Philippine Navy Plans 50-Ship Maritime Force

Navy Plans 50-Ship Maritime Force To Strengthen Claims On Disputed Seas

According to a Philippine Navy source, “we are not competing with anyone” but only trying to “regain some respect from other countries in the region, show the flag and protect our own interests in the South China Sea.”

The Philippines plans to spend an initial P75 billion to build a 50-ship maritime force, including short-range missile-capable smaller and faster vessels to protect the country’s security interests in the disputed South China Sea, a senior naval commander said.

About 100 other support vessels and more than 30 fixed-wing and rotary aircraft are also being considered in the Philippine Navy’s force mix that could cost the government more than P100 billion in the long term.

“These are modest upgrades to build a credible force to catch up with other neighbors in Southeast Asia,” a flag officer, who requested anonymity, said.

“We are not competing with anyone. We are only trying to regain some respect from other countries in the region, show the flag and protect our own interests in the South China Sea,” he stressed.

The South China Sea is being claimed in whole or in part by China, the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague awarded the Philippines sovereign rights over several features within its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea. The PCA also invalidated China’s “nine-dash-line” claim over nearly the entire sea.

But China, which has built artificial islands in the South China Sea, including those claimed by the Philippines and other countries, has refused to recognize the arbitral ruling.

The Navy flag officer disclosed that at least four big-ticket items are in the pipeline under the military modernization program’s second horizon until 2023, to buy two corvettes, six offshore patrol vessels, two landing platform docks and eight fast attack interdiction craft.

“We have started the process of procurement and have identified specific supplies under government-to-government deals, which are faster because we need to play catch-up with the rest. We belong to a few countries that do not have missile-capable ships as well as anti-submarine warfare, mine sweeping and anti-air capability,” the officer said.

The Navy’s force mix plan will address these deficiencies, the flag officer says, adding that the acquisition will allow the Navy to retire its legacy ships, many of which are World War II-era vessels donated by the United States at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.

The rest of the surface combat vessels will be acquired in the third horizon until 2028, excluding electric-diesel submarines that are very expensive.

“We have not abandoned the plan to acquire two to four submarines, but it will take time to train people who will man these vessels as well as build a base suitable for these sub-surface vessels,” the flag officer said, adding that they are looking at the experiences of Southeast Asian countries that operate submarines such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore.