Philippine Marines Likely to Acquire SMAW-II under Multi-Purpose Bunker Defeat Weapon Project

As part of efforts to improve the firepower of infantry units of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), it has earmarked plans to procure man-portable heavy weapons which would allow infantry units to punch above its weight.

While the Philippine Marines already made known its intention to acquire Rocket Propelled Grenade Launchers under its Squad Rocket Launcher Light Acquisition Project which is currently ongoing, another project has not yet been mentioned to the public.

This project has already been posted in MaxDefense's AFP Moderization Projects Portal under the Philippine Navy section for several months now, but has not yet been discussed.

We are talking about the Philippine Navy's (Marines) Multi-Purpose Bunker Defeat Weapon Acquisition Project, which is a Horizon 2 phase Priority Project under the Revised AFP Modernization Program.

The Mk. 154 Mod. 2 Shoulder Mounted Assault Weapon 2 (SMAW 2), which is an improvement over the original SMAW. Photo taken from The Warzone. 

Overview:

The Philippine Marines has been using 40mm grenade launchers and 90mm recoilless rifles as its mainstay heavy weapons in the squad level and company level, respectively.

The 40mm grenade launchers proved to be ineffective in certain situations, including against armored units, entrenched units, and against enemy troops both in the open and in structures. This is the reason why the Philippine Marines will augment it with the introduction of  RPG-7 type weapons.

Meanwhile the 90mm recoilless rifles are now obsolete, with many alternatives in the market available which have more firepower, more munition options, and are lighter for the small Asian-bodied Filipino solider. This means a replacement for these weapons is being processed.

It is obvious from the start that the Philippine Marines works very closely with its counterparts from the US Marine Corps (USMC), and even pattern many of its capabilities with its US counterpart. While the USMC does not use RPGs, they do use something else with similar or even greater effect.

The Philippine Marines was after a bunker-defeating weapon that is reusable, capable of accurate fire at more than 350 meters range, and can be used for secondary purpose against armored vehicles and others.

This is the reason why the Philippine Marines is not looking at disposable systems like the M141 Bunker Defeat Munition (BDM) which is also known as Shounder-Mounted Assault Weapon - Disposable (SMAW-D), and the modern variants of the M72 Light Assault Weapon (LAW).

The PMC also preferred to have a weapon that is compatible to what the US Marine Corps use to allow US assistance in training, or even in munition supply in cases of emergency.

The US Marines has been using the Nammo Defense Mk.153 Shoulder Mounted Assault Weapon (SMAW) against structures and bunkers, and against light armored vehicles. And the USMC has brought these weapons to the Philippines several times during joint exercises with the Philippine Marines. It is reusable, with rocket munition being loaded at its rear. 

US Marines giving orientation training on the SMAW during Balikatan Exercises in 2002. Back then, the Philippine Marines have already shown interest in the system although lack of funding has always been an issue. Photo from Getty Images.

Primary Weapon of Choice by PMC: Nammo Mk. 153 Shoulder Mounted Assault Weapon (SMAW):

As early as 2014, the Philippine Marines announced its intention to acquire the SMAW based on the USMC's Mk.153 Mod. 0 SMAW weapon, as part of the Horizon 1 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program.

But the finalized version of Horizon 1 Priority Projects did not include the SMAW, and this was also true when the 2nd List of Horizon 1 phase acquisition list was released. No SMAW on both acquisition lists.

It was only during the formulation of the Horizon 2 phase Priority Projects that the acquisition of weapons similar to or equal to SMAW was again raised up under the Philippine Navy's Multi-Purpose Bunker Defeat Weapon Acquisition Project.

US Marines giving basic training on the Mk. 153 Mod.0 SMAW, this time during the 2016 iteration of Exercise BALIKATAN. Photo taken from DVIDS.

The Mk. 153 SMAW was developed originally by McDonnel Douglas Aeronautics Company, later on by Talley Defense, now known as Nammo Talley based on the Israeli-made B-300 rocket launcher from Israel Weapons Industries. The US Marines first introduced the SMAW in 1984.

The original Mk.153 Mod.0 SMAW launcher weighs around 7.54 kilograms, and 13.39 kilograms when loaded with rocket ammunition. While it has a maximum range of 1,800 meters, its effective range is placed between 250 to 500 meters.

Among the munitions it can fire are the Mk 3 Mod 0 Encased High-Explosive, Dual-Purpose (HEDP) Rocket, the Mk 6 Mod 0 Encased High-Explosive, Anti-Armor (HEAA) Rocket, the Mk 7 Mod 0 Common Encased Practice Rocket, the Mk 80 Mod 0 Encased Novel Explosive (NE) Rocket, and the Mk 217 Mod 0 spotting rifle cartridge. Plus the Novell Explosive (NE).

A newer version called the Mk. 153 Mod. 2 SMAW-II "Serpent" was introduced to the US Marine Corps in 2018, and replaced the 9mm spotting rifle and optics with a more modern electronic modular ballistic sight (MBS) made by Raytheon. This decreased the weight of the SMAW-II over the original SMAW to just 5.3 kilograms.

SMAW-II's improved sighting system which allowed the new version to remove the 9mm targeting gun and reduce weight while improving ease of use of the weapon. Photo taken from The Warzone.

The US Marines is scheduled to receive more than 1,200 units, which would probably replace all existing Mk. 151 Mod. 0 SMAW in its inventory.

The new SMAW-II also introduced new ammunition variants compared to original SMAW.

Redundancy with RPG-7?

With the Philippine Marines already on its way to procure RPG-7-type weapons and even assign it to Marine rifle squads, would the acquisition of Multi-Purpose Bunker Defeat Weapons like the SMAW be made redundant?

This is considering the RPG-7 to be used by the Philippine Marines will have Thermobaric munitions, which is similar to the SMAW's Novell Explosive (NE) or the M3E1's  round which destroys bunkers and structures using explosive heat and pressure.

Here's a video below on the SMAW's NE munition.

It would also be noted that while the US Marines do not have an RPG-7s, the Philippine Marines are slated to have them soon as it embarks on the Squad Rocket Launcher Light Acquisition Project. Thus it makes sense for the US Marines to have SMAW.

But according to sources from the Philippine Marines, the SMAW or the Multi-Purpose Bunker Defeat Weapon is said to have been specified to be more accurate especially over longer distances compared to the RPG-7, and the NE round is said to have destructive power than the RPG's thermobaric round.

The Philippine Marines is set to receive RPG-7 type weapons under its Squad Rocket Launcher Light Acquisition Project. Credits to original source of photo.

Option 2: Saab Bofors M3E1 Carl Gustaf 84mm recoilless rifle:

While it appears that the Philippine Navy and Philippine Marine Corps are already fixed on the Mk. 153 SMAW, MaxDefense believes that they should also consider looking at the new Saab Bofors M3E1 (aka M4) Carl Gustaf Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Tank Weapon System (MAAWS) which is being introduced to the US Marine Corps as a replacement to the Mk. 153 SMAW, and is seen as being favored more by the US Marines over the latest Mk. 153 Mod. 2 SMAW-II Serpent.

Top: the M3E1 up close. Photo taken from Wikipedia.
Above: a Hungarian soldier with an M4 Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle. Photo taken from Wikipedia.

The M3E1/M4 is a lighter, shorter variant of the M3 MAAWS, which was what the Philippine Army and Philippines Marines evaluated in the past. It would be remembered that the both services found the older M3 MAAWS to be far heavier than the RPG-7 or the SMAW, not to mention being a more expensive weapon system (both launcher and munition) which led to both services favoring the RPG-7 family.

the M3E1/M4 is 6.6 kilograms, has an effective range of 350-500 meters using standard ammunition against moving and fixed targets, and up to 1,300 meters for air burst and high explosive anti-personnel rounds. This is way beyond the maximum effective range of most of SMAW and SMAW-II munitions which is maxed at 500 meters. The M3E1's barrel is good up to 1,000 rounds fired.

The slightly heavier weight of the M3E1 or M4 versus the SMAW-II or even the original SMAW remains the biggest concern especially for the smaller-bodied troops of the Philippine Marines.

MaxDefense believes that the Philippine Marines has not yet evaluated the new M3E1 MAAWS which was said to be 3.4 kilograms lighter than the M3 although still 1.1 kilograms heavier than SMAW, and is a 2.5 inches shorter to allow easier use during Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) like those the AFP experienced in Marawi in 2017.

The M3E1 also has more munition options which includes anti-tank, bunker busting, anti-personnel, illumination and smoke rounds. It also has ammunition that can pierce through thick reinforced concrete bunker walls.

Above is a diagram showing the available munitions for the M3E1 / M4 Carl Gustaf MAAWS. Photo taken from Saab Bofors website.

Saab Bofors is also developing a a new rocket-boosted guided munition with Raytheon which effectively makes the M3E1/M4 similar but cheaper alternative to an anti-tank missile system. It is said to have an effective range of 2,000 meters (2 kilometers).

Final Choice:
It will depend now on the Philippine Marine Corps since they are the end-user for this weapon system. While MaxDefense favors the Saab Bofors M3E1 Carl Gustaf MAAWS due to practicality as it appears to the weapon that may outlast the SMAW-II in the US Marines, the Philippine Marines will still have the last say.

It is also possible thought, that should the US Marines replace the SMAW-II with the M3E1, there will be a large stock of SMAW-II launchers and ammunition that the Philippine Marines could request its American counterpart to sell or transfer. Weight-wise, the SMAW-II is friendlier to Filipino physique than the slightly heavier M3E1 Carl Gustaf.

