Air Force chief: Still a long way to go in achieving minimum credible defense

MANILA, Philippines - The Air Force admitted on Monday that there is still a long way to go before the country can achieve minimum credible defense or the capability to defend and protect its national interests when necessary.

Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado said the military’s modernization program has just started but more air assets are expected to be delivered soon.

“It’s still a long way to go. We are just starting (to enhance) our capability. We still have a lot of things to do,” Delgado said after the turnover of eight Bell-412EP and two AW-109E helicopters to the Air Force in Villamor Airbase, Pasay City.

“Considering the limitations in the our budget, the limitations in our resources, we are taking these things one step at a time but for sure, we are moving forward, we are soaring high with our development,” he added.

The Defense department defines minimum credible defense posture as the establishment of an effective force presence inside the Philippines and its exclusive economic zone.

The government has embarked on an aggressive military upgrade program in the face of China’s expansion in the South China Sea, a resource-rich are where more than $5 trilion worth of trade passes through every year. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea while Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines have overlapping claims.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, for his part, said the military upgrade should continue despite the constraints brought about by limited resources.

“The goal of upgrading and modernizing our Armed Forces is a long and painstaking process. This is so, because the acquisition costs of our minimum requirements on materials and equipment for operational readiness are constrained by our financial capability,” Gazmin said in a speech delivered during the turnover ceremony.

“We, therefore, need to persevere and be contented with what we can afford based on the priorities of our urgent operational needs and their financial affordability. This means that we have to be frugal and acquire reliable platforms at very reasonable costs possible as allowed by our meager financial resources,” he added.

A total of P90.86 billion is needed to bankroll the military’s upgrade program until 2017.

Data obtained recently by The STAR showed that 55 military upgrade projects worth P11.71-billion have been completed under the Aquino administration.

Among the completed projects that benefited the Air Force were 18 units of basic trainer aircraft (P621.67 million), one aerial surveillance camera (P50.99-million), 20 units of MD 520 MG attack helicopters (PP214.34 million), and eight combat utility helicopters (P2.86 billion).

Challenges

However, some big-ticket Air Force projects are facing possible delay because the Armed Forces modernization program is still awaiting the approval of President Aquino.

They include the acquisition of three air surveillance radars worth P2.68-billion; six close air support aircraft worth P4.97 billion; two units of long range patrol aircraft worth P5.98 billion; multi-purpose attack craft project worth P864.32 million; two C-130 aircraft worth P1.6 billion; two naval helicopters worth P5.4 billion; and lead-in fighter trainer jets ammunition worth P4.47 billion.

Earlier, the Air Force admitted its weaknesses in territorial defense and disaster response because of lack of equipment. 

In its recently published 14-year strategic road map called Flight Plan 2028, Air Force said it has limited equipment, bases and facilities for defending the Philippine territory.

Ironically, the Flight Plan’s goal is to “build capability to detect, identify, intercept and neutralize intrusions in the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone (PADIZ) and West Philippine Sea.

Air  Force’s weakness was also mentioned in a document released recently by Japan’s defense ministry.

According to the document, the Philippines has 26 combat aircraft including OV-10 Bronco attackers, F-27 jets, and aN-22SL nomad plane. The document noted that the Philippines has no fighter jets but cited the government’s purchase of 12 FA-50 lead-in fighter trainer jets from South Korea.

The Philippines' air assets, however, were overshadowed by that of China, which has 2,582 combat aircraft including 689 fourth generation fighters.

Security officials, however, remain optimistic about the government’s support for the military’s upgrade program.

Among the air assets that are scheduled to be delivered by yearend are the two C295 medium lift fixed wing aircraft, six AW109 attack helicopters, two CN-212i light lift transport aircraft and two of the 12 FA-50 lead-in fighter trainer jets acquired from South Korea.