Support units of the PAF are also scheduled for acquisition of new assets, some of which have already arrived.
Ongoing Delivery of New and Additional Assets:
On March 30, 2015, the PAF accepted and commissioned its first of three new medium tactical transport aircraft, the Airbus-CASA C-295M aircraft which was acquired under the Medium-Lift Fixed Wing Aircraft project, and is expecting the delivery of the remaining two aircraft within this year. The aircraft will be assigned with the 220th Airlift Wing based in Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan, Cebu.
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| The 1st C-295 in PAF service, during the acceptance ceremonies last March 30, 2015. Photo taken from GMA News website. |
Despite being embroiled in accusations regarding contract breaches and corruption, the PAF also accepted and silently commissioned the first 7 units of a scheduled 21-unit buy of Refurbished UH-1 Helicopters in the form of ex-German military Dornier UH-1D Huey combat utility helicopters last February 2015. These additional helicopters are now with the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing. The supplier, a joint venture between Rice Aircraft Services Inc. and Eagle Copters, was given a Partial Notice of Termination as of March 26, 2015, and was given 7 days (April 2, 2015) to justify the continuation of the contract with a new deadline within April 2015. According to MaxDefense sources, the remaining 14 helicopters are all fully assembled, and 6 of these helicopters have already undergone and passed the acceptance test by the PAF and are only awaiting for the PAF to accept them formally should the contract between RASI and the DND continues.
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| One of the accepted Dornier UH-1D Super Delta during the pre-acceptance tests. Photo taken from Tim Maceren's FB page. |
Assets Confirmed and Awaiting for Deliveries:
Still part of the Medium-Lift Fixed Wing Aircraft project, two more Airbus Military-CASA C-295M medium tactical transport aircraft are expected for delivery soon, and there were indications that the PAF might be able to receive both aircraft before the end of 2015. They will all be assigned to the 220th Airlift Wing.
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| The CASA C-295 & CN-235 assembly line in Spain. 2 more C-295M are expected to be delivered by Airbus Military-CASA to the PAF within 2015. Photo taken from flightglobal.com. |
Another airlift-capable aircraft that is in the pipeline is the acquisition of 2 Light-Lift Fixed Wing Aircraft (LLFWA) to complement and eventually replace the N-22B Nomads. Indonesia Aerospace-PTDI won the project with their NC-212i, and was expected to deliver the aircraft by March 2015. Unfortunately the project was awarded to IA/PTDI later than planned, so they are now expected to arrive at least by 3rd or 4th quarter of 2015.
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| The PAF is scheduled to get 2 PTDI NC212i light lift aircraft within 2015. |
Aside from the C-295M and NC-212, the 220th Airlift Wing is also expected the delivery of two refurbished Lockheed C-130T Hercules heavy tactical transport aircraft by early to mid 2016. These are ex-US Marine Corps tanker aircraft but it is still unconfirmed if they will retain their air-to-air refueling capabilities. This would bring the total commissioned C-130 fleet of the PAF to 5 units.
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| The PAF's joint inspection team during the final check on USMC KC-130T no. 022 before accepting the offer of the US government to transfer the aircraft together with another one for refurbishing prior to delivery to the PAF. |
Under the Attack Helicopter project, the 15th Strike Wing is scheduled to receive their first batch of a total of 8 AgustaWestland AW-109P armed helicopters by the 1st quarter of 2015, with the first 2 helicopters arriving on December 2014 and is undergoing pre-acceptance tests and checks as of this writing. It is expected that both helicopters will be officially accepted and commissioned by the PAF within this month.
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| One of the PAF's AW-109P armed helicopter undergoing tests. Take note of the FN RMP Pod installed on the side weapons mount. Photo taken from Wikimedia. |
Another helicopter acquisition program that is expected to bear fruit this year is the Combat Utility Helicopters, wherein the DND acquired 8 Bell 412EP from the Canadian Commercial Corporation under a government-to-government project. 6 brand new helicopters are expected to arrive on or before October 2015, and will be assigned with the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing. Due to the need for more helicopters to transport VIPs this year as part of the Philippines' hosting of APEC Summit 2015, 3 of the helicopters will initially be configured as VIP transport helicopters for the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing. It is not yet confirmed though if these 3 helicopters will continue to serve as permanent VIP transport helicopters, or if they will be reconfigured to combat utility helicopters later on.
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| The PAF is expected to get their new Bell 412EP combat utility helicopters soon, which are said to be almost similar to the configuration of the CH-146 Griffon used by the Canadian Armed Forces. Photo by Michael Durning, taken from Airliners.net. |
Ongoing Projects for Implementation and Approval:
There are upcoming projects that are still being processed as of this writing, and some have even already started the bidding process although were among those affected by the delays in the implementation of the Revised AFP Modernization Program.
The Close Air Support Aircraft acquisition project is the most anticipated project that has not yet gone past a successful bid submission schedule. This involves the acquisition of 6 brand new ground attack aircraft to complement and eventually replace the ageing Rockwell OV-10A/C/M Bronco being used by the 15th Strike Wing. Among the most anticipated participants in this project are Hawker Beechcraft with their AT-6 Texan II, and Embraer with their A-29 / EMB-314 Super Tucano. The project is currently on-hold, awaiting for the final approval of the Revised AFP Modernization Program.
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| The Close Air Support Aircraft project is still pending as of now, but it is anticipated that the competitors will be between the Hawker Beechcraft's AT-6 Texan II and Embraer's A-29 / EMB-314 Super Tucano. |
The PAF has also started the bidding for its Long Range Patrol Aircraft (LRPA) project, which requires the acquisition of 2 new Maritime Patrol Aircraft. The first attempt to bid the project failed, and ultimately the project was affected by Malacanang's pending approval for the Revised AFP Modernization Program. Aside from the possibility of acquiring brand new assets, the DND is also looking at the offers made by the US government to transfer, either by grant or by sale, or refurbished Lockheed P-3C Orion aircraft, which is a long standing offer by the US but was not availed before due to the high acquisition, maintenance, and operating cost of the aircraft. It is expected tha the PAF's 300th Air Intelligence & Security Group will be operating the said type of aircraft.
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| New maritime patrol aircraft like the Airbus-CASA C-295MPA (above) and used refurbished models like the Lockheed P-3C Orion from the US (below) are being considered by the PAF. |
Future Acquisition Projects:
After acquiring 2 new Long Range Patrol Aircraft, the PAF is planning to acquire another 2 units by 2020. It would be possible that this would be the same model as the first 2 to be acquired by the PAF. The goal is for the PAF to have at least 4 units, depending on the financial and threat requirements of the PAF.
There is also a requirement to acquire four (4) units of Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) aircraft, scheduled in 2 batches of 2 units. The plan is to have 2 units by 2020, and another 2 units by 2022. The ECM aircraft is still a vague acquisition, and interpretation on this project may vary. MaxDefense believes that this is Special Mission aircraft that will be using a transport or business aircraft similar to the expected platform for the PAF's future AEWC aircraft. But others suggest that this could be a special fighter aircraft similar to the US Navy's EA-18G Growler or US Air Force's F-16CJ/DJ Falcon that can perform fighter support and Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) more commonly known in US nomenclature as "Wild Weasel".
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| The PAF's requirement for 4 Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) aircraft was not defined on the type of capabilities it will possess. It could either be a special mission fighter aircraft similar to the USN's EA-18G Growler (above), or a transport/business jet modified for such purpose like the Embraer R-99B (below). Photo of EA-19G taken from Naval Air Warfare Center webiste, photo of R-99B taken from Wikipedia. |
Other support aircraft that is worth waiting are the requirements for at least a single Air-to-Air Refueling Tanker by 2021. As the project is still expected to be implemented a few years from now, it is still unclear how much is the budget and what are the required specifications of this aircraft. The most probable solution is for the acquisition of either a new or used refurbished C-130 aircraft with Air Refueling Tanker equipment, although it could be as high as acquiring a commercial airliner fitted as a Tanker/Transport like the Airbus KC-30 / A330 multirole tanker/transport aircraft.
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| The PAF's tanker aircraft acquisition is also too early to tell, but it could only be either a commercial airliner modified to tanker/transport duties like the Airbus KC-30 /A330 MRTT, or will be using a less capable option like the KC-130J Super Hercules tanker/transport. Both photos taken from Wikipedia. |
A step up from the usual combat utility helicopters being operated by the PAF is a plan to acquire a minimum of 4 Medium or Heavy Lift Helicopters, planned to be acquired in 2 batches of 2 units each by 2019 and 2022, respectively. As previously indicated by several PAF officers, the organization prefer a helicopter design that has a rear ramp which was very instrumental on Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. Among those they are looking at are the Boeing CH-47F Chinook and the AgustaWestland AW-101.
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| Among those being considered for the PAF's upcoming Medium/Heavy Lift Helicopter project are the AgustaWestland AW-101 (above) and the Boeing CH-47F Chinook (below). Photo of AW-101 taken from AgustaWestland website, photo of CH-47F taken from Australian Aviation website. |
There are also several projects that the Philippine Air Force is planning to acquire that are not listed in the "Flight Plan" report, but are actually logical in nature.