Meanwhile, if the Philippine Marines select the M3E1 or M4 Carl Gustaf, it allows continuous seamless interoperability with the US Marines as they could provide assistance in terms of training, sustainment, and munition supply especially during emergencies. Not to mention munitions that have longer range and is said to be easier to acquire than those of the SMAW or SMAW-II.

So in the end, it really depends on how the Philippine Marines would be looking at these risks and opportunities. Nonetheless, both weapon systems are effective systems that would really provide the Philippine Marine Corps with added firepower especially 


Project Summary:

Multi-Purpose Bunker Defeat Weapon Acquisition Project

Note: Edited as of 03 November 2019.

* End User: Philippine Marine Corps (unspecified unit/s)

* Quantity: 70 units launchers plus ammunition

* Modernization Phase: 2nd List of Horizon 2 Phase of RAFPMP

* Project ABC: Php175,000,000.00
     
* Acquisition Mode: Most likely Government-to-Government deal.

* Source of Funding: GAA Funded through the Horizon 2 AFP Modernization Trust Fund

* SARO Release: TBA

* Winning Proponent: TBA

* Product for Delivery: TBA

* Contract Price: TBA

* First post by MaxDefense: 27 December 2014

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PNMPBDWAcquisition #PMCMPBDWAcquisition

* Status: Senior Defense Leaders approved the implementation of the project on 30 October 2019.

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First post and edit: 09 November 2019
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines

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Philippine Marines Tendering for 16 New Fibreglass Speedboats

The Philippine Navy (PN), through the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC), released an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for 16 units of brand new Glass-Reinforced Plastic (Fibreglass) Speedboats for the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), with an ABC of Php340,632,603.36. A Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled on 25 October 2018, while the the Submission and Opening of Bids is scheduled on 23 November 2018.

The awarded proponent should deliver the first batch of 8 units within 90 days from Notice to Procure (NTP), and the next batch of 8 units within 90 days from due date of the first batch. This means this procurement is a quick one.

The PMC requirement also appears to be larger than the US Marine Corps' Special Operations Craft-Riverine (SOC-R), which is 10 meters long, has more weapon mounts, but can carry the same number of crew and troops, but is slower. Photo taken from Wikipedia.

The French-made Seawolf ERF-1 Styx actually has similar attributes to the Philippine Marine Corps requirement, although the PMC requires a longer, probably larger and faster boat than this. Photo taken from H I Sutton "Covert Shores" website.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS SUMMARY:
Based on the technical specifications, the speedboats should have the following features:

* Length: 11 to 12 meters
* Breadth: at least 3 meters
* Draft: between 0.70 to 1.10 meters
* Cruising Speed: at least 35 knots
* Maximum Speed: at least 45 knots
* Acceleration from 0 to cruising speed: not more than 30 seconds
* Capacity: 4 crew members, and space for 2 Marine Fire Teams of 4 troops each;
* Payload: not less than 6,800 lbs
* Survivability: Full function at Sea State 2, Survive at Sea State 3;
* Weapon Mounts: 1 forward, 2 aft, with universal adaptor to allow mounting of either .50 caliber heavy machine gun, M60 7.62mm general purpose machine gun, of 40mm automatic grenade launcher;
* Radar: 36 nautical miles range
* Communications: Marine VHF, should be compatible with existing MILCOMM Harris Falcon III Vehicle/Base VHF Radio System (RF-7800V-V51X)
* Boat Trailer: included, 16,000 lbs GVWR minimum rating.

The Philippine Marines is expected to provide the weapons itself, as the proponents are only required to supply the platform itself without any weapons.

The sample diagram provided by the Philippine Navy in the Bid Documents. 

Based on the specs, the PMC's requirement is actually similar to the boats used by the US Marine Corps including the Special Operations Craft - Riverine (SOC-R) and the Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURC), although the design of the PMC's requirement appears to be similar on how the SURC is utilised by the US Marines. Currently the PMC itself has 6 units of the SURC provided by the US government in 2013, and were made by SAFE Boats USA.

MARSOG normally use the boats for riverine and coastal patrol, assault, interdiction, and insertion/extraction. The boats also provide fire support when needed utilizing the heavy machine gun and Grenade launchers for assault troops.

The PMC currently has 6 SURC boats provided by the US government a few years ago. The new boats are expected to be utilized in the same manner as the SURC by the PMC's MARSOG. Photo taken from US Naval Insitute (USNI) website.

And based on the ABC, it also appears that each boat will be worth less than Php21.289 million, which is cheaper than the American-made boats. Instead of relying on US grants, it would be more practical for the PMC to acquire their own locally-made, locally-designed boats. This is not just to allow the PMC access to other equipment that can be provided by US grants or assistance, but also allow the PN or PMC to own a design of their own that they can acquire and build anytime, while also helping the local boat-building industry.

