ramos's failure to buy military equipment was owed largely to the focus of his spending on rebuilding Central Luzon after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. That's where the budget went.

    I'd like to point out that the Pzl W-3 Sokol choppers were approved and funded for by the GMA administration, before PNoy came in. Their dissatisfaction with the Sokol led to the purchase of the Bell 412 CUH.

    I think you also missed out the procurement of the 3 2nd hand C-130T heavy lift transport planes during Aquino's term.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Okay, will change the acquisition of the Sokols later.
    http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/w-3-sokol-multi-purpose-combat-helicopter/

    ReplyDelete
  83. You can refer to my other blog specific about PNoy's procurements here: https://rhk111smilitaryandarmspage.wordpress.com/2015/05/24/military-equipment-acquisitions-under-the-pnoy-administration/

    ReplyDelete
  84. under PNoy, the 2nd /3rd hamilton class. so GMA got the first?

    ReplyDelete