There is an impending plan to acquire at least 2 VVIP-configured Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters and a new VIP fixed wing jet aircraft for the 250th PAW, although it is said to be funded separately from the Revised AFP Modernization Program. For the helicopters, the budget will be taken from the Department of Energy (DOE) with an ABC of Php 2.09 billion. The VVIP fixed wing aircraft will be acquired by the Office of the President and has an ABC of Php 3.69 billion. The VVIP aircraft budget will be enough to acquire either a standard Boeing 737-800, or probably even a Boeing Business Jets BBJ. This would represent an improvement as the currently the only VIP aircraft in PAF service is the old Fokker F-28 Fellowship aircraft which lacks in size, range, and modern safety features.
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| The PAF's 250th Presidential Airlift Wing will be operating VVIP aircraft that the Philippine Government will be acquiring. These will be acquired without using the AFP Modernization Program budget. Photo of S-70i taken from Wikipedia. Photo of BBJ taken from AVBuyer website. |
There are also plans to increase the number of additional orders for transport and utility aircraft that were already ordered by the PAF. These include the Medium-Lift Fixed Wing aircraft, the Light-Lift Fixed Wing aircraft, the Attack Helicopter, and the Combat Utility Helicopter. This will be subject to availability of more funds, and the overall performance evaluation of the aircraft acquired.
If all aircraft acquired by the PAF are all performing well, expect the PAF to request for additional Airbus-CASA C-295 aircraft (probably the newer C-295W version), the Airbus-PTDI NC-212i, the AgustaWestland AW-109P, and the Bell 412EP. The increase in acquisition would allow the PAF to retire its older assets, namely the Fokker F-27 Friendship, the GAF N-22B Nomad, and the Bell UH-1H Iroquois.
There are also plans to acquire a long-term replacement for the Aermacchi AS-211 being used by the PAF, as a trainer that will bridge the gap between the SF-260FH primary trainer and the FA-50 LIFT. It is still unclear if the plan calls for a jet or propeller powered aircraft model. Another type of aircraft being considered are medium sized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or "drones" that will be used for surveillance and observation. The PAF is looking for a model that has enough range and endurance to reach the country's territories and EEZ in the West Philippine Sea, including the Kalayaan Group of Islands. Previous offers made was by Elbit Systems for a maritime patrol version of their Hermes 900 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), although it remains to be seen if the AFP will accept the said offer.
# # # # # # # # # #
In general, the PAF's modernization program has been moving slowly but surely, boosted by the support provided by the Aquino Administration. To address the slow movement, MaxDefense believes that it only goes back to more funding and a faster procurement process. Add to that the instilling of a culture of project continuity within the PAF, the DND, and the whole Philippine government.
Apart from the equipment acquisition projects, the PAF's Flight Plan also discusses the importance of changes and improvement in the organization, training, research and development, human resource system, doctrine and knowledge system, bases and support systems, and values system. All this work hand-in-hand to further improve the capabilities of the Philippine Air Force towards a world-class organization tasked in defending the Philippine skies and supporting the Filipino people in any way possible.
Hi Max, are there talks on acquiring the A400, considering the French has offered some financing? It will be good to have it a couple of years from now. Hope the PAF will have enough qualified pilots and more funds for POL to train for and man these acquisitions.
ReplyDeleteThere was an offer. But nothing yet on the Philippine side. It appears that the PAF prefers C-130s.
DeleteThis is a high quality summary of the progress made by the PAF, which has been considerable. It is far better than the progress made by the Navy.
ReplyDeleteThe one glaring capability gap with the PAF, in addition to the soon to be addressed LRPA and the COIN aircraft, is the lack of at least one squadron of true MRF fighters. The Philippines will have to increase defense spending to 1% of the budget, continue to weed out corruption, and, preferably, become a partner in a program like the JAS Gripen NG to truly address this issue.
With China building an airfield in the Spratly Islands, close to Philippine shores, time won't be a gracious ally in filling this capability gap.
Laurence
Sir max about the seaplane what happen to that?
ReplyDeleteStill under study if they will continue or drop it in favor of other assets like more NC-212i.
DeleteHonestly, this other Acquisition Plans of the Philippine Air Force for its Medium Term "Flight Plan" is pitiful. Just a small change and taking a very long time to acquire. We are losing territories to China worth trillions of dollars and our government is spending what... $ 2 billion/year for AFP modernization. AFP should plan a coup d'etat asap and place the Phil. under a State of Imminent Danger from China's expansionist aggression, allocate 10% of the Philippine's GDP to military defense and start kicking the Chinese out of our reefs. Change the constitution to allow US deployment of naval and air forces along the length of Western Philippines.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you sir. Our constitution was written in the light of events that happened during the dictatorship. You need not look not too far from our borders to see that full democracy is not for SEA countries. The philippines should stop trying to be like a western democracy and more like a asian democracy (singapore malaysia thailand etc) if we are to be a prosperous nation. Lets be true to ourselves and admit that we need a iron handed ruler. We lack discipline as a people.