The need for more boats for the Philippine Marines Assault Boat Battalion, which MaxDefense expects to be the actual end user, has to do with the increased operational requirements especially in the southern corridors of the country. In fact, the first batch of 8 boats were specified to be delivered in the PMC's base in Zamboanga City, where the newly opened Rio Hondo Fleet-Marine Station was actually designed to house MARSOG boats.

The screengrab from the Invitation to Bid for the project from PITC. Photo screengrab taken from Bid Documents of the project.

As always, MaxDefense expects the usual proponents to be interested, including Propmech Corporation, and Pacficfortia Marine Technologies, among others, to provide their bids for the project. It should be remembered that Propmech just recently won a contract to build 10 Fast Boats which are also made of fibreglass and is almost at the same price range as this new requirement.
MaxDefense will provide updates on this new project, and despite being a minor project that is probably not even considered part of the Horizon 2 phase of the RAFPMP, it would be considered an important project to monitor from awarding to delivery.

Summary:

1. Glass Reinforced Plastic Watercraft acquisition project

End User: Philippine Marine Corps (Assault Boat Battalion)
Modernization Phase: Special Project
ABC: Php340,632,603.36
SARO Release: to be updated
Winning Proponent: None yet, still in procurement phase
Contract Price: N/A

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Delivery of Elbit-Soltam M-71 155mm/39cal Towed Howitzers for the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps (Horizon 1 Project)

After three blog entries since our first entry on the project to acquire 155mm Towed Howitzers for the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps was posted in 2013 here @ MaxDefense Philippines blogs, we are now finally getting to the end of this acquisition project. This new milestone is better discussed in a new blog rather than updating older blogs that have become a little less relevant.

One of the Soltam M-71 155mm /39 calibreTowed Howitzers for the Philippine military seen here being tested in the Israel Defense Forces' Shivta Firing Range in the Negev Desert. Officials from the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps were present to verify the test results.
Photo exclusive for MaxDefense Philippines.

Recap: Elbit Gets Contract:


Israeli defense company Elbit Systems Land and C4I won the bid to supply and deliver twelve (12) units of 155mm / 39 calibre Howitzers and ammunition for the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps, and a contract was signed between them and the Department of National Defense (DND) in 2015.

Elbit, who owns howitzer manufacturer Soltan Systems, was to supply M-71 155mm towed howitzers to the PA and PMC, plus ammunition for the howitzers.

The original Approved Budget for Contract (ABC) was Php 438,620,000.00, and only two companies showed interest in the bidding. These are Elbit Systems Land and C4I, and BNT-Tvornica Masina i Hidraulike (BNT) based in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  But by April 2015, BNT withdrew from participating in the bidding, and Elbit was left to submit a bid and ultimately win the project. Elbit's submitted bid amount was Php 410,849,184.00.

MaxDefense believes that BNT entered the PA-PMC 155mm Towed Howitzer acquisition project with their M84 NORA-A1 155mm / 39 caliber gun howitzer, which was derived from the Yugoslavian M84 NORA 152mm towed howitzer (above).
Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons.

Since the M-71 155mm Towed Howitzers are actually produced by Soltam Systems since the mid 1970s, and several units were even ordered and delivered to the Philippine Army in 1978. MaxDefense learned that there are some minor difference between the original 1978 model the PA received, and this 2016 model that are for delivery, and these include:

1, Travel Lock is now located on one trail only;
2. The new guns are equipped with LED lights;
3. Improvements were made on the Breech Opening Mechanism

One of the M-71 towed howitzers for the PA, as seen prior to delivery. The paint scheme identified this as an Army bound unit.

The last update MaxDefense Philippines made was on 12th May 2017, and was posted on our earlier blog entry "Updates on the 155mm Towed Howitzer with Ammunition Acquisition Project (Horizon 1) for the Philippine Army and Marine Corps" first posted on 20th March 2015. 


 Pre-Delivery Testing and Delivery:

Related to our previously posted information found on our earlier blog entries, MaxDefense Philippines received A1 information from its sources that the the delivery was divided into two batches: a first batch of three (3) howitzer units plus the ammunition and integrated logistics support (ILS) package, and another batch of nine (9) howitzer units.

The first batch underwent pre-delivery testing early this year, and was attended and verified by officials from the Philippine Marine Corps. The tests were made at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Shivta Firing Range in the Negev Desert. Delivery of the first units arrived in Manila on the last week of April 2017, after the howitzers were shipped from Israel. The Philippine Marine Corps' own artillery crew already underwent familiarisation and proficiency training locally,   

The first three units of Soltam M-71 155mm towed howitzers are seen here during its delivery. The guns arrived in the Philippines on the last week of April, and are already in the Philippine Marine Corps' possession as of this blog entry's posting.

The second batch of nine (9) howitzers underwent a separate pre-delivery testing also attended and verified by officers of the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps, and was also conducted on the IDF's Shivta Firing Range. All nine howitzers passed the tests and were confirmed by the PA and PMC's officials present.
  
