Philippine Navy starts procurement of torpedoes and countermeasures for Jose Rizal-class frigates

 
The Philippine Navy (PN) has finally started the acquisition process of torpedoes and countermeasures that will be for use on the service's new Jose Rizal-class frigates that were introduced starting mid 2020.

This has been highly anticipated, considering the first frigate of the class, the lead ship BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) has already entered service with the Philippine Navy since June 2020, while the second ship of the class, the Antonio Luna (FF-151) is on its way for delivery in early 2021.

These acquisition would allow the new frigates to gain offensive capabilities against submarines, and defensive capabilities against torpedoes and missiles.

A torpedo launched from a US Navy destroyer. Photo credits to US Navy.

Frigate Equipment:

The Jose Rizal-class frigates are equipped with two triple trainable 324mm lightweight anti-submarine torpedo tubes from UK's SEA. , as well as two C-Guard DL-6T chaff dispensers from Denmark's Terma A/S.

The SEA triple torpedo tubes (top) and C-Guard countermeasures dispenser (above). Photo credits to original sources.

The torpedo tubes are meant as the offensive weapon of the frigate against submarines, with three ready to fire tubes located on each side of the frigate. Western frigate designs usually use the lightweight 324mm torpedoes for surface ships, which work as part of the ship's anti-submarine warfare suite.

Among common examples of torpedoes that can be used in this tube caliber are the Franco-Italian EuroTorp MU90 Impact, the American Mark 54 from Raytheon, the Italian WASS A244S, the British Stingray from BAE Systems, and the Korean K745 Blue Shark from LIGNex1.

Most of these torpedoes have a typical range of less than 15 kilometers, and are guided to their targets with a combination of active and passive acoustic homing systems.

The torpedo tubes found on the BRP Jose Rizal.

Also, the Jose Rizal-class frigates are equipped with  two C-Guard DL-6T chaff dispensers from Denmark's Terma A/S.

The C-Guard was designed to provide coverage against threats like small range gate Radio Frequency (RF) guided missiles, imaging infra-red (IR) seeker missiles, and torpedoes. It utilizes the standard 130mm NATO decoys.

Chaffs were fired from naval ships during an exercise by the Republic of China Navy (ROCN). Photo credits to ABC News.

The decoy launcher is part of a system that includes integration with the ship's combat management system (CMS), which are also interfaced with the ship's radar, electronic support measures (ESM), and other sensors.

Procurement of Torpedoes and Countermeasures:

Currently, these systems are unused due to lack of munitions and countermeasures, respectively. And this is what the Philippine Navy is trying to cover with their Frigate Lot 3 Acquisition Project. 

While the Frigates Lot 1 for the platform, and Lot 2 for the gun and missile ammunitions were procured under the Horizon 1 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program, this Lot 3 is actually part of the 2nd List of Horizon 2.

It was among those proposed in the original Php650 billion 2017 Horizon 2 Phase Shopping List, but was among those that were taken out of the finalized Php300 billion Horizon 2 Phase priority list approved in principle by President Rodrigo Duterte in June 2018.

But due to its urgency and the reliance on Multi-Year Contracting Authority (MYCA) procurement process which did not require the full amount of the project to be paid within the year, the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Philippine Navy were able to squeeze this project in as part of its 2nd List.

With a total of Php1,700,000,000.00 as its Approved Budget for Contracting (ABC), the Frigate Lot 3 Acquisition Project was divided into 3 sub-lots: the Lot 3A for Torpedoes with a budget of Php900 million, Lot 3B for Chaffs with a budget of Php350 million, and Lot 3C for Acoustic Decoys with a budget of Php450 million.

Lot 3A for Torpedoes will be acquired through Negotiated Procurement, which MaxDefense believes is with the South Korean Ministry of National Defense (ROK MND). This means that the procurement would be for the K745 Blue Shark torpedoes from LIGNex1, which is the only Korean-made lightweight torpedo model.

The K745 Blue Shark torpedo. Photo credits to LIGNex1 website.

This could be a practical approach for the Philippine Navy, which already has the K745 Blue Shark torpedoes in its inventory, but are actually air-launched variants that arms its AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat ASW helicopters. These helicopters are to be deployed on the same frigates, which means commonality between the ship and its complementing helicopter's munitions.

MaxDefense PH is still trying to find out what stage of procurement is the Frigate Lot 3A already in, but our sources mentioned that so far, no contract has been signed yet as of this writing.

The PN's AW159 Wildcat are also armed with the air-dropped K745 Blue Shark torpedoes from LIGNex1. Photo credits to original source.