DeleteIts not $2 billion/year. It's $2 billion/5 years.
DeleteI am saddened that the coup d'etat idea did not get shut down instantly. Some Filipinos have this mistaken idea that a coup will solve everything neatly. History actually proved otherwise, but eh, apparently no one studies history.
DeleteLook, if there's any country interested in fomenting a coup d'etat in the Philippines, it is China. They will gladly support an iron handed ruler who will crush all dissent in the Philippines. Except said ruler will be in their pay.
Second, does anyone believe that America will support the Philippines after such a coup? This is no longer the Cold War. America's largest trade partner is China. They don't want to let China swallow the South China Sea, but they also do not want an outright war with China. It is far more likely that after such a coup America will stop all military aid and cooperation with the Philippines, citing the illegitimacy of the government and humanitarian concerns as an excuse. But really it's because they don't want a rogue nation dragging them into a war they don't want.
Last, does anyone think such a coup, or rather, the actions the coup leaders want to do will get popular support? Oh, I have no doubt that some people will support it. But if the majority of the people want to increased defense budget instead of more pork for them, the elections would already have reflected it. So the coup leaders implemented the 10% of GDP for defense budget, that's about 50% of the national budget. There are several ways this can be achieved. Massive inflation, massive taxation, or decapitation of all government services such as schools, public hospitals, public transportation, road network. Probably a combination of all three. Do you think Filipinos will accept that meekly? Nope, they'll protest, and the coup leaders will crush the protest. The world sees the human right violations and back off from supporting the coup. Except China, who's fine with crushing protests with tanks.
I've seen arguments that the people of the Philippines are short-sighted, but as we can see, the folks advocating a military coup is even not even short-sighted. They are blind.
Only $2 billion for 5 years...It's only right that AFP should start planning for a coup d'etat even before the 2016 presidential elections and kick Pres. Aquino out of Malacanang. Bec. of his inaction and all useless talk, we lost Scarborough Shoal and we are becoming a hostage to China's invasion & occupation of Spratly Islands.
DeleteGo on and have your coup...We'll support you...
DeleteA coup d’etat supported by the people may also be good if the objective is for the good of the nation. If the AFP is already dissatisfied with it’s slow modernization, many of our soldiers die or are placed in danger bec. they are poorly equipped due to government corruption, and our territorial sovereignty & integrity is being trampled by a foreign aggressor bec. of the inaction of our political leaders, it is an alternative solution that should be looked into. The next president could possibly be the opposite of Pres. Aquino , a model for a corrupt trapo and sell our country to China. The US assisted in the replacement of Marcos by a military up-rising supported by People Power and it also recognized the illegal & unconstitutional replacement of Estrada by Arroyo bec. it is based on US interest if it will benefit the US and not actually on democratic principle. If the leaders of a military coup will agree to change our constitution and allow US forces to be permanently stationed in our country to jointly counter China’s expansionist aggression, do you think the US will not support it. People who thinks that a coup d’etat will always turn a country into a rogue state are narrow-minded.
DeleteThe Filipino voter especially the so-called masang Pilipino, who are in the majority, can be easily fooled and manipulated by a corrupt trapo. For every problem, there is a solution and there are ways to implement 10% of GDP for AFP modernization w/o hampering the operations of other departments. Just solve corruption in all government departments, bureaus, agencies and offices, totally stop smuggling at the Bur. Of Customs, overhaul the operations of the BIR for efficient collection of taxes w/o the need for increased taxation, sell to private industry all GOCCs, use the profits of PAGCOR and PCSO, rent out some of our military facilities back to US forces, eliminate hidden pork barrel funds, scrap the BBL fund, eliminate the commission system from projects of government officials , stop the funding of comelec national/local elections, etc. China has already invaded and occupied our territory and ready to go to war to protect it’s expansionist aggression and many people and most politicians still think China will never attack us. These are the people who are actually blind and hallucinating that we can resolve this diplomatically with China through peaceful dialogue & UN/International intervention. It’s either we accept the 9-dash line & give away our Kalayaan Island Group and Scarborough Shoal to China in exchange for peace or we go to war to defend our sovereignty and nothing in-between. Make-up your mind and not make a fool of yourself.
A few points:
ReplyDelete1. The time line for the ECM aircraft coincides with the MRF acquisition. IMHO, this bodes well for F-16s as our MRF. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it seems it would be cheaper to acquire and maintain an F-16 doubling as an ECM aircraft, than having another type of plane which only specializes on ECM. If this is the course the PAF would take.. this would be bad news for the Gripens (sigh). I'm guessing -- 12 MRFs, at least 4 of them ECM capable on a shameless cost-cutting move by the PAF.