This batch is expected to arrive within June 2017, with the actual delivery date withheld by MaxDefense for security reasons. Six (6) of the howitzers will be for the Philippine Army, while the Philippine Marines will receive the remaining three (3) units for them to complete their first ever 155mm Artillery Battery.

Pre-delivery testing of the second batch of nine (9) howitzers conducted at the Negev Desert.

The paint scheme for the howitzers differ for thse bound for the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps. 3-colour camouflage painted units are for Philippine Army, while Olive Drab are bound for Philippine Marine Corps.

With the delivery of these assets, both the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps will each have a new 155mm Artillery Battery in its table of organization, while paving the way for the transition of both armed service from reliance on the smaller 105mm towed howitzer. It is expected that both ground services will be requesting for the acquisition of dozens more of 155mm towed howitzers and increase the size of their organization and improving their capabilities altogether.




Side Trip: PA and PMC Officers Witness Testing of ATMOS 155mm Self Propelled Howitzer:

Take notice on the two photos posted above showing the nine M-71 155mm towed howitzers in the desert and you may have notice a truck, which upon closer look shows a 155mm gun mounted on it. Sources confirmed that it is an ATMOS 155mm/52 calibre Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH), brought in by Elbit-Soltam Systems for live fire demonstrations to the present officials of the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps.

The ATMOS was originally being considered by the Philippine Army in 2013, before the Philippine Army's leadership backtracked and confirmed that they will only be acquiring towed howitzers under the Horizon 1 phase of the AFP Modernization Program. Based on information gathered, Elbit Systems submitted their proposal and offer for the ATMOS SPH system earlier and has undertaken preliminary evaluation by the Philippine Army. 

The ATMOS 155mm/52 calibre self propelled howitzer, seen here with some of the M-71 towed howitzers bound for the Philippines.  In this case, the ATMOS system is mounted on an 8x8 high mobility truck. It can also be mounted on the shorter 6x6 high mobility truck depending on end user's choice. 

While Horizon 1 does not include any plan for Self Propelled Howitzer procurement, MaxDefense has previously mentioned several times in its blog entries and Facebook page posts that the Horizon 2 phase of the AFP Modernization Program covering years 2018 to 2022 includes plans to acquire such assets for the both the PA and PMC. The latest version of the Horizon 2 phase acquisition plan list indicated a combined requirement of 5 batteries between the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps, with more expected to be requested under the Horizon 3 phase covering years 2023 to 2028.


While the demonstration is not yet part of the acquisition phase, this is a good sign that the AFP is indeed giving a chance to consider such assets for future requirements. 


Moving forward, MaxDefense will be providing updates on the delivery of the balance nine units of Elbit-Soltam Systems M-71 155mm/39 calibre towed howitzers, as well as updates on the integration of the first batch of three units with the Philippine Army Artillery Regiment once information become available. We look forward for these assets to be of good use to the PA and PMC.

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Updates on the 155mm Towed Howitzer with Ammunition Acquisition Project (Horizon 1) for the Philippine Army and Marine Corps

On February 2015, the Philippines' Department of National Defense (DND) released a new Invitation to Bid for the 155mm Towed Howitzer with Ammunition acquisition project for the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps. This is actually the 3rd attempt to bid the project after the last attempt made last year failed after Elbit Systems Land & C4I failed to pass the post-bid qualifications. This is also the 3rd time that MaxDefense released a blog regarding the project with the 1st and 2nd bid attempt can be accessed HERE and HERE, respectively.

Elbit Systems Land & C4I of Israel previously won the tender to supply the 155mm Towed Howitzer and Ammunition. But was disqualified after failing the post-bid qualifications. They are expected to join the project bidding again this time.

The contract remains the same as the previous tender attempt, which includes the supply and delivery of 12 brand new 155mm towed howitzer systems, 240 rounds of high explosive (HE) cartridge, and an integrated logistics support (ILS) package for the entire system. The Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) remains at Php 438,620,000.00. The pre-bid conference was scheduled last March 5, 2015, and the bid submission and opening was originally scheduled on March 19, 2015 but was moved to March 26, 2015 as per a new supplemental bid bulletin released on March 10, 2015.

So far, MaxDefense has not determined the interested bidders for the project, although it is expected that previous interested entities will be trying their chance to bag the project. This includes Elbit Systems Land & C4I, who won the tender last year but was eliminated after failing the post-bid qualifications. 

Among the requirements released by the DND are for the product to be in use with the origin country's armed forces or by at least 2 other foreign armed forces, and that the bidders must be the manufacturer of the goods (howitzer system and ammunition). Changes in the requirement now is that the bidders should have also completed a similar project within 5 years from date of submission of bid. Previously the requirement was for 10 years, which could have been one of the reasons why the previous tender was only participated by a few bidders, and probably also the reason why Elbit did not got the project.

