AFP to wait another 3 years before getting aircraft, boats

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) procurement of new patrol aircraft, gunboats, and ground radars using the P11.9 billion military budget that President Aquino ordered released would still have to pass through a three-year “gestation” period before the modern assets could be purchased.

AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban said the military would be able to get modern naval, air and land-based military assets after satisfying all the acquisition requirements.

“Within the first two years we should have already started acquisition of these floating and air assets to include ground radars,” said Oban an interview with The STAR.

He clarified that the new assets could be turned over immediately to the AFP as it usually takes another year before deliveries can be made.

“Manufacturing of these military assets are usually done by a supplier only after we have placed our order,” Oban said.

But before an order could be placed by the AFP, the military’s planned procurement must likewise pass through the required and the usually “circuitous” processes including bidding.

Highly appreciative over the President’s utmost concern over the AFP, Oban said the organization already has a generic shopping list of needed military assets to put up a respectable territorial defense in the region.

The President has already made available the funds and the AFP is now finalizing the list.

“We’re into finalizing the list, basically naval and air assets and ground radars to protect and secure our airplanes and maritime resources,” he said.

Aquino had announced the release of P11 billion to Filipino soldiers and American servicemen participating in the just concluded Phl-US Balikatan war games at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva

Ecija, to help bankroll the AFP’s defense transition from internal to external threats.

Oban said the P11 billion includes the P8.9 billion proceeds from the the Malampaya natural gas project in Palawan and the P3.1 billion counterpart fund from the AFP’s modernization fund.

Brig. Gen. Roy Deveraturda, chief of the AFP Modernization Program, said that modernizing the military is a continuing process because the project is dependent on the availability of funds from the national government.

Deveraturda was referring to the 15-year AFP modernization program launched during the administration of former President Fidel Ramos.

The program already lapsed last year but barely attained its objective because its allocated budget of P331 billion had not been released in full.

“The Modernization Program for the Armed Forces of the Philippines should not be limited to a time frame, instead, continuity of the project must be observed for the benefit of the soldiers and the country itself,” Deveraturda said.

Under the 15-year modernization program, the AFP only received P33 billion out of the total P331 billion that was allotted by the past administration for the construction of naval, air, and ground defense facilities as well as the procurement of advanced naval and air assets and radars.

The funds intended to finance the AFP modernization program were realigned and used by the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH) and for the construction of various infrastructure projects.

The military is not complaining, saying that whatever funds it received were used wisely to enhance existing military logistics and equipment under its Capability Upgrade Program (CUP).

He said the CUP allowed the AFP to improve military gears in line with their “move, shoot, and communicate” concept where they refurbished their means of transportation, upgrading of guns and firepower, and the betterment of their communication tools.