2. The ahead-of-schedule delivery of the C295s have been impressive, and PAF would take that into account whenever it needs a plane from Airbus. The thing is - Airbus knows the PAF's obvious needs that they could provide: LRPA, additional transport craft, AEWC aircraft and possibly, a refueling aircraft. IMHO, this plane is built for the PAF.
3. It is logical to think that the PAF could consolidate the CAS and the AJT with one platform. Several Tucanos configured in trainer roles while others would be dedicated CAS seems like a good idea. But if the plan is to get a separate plane, I hope they consider Textron's Scorpion and the M345 HET.
4. Drones? Interesting. But if the PAF needs endurance and range, we're going back to the Scorpion's strengths.
- Neo
Scorpion for the win! (Albiet a long shot)
Delete-Inigo
The PAF leadership should be commmended for their effort in coming up with the Mid term Flight Plan but RA 10349 is modest and lack the element of urgency. I believe that there is a need for another (supplementary) law that would pave way for the emergency procurement of military hardwares such as MRFs, frigates, submarines, GBADS, etc. Lets remember that the enemy is already at the door, in fact one foot is already inside the house. This supplementary law is on top of RA 10349, it will address any attack by the territory grabbers anytime from now until the near future, before we are able to realize the full benefit of minimum credible defense that we hope to achieve thru RA 10349
DeleteAccording to PAF Mid Term Flight Plan, the acquisition of 4 ECMs is separate from the 12 MRFs
DeleteI think Textron/Cessna Scorpion is a good aircraft, but it is still under development. And from bid documents for CAS is stated that the Aircraft is at least operated by two countries unless it will be G2G. I still prefer the AT-6 or the A-29 super tucano. Or if the government has more money I prefer the Yak 130/ M346 master.
Delete@aymokay - Yes to 12 MRFs + 4 ECMs!!!. If that's really the plan, there's nothing to argue about it. However, I like to point out that the original plan for the FA-50s is 24 jets. Cost cutting measures i's the reason why we came up with just 12. From 24 to 12. That's huge. If we get MRFs, either Growlers or F16s, the PAF could just say "hey we're giving you 12 MRFs, it just so happen 4 of them comes with ECM, we save a lot of taxpayer's money on 4 planes with dual roles"
Delete@Allen Libranda - most of us know the reasons why the Scorpion is likely not being considered at this time. No customer, plane under development, DND requirements, etc. I think most of us too have no problems with either the Tucano or the AT-6 as the CAS platform. If the CAS and the trainer are two separate programs, and if the DND has not setup the requirements for the trainer, the Scorpion would have its chance.
@Inigo - I'm a Scorpion fan too and I think a lot of people see the potential. IMHO, it just needs a customer or two and this plane could be the hottest selling jet among Air Forces short on budget.
- Neo
Agree with you @neo. We all know why the afp has its reasons why it set certain requirements for purchasing defense articles. Prime example the s-211 And the simba apc. I'm no expert but from what I gather about the scorpion its tech is acquired from already proven design and on the market parts. It has a lot of appeal for budget airforces like ours. My suggestion is to tie up with textron airland to develop and meet the requirements for our advanced trainer and CAS. IF it happens then it would lay down the foundation of our modern aviation industry. And maybe even supply our ASEAN neighbors with said aircraft in the near future. Hence standardizing across the board the equipment of the said regional grouping. But then again. A LONG SHOT. Fully support out modernization efforts. For people here who think its all up to the president on how our afp modernization progesses its not. Remember we do have the senate and the congress who in the end have to ratify whatever laws or republic acts the president puts forward. The beauty of a full fledged democracy. Keep in mind for all of you concerned and rooting for a STRONG AND RESPECTABLE ARMED FORCES you gotta pick the right congressmen and senators too. Ones who are commited to the defense and sovereignity of our country. my two cents. And to sir max, more power to you and many thanks for your very informative and unbiased articles. Hopefully one day this forum will gather enough momentum and courage to activley and SUCCESSFULLY mobilize ourselves to lobby our government to increase defense spending which is at par with a economy such as ours.
DeleteMabuhay po kayo at Mabuhay and Pilipinas!
-inigo
Sir max,
ReplyDeletehttp://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/04/18/govt-stops-p1-2b-huey-deal/
All these plans by the AFP will be delivered or acquired on a piecemeal basis unless our lawmakers will amend the law on DEFENSE SPENDING. This is very critical for our lawmakers to act on this law because time is continuing to be against our side. Ex is the AFP Modernization Law which up to now is pending on the Office of the President for his approval. What seems to be the problem for the delay. If these laws will be amended and approved there will be no more delays and our AFP will be satisfied by NEW MILITARY EQUIPMENT and will say goodbye to VINTAGE Assets whichc are better off as display in the museum. LIKEWISE all our priiority items Llke MRF FRIGATE CLOSE IN SUPPORT AIRCRAFT... Embraer A29, MD 530G MPAC will be acquired in the earliest possible time. ALL ARE IN THE HANDS OF OUR LAWMAKERS and the SINCERITY AND COMMITMENT OF THE PRESIDENT
ReplyDeletesir Max any news about the Pohang class Corvette from Korea?