A supplemental bid bulletin released on March 17, 2015 made changes also on the requirements regarding the major parts of the howitzer system. Previously the requirement allowed subcontracting to a number of parts except for the barrel, breach lock, and central structure of carriage. This requirement reinforces its earlier requirement that the bidder must be the manufacturer of the goods itself. 

MaxDefense hopes that many other suppliers that did not participate in the previous bid attempts, like Hyundai WIA and it's KH-179 towed howitzer, will participate this time.
Photo taken from KDN website.

Failure of bidding for this project will enable the DND to do a negotiated bid with possible suppliers, which was the same process applied with the acquisition of UH-1 helicopters for the Philippine Air Force.

# # # # # #

MaxDefense will be updating its readers on this project through this blog entry and at MaxDefense @ Facebook community page. It is expected that this project's bid submission and opening schedule will not move as much as the other projects of the DND. Hopefully more bidders will be interested in this project than before.



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UPDATES:
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April 4, 2015 (morning):
The DND released a Supplemental Bid Bulletin Nr. DND-PA/PMC-155-2015-003 last March 26, 2015, wherein there were changes on the specifications regarding the outsourcing of components, which now allows for all parts EXCEPT the barrel, breech block, and central structure of carriage. It also changed the bid submission and opening schedule from March 26, 2015 to April 14, 2015.

But due to the late release of this supplemental bid bulletin, it appears that the bidders did not know of the changes and 2 interested bidders, Elbit Systems Land & C4I of Israel and local company Stone of David, were present last March 26. MaxDefense is still confirming if the claim of an anonymous reader that Stone of David made known their intention to drop out of the contest last March 26, and only Elbit Systems Land & C4I is the only firm bidder that remain in the contest. Otherwise, the bid submission and opening on April 14 appears to be final. MaxDefense will closely monitor this project as it is already in its 3rd attempt, and any failure will allow the DND to go for a negotiated bid.



April 4, 2015 (afternoon):
It was confirmed by a source that Stone of David cancelled their participation in the 155mm Towed Howitzer Acquisition Project. Stone of David's principal for the 155mm Towed Howitzer, BNT-Tvornica Masina i Hidraulike, d.d. based in Bosnia-Hercegovina, provided 2 reasons for their cancellation:

1. The specified test and acceptance procedures indicated in the project's technical specifications "are not adaptable with the National Military Standard Testing Procedure being used (by their principal), BNT-TMiH".

2. Their principal for the 155mm HE ammunitions, Israel Military Industries (IMI), cannot open their production line as the quantity required by the contract is not within the acceptable quantity.

With this, then Elbit Systems Land & C4I remains the only other bidder for the project. It remains to be seen what will be the outcome of the bid opening on April 14, 2015, as anything can still happen if documentation becomes a problem again. MaxDefense hopes that there won't be any hook-ups from now on as the losing side on these delays are the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps, and the Filipino people in general.


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April 24, 2015:

This project has finally moved forward again, as the bid submission and opening proceeded last April 14, 2015. Only one proponent submitted their bid, Elbit Systems Land & C4I, as expected from our previous update due to the withdrawal of Stone of David-BNT-Tvornica Masina i Hidraulike. 


Elbit Systems was declared the single lowest calculated bidder with a bid amount of Php 410,849,184.00, with all their documents and requirements found to be complying to the tender requirements. Their offer is the Soltam M-71 39-caliber 155mm towed howitzer. According to MaxDefense sources, the budget allocated (ABC) for the project could not afford to acquire 12 units plus ammo of the Soltam Athos, which is the foremost 155mm towed howitzer product of Elbit Systems-Soltam and is more automated than the M-71.

Post bid qualifications is expected to be made soon in Israel by next month. If Elbit Systems passes the post bid qualifications, they can be awarded with the project and a contract may be signed soon.


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May 12, 2017:


Finally after several years, the first batch of 3 Soltam M-71 155mm towed howitzers were delivered to the Philippines, arriving on the last week of April 2017. MaxDefense received confirmation that the howitzers are now in Philippine Army custody and are being tested somewhere in Central Luzon. Ammunition and ILS-related parts were included in this delivery.

9 more units are for delivery in the next few months, with the Philippime Army receiving 6 units (1 battery), and the Philippine Marine Corps with 6 units (1 battery).The Philippine Army will be the first recepient of this delivery.

Despite being similar to the Soltam M-71 155mm towed howitzers already in service with the Philippine Army since 1978, the new units are provided with the following changes:

1. The Travel Lock is now located on one trail only;
2. The new guns are equipped with LED lights
3. Improvements were made on the Breech Opening Mechanism

Once the guns pass the acceptance tests, it will be formally handed over to the Philippine Army and commissioned.

MaxDefense will provide more updates once news becomes available.