For Lot 3B and Lot 3C, both will be procured through Limited Source Bidding. In fact, the DND already posted the Invitation to Bid and Bid Documents at PhilGEPS Government Procurement Website on December 2020, and at the DND website on January 2021.

This means it still remains to be seen what brand and model of chaffs and acoustic decoys will be used as this would be dependent on the result of the bidding.

A US Navy serviceman loading chaffs on a countermeasures dispenser. Photo credits to US Navy.

MaxDefense is still trying to find out who are the invited bidders for the project, but based on the Supplemental Bid Bulletins released by the DND, South Africa's Rhinemetall Denel Munitions is one of the participants on the Lot 3B tender, while France's Naval Group is also participating on the Lot 3C tender.

We also found that Chemring Group was also invited to the Lot 3B, while unnamed companies from the US, Israel, and UK were also invited aside from Naval Group for Lot 3C.

Naval Group has recently been offering the CANTO acoustic torpedo decoy to regional navies like the Royal Australian Navy, which is compatible with the Terma C-Guard, as shown on the photo below.

The Naval Group's CANTO 130mm torpedo countermeasures as fitted on a Terma C-Guard decoy launcher. Photo credits to Naval Group.

Bid submission deadline for the Lot 3B Chaffs tender will be on 12 January 2021, while the Lot 3C Acoustic Decoy will be on 16 February 2021.

Due to the project being a limited source bidding, tender documents are only provided to invited tenderers, so it is expected that it won't be made available to the public. So far, the PhilGEPS and DND websites has not posted the Bid Documents that includes the technical requirements and specifications.

But what we know so far on the Chaffs and Acoustic Decoys is that they are suppose to fit into the Terma C-Guard's mortar launcher which is around 130mm diameter, standard NATO size. 

For now, all we can do is wait for the tender results, and see which company will win so we can try to find out what will potentially be ordered for the Philippine Navy.

Project Summaries:

Frigate Lot 3A - Torpedo Acquisition Project:

Note: Edited as of 06 January 2021.

* End User: Philippine Navy (Offshore Combat Force)

* Quantity: classified

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

* Project ABC: Php900,000,000.00

* Acquisition Mode: Government-to-Government deal with South Korean Ministry of National Defense.

* Source of Funding: GAA Funds through AFP Modernization Program Trust Fund

* SARO Release/s: TBA

* Winning Proponent: LIGNex1 (South Korea) (not yet awarded)

* Product for Delivery: TBA

* Contract Price: TBA

* First post by MaxDefense: 31 December 2020

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PNFrigateLot3ATorpedoAcquisition 

* Status: Project is being undertaken through G2G with South Korean MND. Product of interest is K745 Blue Shark lightweight torpedo from LIGNex1. No contract has been signed although it is expected to be done before mid 2021.

X X X X X X X X X X

Frigate Lot 3B - Chaff Acquisition Project:

Note: Edited as of 06 January 2021.

* End User: Philippine Navy (Offshore Combat Force)

* Quantity: classified

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

* Project ABC: Php350,000,000.00

* Acquisition Mode: Limited Source Bidding

* Source of Funding: GAA Funds through AFP Modernization Program Trust Fund

* SARO Release/s: TBA

* Winning Proponent: TBA

* Product for Delivery: TBA

* Contract Price: TBA

* First post by MaxDefense: 31 December 2020

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PNFrigateLot3BChaffAcquisition 

* Status: Project is being undertaken through Limited Source Bidding. Bid submission and opening scheduled on 12 January 2021.

X X X X X X X X X X

Frigate Lot 3C - Acoustic Decoy Acquisition Project:

Note: Edited as of 06 January 2021.

* End User: Philippine Navy (Offshore Combat Force)

* Quantity: classified

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

* Project ABC: Php450,000,000.00

* Acquisition Mode: Limited Source Bidding

* Source of Funding: GAA Funds through AFP Modernization Program Trust Fund

* SARO Release/s: TBA

* Winning Proponent: TBA

* Product for Delivery: TBA

* Contract Price: TBA

* First post by MaxDefense: 31 December 2020

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PNFrigateLot3CAcousticDecoyAcquisition 

* Status: Project is being undertaken through Limited Source Bidding. Bid submission and opening scheduled on 16 February 2021 after requested to be moved by Naval Group.

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First release: 06 January 2021
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines

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Philippine Navy to induct new Insitu ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicles provided by US

 
The Philippine Navy (PN) is scheduled to induct a batch of brand new Insitu ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) provided by the United States government. The induction is expected to happen in a matter of days after this blog is posted.