ReplyDeleteBeing refurbished in Korea.
DeleteHow many units of Pohang Class are they going to donate? thus include the armaments (missiles)...
DeleteI'm actually very excited for the new presidential aircrafts. No offense but, I never really liked the looks of the Friendship & Fellowship. They never really struck me as aircrafts that should be used to carry the president, because they're too small and lack that prestigious image. I hope this comes to fruition along with the entire modernization of the AFP. I also hope Binay won't win the elections because we can all kiss our dreams of a respectable armed forces goodbye. And I don't want his ass being ferried by a Boeing 737. He's not worth it.
ReplyDeletethose C295 are ok but the PAF needs more C130s because they are bigger in size at least 3 more and at least one C141 for overseas operations like evacuations of OFWs in war torn countries or even special operations or rescue operations overseas. C130s are ideal for Airborne operations and training for the Army airborne units and special ops. at least 2 C130s should be dedicated to the Army Airborne unit.
ReplyDeleteThat is some ambitious project. F-18 Growler? Air refueling? The newest type of Chinnok?
ReplyDeleteThis is very ambitious!!! Can Philippine afford this?
If you're only talking about 4 ECM aircraft, 1 AA Tanker and 4 Chinooks, yes, the Philippines can afford them. And since these are plans for the future, the Philippines can even afford them more then.
DeleteAnd the Growler is still a question. The requirement is 4 ECM aircraft. What type? We still don't know. The Growler on the blog entry was a question.
DeleteWe can afford Growlers, the most modern aircrafts and weapons even the F-35, Si Janet Napoles and company nga nangurakot ng 10 Billion + 2 Billion kay VP Binay and many more. And I think hindi lang yan, marami pang anomalya sa ibang branch ng gobyerno. I think hundreds of Billion goes to corruption every year. Imagine if those funds goes to infrastructures and projects like these in the military/
Deleteclose air support .drones . bell helis. c130 gunships most urgent.internal war is n d horizon
ReplyDeleteWhere is the plan to get more fighter plane?
ReplyDeletehttp://maxdefense.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/the-philippine-air-forces-medium-term.html
DeleteSir Max, will an A6 Intruder & EA6B Prowler be an advantage asset to the Airforce? Regarding air defense, are there any plan to buy anti aircraft gun AAA, SAM ?
ReplyDeleteIntruders and Prowlers are no longer available. Nor will it be opted by the PAF because nobody uses them now. There is a current rule that the AFP will not acquire any used asset that is not in service with any armed forces anymore.
DeleteHi Sir Max, any update on the PN Frigate? and the AAV? thank you
ReplyDeleteNone that are available for public consumption. Anyway I posted an update on our previous blog entry as archieve regarding the offers made by Garden Reach and Hyundai Heavy Industries. You can see it here:
Deletemaxdefense.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/a-frigate-for-200-million-for.html
When will the donated Sherpas arrive? or is it still a go? IMO, the AFP should try to get more of these, even buy it if necessary...since they are rugged and cheap
ReplyDeleteFN RMP for AW109P?
ReplyDelete(basically a .50cal pod with 3 rockets)
why not M134 and rocket pods instead? (Like on US littlebirds)
any reason behind this sir max?
The helicopter only has slots for 2 weapons pods. Using the FN Herstal RMP solves this issue.
DeleteThat r&d part of the paf flight plan 2028 is quite interesting albeit obscure. Can somebody shed some light with regards to that, sir max probably?
ReplyDeleteNot much data on it yet either.
DeleteWhat happened to the Seaplane acquisition plan? The AFP needs that to resupply the BRP Sierra Madre.
ReplyDeleteProject suspended until further notice. They are reviewing if they can still go for it or will just revert to increasing the orders to acquire more NC-212i.
DeleteSir Max, I can see why the NC-212 would be more economical, and I think the PAF should push thru with that instead of Seaplanes, however, we need a something that could supply the soldiers at Ayungin. You mentioned hovercrafts, is the DND/PAF/PN not considering this?
DeleteIt would be a shame if they axed the seaplane, as the Canadian Twin Otter would be very useful in supplying remote islands that don't have air strips and performing basic MPA duties, in addition to being very useful for supplying Ayungin Shoal.