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The Philippines Should Immediately Consider Acquiring MRAP Vehicles for the AFP and PNP

The increased activities of the communist terrorist group New People's Army (NPA) and the Islamic terrorist groups Abu Sayyaf (ASG) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) against Philippine government forces have seen several fatalities and major injuries obtained from ambuscades. Military convoys of mostly unprotected trucks are the usual targets, the most favorite being the Kia KM450 and M35 trucks of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Toyota Hi-Lux pickup trucks of the Philippine National Police (PNP). These vehicles lack the armor protection from small arms fire and shrapnels, and also lack the protection underneath to protect from roadside improvised explosive devices (IED) which is now the favorite weapons of the terrorists.

The Oshkosh ATV, an example of a mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle used by the US military.
Photo taken from armystrongstories.com website.

Recent ambush attacks are as follows:

Last February 26, 2015, 5 soldiers from the Army's 81st Infantry Battalion were killed in the town of Quirino, Ilocos Sur after military trucks were ambushed by NPA terrorists at night time. 6 other soldiers were also wounded. 

In a separate incident, troops from the 50th Infantry Battalion were ambushed by the NPA last February 28, 2015 in the town of Pinukpuk, Kalinga. A trooper was killed while 3 other soldiers were injured.

This Land Rover Defender used by the PNP's Special Action Force (SAF) was destroyed by a landmine planted by the NPA in along a road in Antipolo, Rizal in 2010. 4 SAF policemen were killed, and 5 more were injured, all coming from the 3rd SAF Battalion. 

Just yesterday, March 4, 2015, another report of an ambush and IED attack against a Philippine Army convoy resulted to 3 troopers killed, 2 of which were officers, and several others wounded. MaxDefense sources said that an IED struck a Kia KM-450 light truck, and the convoy was pinned down by small arms fire from hidden terrorists.  

Precious lives wasted by being killed not in encounters, but defenseless in a vehicle without armor protection. In comparison, the current offensive against the BIFF has even less fatalities on the government forces as compared to a single IED ambush attack on a convoy.

The Kia KM-450 light truck used by the AFP is among the favorite target vehicles of terrorist groups. The example above was ambushed by NPA in Cotabato resulting to 9 soldiers dead.
Photo taken from GMA News website.

This Toyota Hi-Lux utility vehicle of the Philippine National Police was ambushed by NPA terrorists in Sta. Rita, Samar in 2007. Land mines or IEDs were used, followed by small arms fire on the pinned down convoy.
Photo taken from Samar News website.

The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle:

To improve protection of mobile troops, the best way is to use armored vehicles with added protection against IEDs planted along the road. Specifically by having troops use mobility assets like armored personnel carriers (APC) or Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.

MRAP concept was first introduced by the South African Defense Forces during their numerous encounters of landmines in the Rhodesian Bush Wars. They developed the Casspir, which is an armored vehicle with a raised body, large wheels, a V-shaped hull, and good armor protection for the passenger compartment. This became the inspiration for developing the MRAP of the Americans. 

The Casspir, developed by South Africa and is considered to be the inspiration for developing the current generation of MRAP vehicles. The example above is an early variant of the model.

The MRAP  was widely introduced by the US military and its allies during military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan after experiencing high casualties to its troops coming from roadside bombs, IEDs, landmines and small arms fire ambush. The favorite targets of militants were the US Humvee, which is also being used by the Philippine military and police forces. Even after armoring, the up-armored Humvees were still no match against powerful IEDs, which usually explode underneath the vehicles were armor is non-existent. 

MRAPs differ from normal armored vehicles by being designed not only with armor protection on the front and sides of the vehicle, but also by designing the entire vehicle to protect its occupants from IEDs, landmines and explosives from below the vehicle. Innovations like V-shaped hull, compartmentalized armoring and using off-the-shelf parts made the vehicle not only effective, but also affordable compared to armored fighting vehicles.

MRAPs are not really indestructible, but they are protected enough to keep its occupants safe from harm. This example of a Cougar H MRAP was able to protect all its occupants despite the terrible damage the vehicle received. In this time and age, lives are more important than vehicle assets.
Photo taken from Wikimedia.

It was also designed to be a cheaper alternative to armored personnel carriers and armored fighting vehicles which were designed for optimized used on medium to high intensity conflicts. This allows the military to acquire more of the vehicle for use on low intensity and counter insurgency operations while maintaining their standard armored vehicles for other purposes. 


Possible Sources of MRAP:
There are now numerous sources of MRAP vehicles in the world market, which means the Philippines will not have a problem sourcing them. There are several alternatives in which the Philippine government can go with regards to acquiring MRAPs for its security forces.

1. Used MRAPs from the US Military and other friendly countries:
With the US military reducing its footprint in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are literally thousands of MRAPs currently in service with the US military. There are even thousands more left behind in conflict areas that they could not bring home due to economic reasons. For the Philippines, it doesn't need to acquire those left behind in Afghanistan. An option is to acquire them directly from the US military, sourced in the continental United States.

