AFP goes shopping

I read that the Philippine Air Force is looking to buy six fighter aircraft to kind of modernize its arsenal. High time that it did so, as we may very well be the weakest nation militarily in the region. We may have the bravest soldiers, but equipment-wise, we’re just pathetic. I asked my brother who happens to be into anything military – he builds models of them – and the buzz on the internet is that our Air Force brass is looking at a first line fighter from Sweden. Very nice indeed, but pricey. So the question has to asked, do we have the money? I know that there is a budget allotted for military modernization, but this is for the whole Armed Forces of the Philippines and not just the Philippine Air Force. What would the brass form the Army, Marines and Navy say?

More importantly, do we have the funds to maintain such a modern, hi-tech fighter? This seems to be our weakness, maintenance or keeping things at their tip-top shape for a prolonged period of time. How many of our C-130 Hercules, OV-10 Broncos, S-211s, Marchettis are still flying? How many of our Scorpion tanks, V-150s, V-300s, Simbas and Humvees are still running? How many seaworthy vessels does the Navy still have? Good maintenance costs money. Money we may not have enough of, especially if funds intended for the AFP are diverted somewhere else, like the Euro generals, which was PNP by the way. You get my point.

It is the hope of everyone that in this administration, funds allocated or allotted will definitely go to their intended recipients. Not like the previous administration where up to now, anomalies are still being uncovered as to the misuse of funds, some even involving the Church! No wonder we have resulted to the “surplus” attitude where parts are just cannibalized from other vehicles, aircraft, vessels to keep others running, until even those are finally exhausted. Filipino ingenuity has always come into play, but with military hardware, there shouldn’t be any compromise.

I can understand why the AFP is more than eager to go shopping for newer, more modern stuff. Especially now where we are faced with a situation where we are in dispute with several countries over patches of land and sand in the West Philippine Sea. But the AFP should also be realistic in their wants. What pilot doesn’t want to be in the cockpit of a state-of-the-art fighter, with hi-tech all around him and weapons he may have only seen in video games at his disposal? No argument there, but we must be able to maintain them. It’s not just a question of buying the hardware. We should also be able to afford their upkeep. Because just like anything, things break down, and patch work can only go so far. In a combat situation, those patches might not hold. If we cannot do so, then maybe something more practical and economical should be considered. There are countries willing to sell their “older” fighters that may still suit our needs. Again, in this administration, that just might be doable and realistic.