Philippine Army and Navy modernization budget increased by USD 704 Mn.

According to Defense Studies, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program (AFPMP) is assured of receiving at least another PHP40 billion (USD 704 Mn) in fresh funding for the army’s capability-building procurement projects, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said on September 11. This year, the AFPMP has PHP29 billion (USD 508 Mn) and PHP10 billion (USD 175 Mn) in programmed and unprogrammed appropriations, respectively.
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Elbit Soltam ATMOS 6x6 155mm self-propelled howitzer. A PHP40 (704 Mn USD) billion will be received by the Philippine armed forces for 2023 (Picture source: Philippine Army)

Senator Pimentel favors bigger modernization projects for the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Marines Corps in the years ahead, Defense Studies reports. “We need a naval force capable of deterring potential foreign aggressors at sea,” Pimentel said. “Being an archipelagic nation, we are most vulnerable to external threats coming from the sea. We are seeing this vulnerability now in the West Philippine Sea, where we have difficulty defending and enforcing our sovereign rights.”

BRP Jose Rizal guided missile frigate in 2020 (Picture source: Wikipedia/Philippine Navy)

In December 2021, the DND signed a PHP28 billion (USD 490.6 Mn) contract with South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. for the procurement of two brand-new corvettes capable of conducting anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-aircraft missions. The 116-meter corvettes would reinforce the Philippine Navy’s existing two lead warships -- the guided missile frigates BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna that were both launched in 2019. The DND in June 2022 likewise signed a PHP30 billion (USD 525.5 Mn) contract with Hyundai for the acquisition of six brand-new 94.4-meter offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Philippine Navy.

In January 2022, the DND also inked a PHP18.9 billion deal (USD 331 Mn) with India’s BrahMos Aerospace for the delivery of three brand-new shore-based supersonic ramjet missile batteries. The anti-ship medium-range cruise missiles are meant for the Philippine Marines Corps’ Coastal Defense Regiment.

BrahMos is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from a submarine, ship, aircraft, or land (Picture source: Army Recognition)