The US is downsizing its MRAP fleet, with many either being sold or granted to friendly countries, distributed to interested police forces in the US, or are being stored for future requirements. Add to that the cost cutting measures the US military is currently undertaking, and also the upcoming new fleet of vehicles called the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle project that are meant to replace the Humvee and early models of MRAP. About 7,000 MRAPs are being divested based on current US government plans.

The Cougar H MRAP. The US is divesting several of its Cougars and other MRAPs, which can possibly be made available for the Philippines.
Photo taken from Wikimedia.

The US has several types of MRAP, from the small RG-31 Nyala 4x4 to the large Cougar 6x6 (incidentally both examples were actually designed in South Africa) in which the Philippine security forces can choose from. Not only are they possibly cheap or even free, they are also readily available and can be immediately distributed to operating forces upon delivery.



2. Buying new MRAPs from foreign sources:
This is the most common practice, to acquire new-build MRAPs from friendly countries. There are many sources nowadays, from the original makers in South Africa, to the commonly seen variants from the United States, and from new MRAP players from Israel, India and even Thailand. 

Costs can become an issue, as it is expected that if the Philippines acquire MRAPs, it would definitely consider acquisition and operating costs, performance in Philippine vegetation and setting, size, and probably economic advantages, local manufacturing and technology transfer. Politics can also be another reason of choosing a certain country's offering.

TATA of India released this Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV) recently and is now being offered for export.

This is an indigenous MRAP design from Thailand, the Chaiseri First Win 4x4. It is also being offered to the Malaysian armed forces by Malaysian company DRB-Hicom (Deftech) as the Gempita.
Photo taken from malaysiandefence blog site.

Currently there are offers being made to both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. One example is the Tiger Mk.II 4x4 vehicle from MDT Armor. A US company, MDT Armor's product is actually based on a Ford or Dodge large pick-up trucks, and is built in Israel. MaxDefense chose to discuss this as the AFP and PNP previously conducted tests on the vehicle which was brought by MDT Armor's local distributor Spectec Trading. Based on their Facebook page, it appears that further tests were made by the Philippine Army, although it is still unclear if local tests on live fire and mine and IED resistance were made. Compared to contemporary MRAPs, the Tiger Mk.II is considered smaller and might be suitable for initial local requirements.

 

MDT Armor's Tiger Mk.II protected vehicle loaded in a Philippine Army truck for testing. The vehicle is also being offered to the Philippine National Police although no decision has been made by both armed services yet.
Photo taken from Spectec Trading's Facebook page.

3. Producing a Locally Made MRAP:
The most difficult approach is for local companies, or even the Armed Forces of the Philippines itself, to build an indigenous MRAP vehicle. This is because there are no entity in the Philippines with extensive experience in designing or manufacturing an armored vehicle, even more with an MRAP-like capability.

The closest effort being made is the Philippine Army's Security and Escort Armored Vehicle (SEAV), which is still undergoing tests. Made by a local company, the vehicle is practically a small armored vehicle that was designed to escort military convoys and provide machine gun fire support if necessary. But MaxDefense sources indicate that the vehicle is not really designed to take on blasts from underneath the vehicle, and has not undertaken any destructive test to validate its protective capabilities.

The Philippine Army's Security and Escort Armored Vehicle (SEAV) in 2013.
Photo taken from Research & Development Center, ASCOM Philippine Army FB page.

The SEAV in 2014. It appears that the underneath of the vehicle does not have a V-shape hull and was not really designed to consider mine protection from the beginning.
Photo taken from screengrab of the video "Pagbigay Katuparan sa AFP Modernization Program" posted by PCOO Creatives in Youtube. 

Although this is a good option to develop the Philippine defense industry, it could also be the longest way for the AFP and PNP to have an effective protected vehicle. With time running out, this is not the first priority.



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MaxDefense suggests that the Philippine government go for a multi-pronged approach in acquiring MRAPs. To immediately fill up its needs, the Department of National Defense (DND) should work together with the US Department of Defense to see if there are ways for the Philippines to tap excess defense articles or grants for MRAPs and more armored vehicles for both the PA and PMC. They could immediately be provided within the next few months should an agreement be made early on.

For a longer term solution, the Philippines must start to plan acquiring new MRAPs for both the AFP and PNP. It would be best to look at models that can be acquired at a lower cost, and with an option for a local production with technology transfer. This could benefit the local industry as well by bringing in technology and manufacturing capabilities. Local companies can tie-up with foreign manufacturers to represent them in the local assembly or manufacturing of the vehicles. 

Whatever the path the government takes, in the end it would benefit the security forces of the Philippines by reducing the risks of fatal or major injuries during operations against communist and Islamic terrorists that are now actively playing the deadly IED-ambush path. 

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