DeleteVietnam has four Twin Otters - there's no good reason why the Philippines should not have them, too.
Laurence
Sir, I want the PAF to have Seaplanes too, but I understand that these planes are very prone to corrosion. It's bad enough for a plane to be flying above sea water, touching the sea would be infinitely much worse. I don't think the PAF wants a plane which would be more on the ground because of the need for frequent repairs/maintenance.
Delete- Neo
Sir Max, are there any model of UAV that can be armed that are available in the market that the PAF can acquire? The Americans are using armed drones like predator and reapers in killing terrorist targets effectively.
ReplyDeleteMeron na tayo 2 basic uav yung parang ginagamit ng Isis hehe. Pangphoto photo lang na laruan hehe. Kung reaper na yan nako mahal kaya yan lalo na idagdag pa ang training, facilities, personnel at maintenance costs. Saka kailangan niyan ng satellite feeds at uplink. Wala tayo satellite. Parang sa submarine din, wala pa nga tayo submarine base eh office pa lang. Sa pagplano pa lang laking pera na.
Deletesir how about the panther AS565 with ASW capabilities ?
ReplyDeleteit would be better for us to repaint the gregorio class with white paint and name it with PHILIPPINE MARITIME ENFORCEMENT ship under the control of philippine navy that will serves as a paramilitary force of the PHILIPPINE NAVY so can complement the PHIL COASTGUARD smaller ships and protect the filipino fisherman as of now its useless because it is being use as a navy ship with an arms. It could be heavily use if it will be use as a paramilitary ships against the chinse coast guard and with we can them at least.
ReplyDeleteSi Pnoy pupunta ng Canada sa May. Dapat mag offer siya bilhin o loan then buy natin yung 5 Kingston coastal defense vessels na nakatenga at gawing patrol corvettes. Kaso ayaw kasi ng Navy iescort fishermen natin dahil baka mapalala pa tensyon sa area tapos yung PCG walang patrol vessels for escort. Tamang tama PCG vs CMS ng Tsina, pag nakuha natin yung Kingston vessels from Canada.
DeleteWhat is the difference between ECM and AEW&C aircraft Sir max?
ReplyDeleteI think the C-295 would fit the LRPA as it already has a MPA/ASW configuration. Plus we already have the said aircraft within our inventory. Which would make it easy logistics and maintenance wise for our armed forces. Not to mention there is already a prototype for a AEW&C configuration for said aircraft. Given the timeline of the modernization there should be ample time for EADS/Airbus to fully develop the said configuration. That is if the PAF needs a aircraft of the type.
Max I have some inquiries . I'm looking at the new AW109 armed helicopter . Are they equipped with night fighting capability and are they equipped with FLIR sensors .
ReplyDeleteThe more I see the capabilities of the C295, the more I am impressed.
ReplyDeleteI think the PAF needs 2 more C130s para sa heavy lift, then we can move on with all the C295s we can get.
Our upcoming C295s could be:
For AEWC
For Transport
For LRPA
For Refueling
Ideally a plane as big as a KC130J should be the minimum size for a tanker aircraft, but we can practice this refueling skill first with a C295. IMHO, the PAF is setting its sights on just 1 refueling aircraft not because it just actually needs 1, but because the PAF needs to learn skills now.
If and when they have those skills, they are going to buy a C130 or some other bigger aircraft.
- Neo
Sir Neo! Oo dapat na tayo kuha ng C295 MPA. Pwede rin naman yung ATR 72 kaso nagtampo sina Italians eh hehe. Sayang gamay na natin Italian planes eh. Kailangan na natin ng MPA para di na tayo mabully at maflash basta basta ng mga barko ng CMS. High altitude surveillance. Baka nga masmakamura pag kuha na lang tayo ng di pa masyado gamit na Atlantique2 from France dahil masokay endurance niyan.
DeleteInstead of getting 4 chinooks, i prefer only 2 and 4 AW101
ReplyDeletemas maganda kung battlehawk ung kunin mas malaki at pwedeng lagyan ng armament..2 chinooks and 4 battlehawk in 3 years ok na
Deletethen ung attack heli natin bat wala tayo..katulad ng Apache.
The way the DND and AFP are behaving is of a colonized country, aping how their US masters fight, but without the money. They buy equipment that is not for our own interest but for the interest of US using 'coalition' tactic of fighting US own wars in our own territory.
ReplyDeleteA tanker, give us a break. We are not imperialists like the US, going to far away places to destroy countries that do not threaten us. We are only defending our territories and our Kalayaan Islands and EEZ.
We can learn a lot from the Israelis, the small European countries like Switzerland and Sweden, the asymmetric defense of Iran, the strong will of the North Koreans etc. We have to fight as Filipinos have bravely fought before but with defensive weapons that are appropriate to us.
And not to fall again to the US trap of fighting for their wars, under the guise of they helping us. McArthur ran away and left us to suffer in their war against the Japanese.
Only we can defend our nation and surely will ask heavy sacrifices for us. We have to set aside our fiesta mentality for a while and don the Lapulapu fighting spirit in the meantime. To rid our country of foreign invaders from the Northwest and the East.
And fighters and missiles we need NOW, not cargo aircraft nor Chinooks
GENERAL DOUGLAS MAC ARTHUR DID NOT RUN AWAY IN APRIL, 1942.
DeleteHE WAS ORDERED TO GO TO AUSTRALIA ON U.S. NAVY PATROL TORPEDO BOAT BY PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT.
We do not need PN ships at this time to engage China bec. it will only lead into a war. What we need now are a lot of reasonably-priced, very fast and lightly-armed PCG ramming boats with water cannons to counter China's harassment. It must be capable of out-maneuvering, overtaking, ramming and equally water cannon Chinese CG ships. It must be armored & armed with heavy machine guns for protection. DND should invite all our capable local shipbuilders built this type of boat in big quantities which can be delivered earlier than waiting for 2 Frigates that will take years to deliver and of no use in countering China's CG if yu don't want to start a war.
ReplyDeleteThey should even have not just one tanker but probably two or more. When those MRF's, FA-50's, AEWC's, MPA's have been purchased, it will give them tremendous amount of flexibility not counting the cost and time savings when an emergency situation occur. I completely disagree that a tanker is solely used to simply give us range. What about the cost and time savings of not returning to the base and met and refueled half way through? When the going gets tough, I wouldn't want those AEWC's going down and refueling. You want to keep them in the air as long as possible. to control the battlefield.
ReplyDeleteDi ako satisfied sa outcome ng Asean. Si Malaysia kasi tuta yan ni Tsina eh. Sa kanila kaya kumukuha ng tubig at pagkain yung mga gumagawa ng airstrip! Kung iintayin pa natin yung resulta ng arbitration sa July, tapos na ni Tsina airstrip niya. Kung sabihin man illegal yan mahirap na yan paalisin lalo na kung nakapag station na sila ng troops, equipment at nakapagdala na sila ng mga migrants para inhabit yung islands. Iniintay lang ni Tsina na tayo una magpaputok para justified yung pagkamkam nila. Pag sila nanalo sa giyera official na na talo tayo sa claim, kailangan natin igive up claim sa treaty after ng war. Parang Parcels na yan. Kaya chill lang tayo. Dapat sila ang magkamali sa alam niyo na haha. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat we have are the hamilton or delpilar class cutters, they should be decommissioned from PN and commissioned to PCG. And there are two more being retired by USCG this year which our government should procure because there are many interested countries who wants them. i dont think China CG has anything bigger than our delpilar class cutters; just imagine kung apat yan plus ung mga parating na CG ships from Japan, cgurado tatakbo ung mga tsekwa kasi di nila kaya sa banggaan ang mga un
DeleteAng kailangang gawin ng gobyerno natin ngayon ay hulihin ang mga illegal Chinese fishing boats na nangingisda sa loob ng EEZ natin at protektahin ang mga mangingisda natin laban sa Chinese CG ships. Saka na lusubin ang Scarborough Shoal at Mischief Reef kapag may kakayahan na ang Pilpinas.
ReplyDeleteHi Max, why don't they go for Augusta West AW 109's for the VIP Choppers? For the budget of Php 2.09B I think they can get about 3 to 4 AW 109's with VIP cofigurations instead of (2) S70-i Black Hawks. If they can get 3 to 4 109's, the 2 choppers can be assigned to Presdnt'l Airlift Wing, and the other 2 can be used for VIP roles like Cabinet Secretaries or other dignitaries. They can manage this choppers more coz we already have the AW 109's in Air Force and Navy... Thanx and more power Max!! -CHRIS
ReplyDeleteVVIPs are usually better carried by bigger helicopters, and self protection systems are highly recommended like chaffs and flares. This is specifically for the president and vice president, whereas the Bell 412s are for other government officials like Cabinet members.
DeleteMasyadong mabagal parang walang sense of urgency. Kailan pa ba tayo kikilos? Kung lulusubin na tayo ng kalaban?
ReplyDeleteLet us all campaign against Chiz Escudero, Franklin Drilon and many other politicians who don't support the AFP Modernization Program. Let us not forget Bongbong Marcos who blames the government for escalating the tensions in the West Philippine Sea by seeking the help of the US. Bongbong Marcos still wants to maintain a friendly relationship with China despite China's aggressive behavior by building islands inside our territory. These politicians are very unpatriotic.
ReplyDelete