These new UAVs were part of the US government's Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative Strategy (then called Southeast Asia Maritime Security Initiative), which was started by the Obama administration in 2016, and continued by the Trump administration.

These new ScanEagle UAVs will become the Philippine Navy's first fixed-wing drones that are actually inducted into service, rather than just tested and evaluated. 

One of the ScanEagle 2 UAVs handed-over to the PAF last March 2018. Credits to original source of photo.

US Grants to Philippines and Other Countries:

In 2017, the US government confirmed that another batch of ScanEagle UAVs will be granted to the Philippines, and will be a follow-on after the first batch that were also ordered in 2017 and handed over to the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in March 2018.

ScanEagle 2 UAVs of the Philippine Air Force. Credits to original source of photo.

It was first thought that the second batch will still be for the PAF, but checking with sources within the Armed Forces of the Philippines, MaxDefense Philippines was told that it would be for the Philippine Navy (PN) as a similar request was also made that would be used primarily for maritime surveillance.

The Philippines will not be the only country to receive ScanEagle UAVs from the US. Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam are also earmarked to receive the same UAVs to assist them in improving their maritime surveillance capabilities. The orders for all 4 countries were only processed in 2019.

Malaysia was given priority, and received 6 units early this year. The Philippines is believed to be the second to receive ScanEagles this year, with an expected 8 units based on the reports made in 2019. It remains to be seen if the PN will indeed receive 8 units, since it is possible for the quantity to increase or decrease.

ScanEagle 3?

While the PAF received the ScanEagle 2 UAV in 2018, it remains to be seen if the PN will be receiving the same ScanEagle 2, or the newer ScanEagle 3 variant, which was launched only in 2018 after the PAF received their drones.

So far, there is no confirmation found if the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) received the ScanEagle 2 or ScanEagle 3, as it could be the best basis of what the Philippine Navy could be receiving.

The ScanEagle 3 is the latest variant of the ScanEagle family of small UAVs, with improvements made on payload carrying capacity, said to be almost double compared to earlier models, while retaining its freedom from International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) control.

A CGI of the new ScanEagle 3, which features twin tails siliar to the concept of the PAF's OV-10 Bronco attack aircraft. Credits to original source of photo.

This allows for additional or larger sensors to be carried that previous ScanEagle models are not capable of doing. It also allows for multiple sensors to be carried, improving its surveillance capabilities than ever before.

It also has improved endurance over previous models, using a new purpose-built propulsion system that allows more payload without compromising endurance. The new design allows for the wings to be adjusted and moved to alter the drone's center of gravity for rapid payload integration in the field. 

It has a length of 2.5 meters, a wingspan of 4 meters, and a gross takeoff weight of 36.3 kilograms. It now can carry 9.1 kilograms of payload which may include C2 datalinks, video datalins, Electro-optical turret, dual imager, and Mircowave Radiometer (MWR) that can detect radio or microwave energy emitted by targets.

An actual ScanEagle 3 during its unveiling in 2018. Photo credits to Shephard Media.

71 Maritime Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Squadron:

As reported several weeks ago by MaxDefense Philippines and our extension Philippine Defense Resource, the Philippine Navy's Naval Air Wing (NAW) has created a new squadron that will handle the operation of these new ScanEagle UAVs, which is the 71 Maritime Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Squadron.

The 71 Maritime Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Squadron's logo, which actually incorporates a ScanEagle UAV, albeit the older ScanEagle 1 variant showing the older nose design. As feared by MaxDefense Philippines, this could be a sign that many in the PN do not really know the difference between older and newer variants of the ScanEagle. Photo taken from the PN's publication.

The new squadron is expected to be the first UAV squadron of the PN NAW, as MaxDefense Philippines was told that the PN is interested in acquiring larger maritime surveillance UAVs in the future.
i
Similar to how the PAF deployed their ScanEagle 2 UAVs, it is expected that the PN would also deploy their ScanEagle UAVs in various locations, most notably facing the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and the tri-border with Malaysia and Indonesia.

But we are actually hoping for the Philippine Navy to consider deploying these ScanEagle UAVs on ships, and act as eyes and ears for the surface warfare ships on top of their existing radar and EO/IR systems.

Examples where the ScanEagle UAV can be deployed are the Jose Rizal-class frigates and the Del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessels, both of which have a helicopter landing decks. Even smaller ships like the Jacinto-class are capable of operating ScanEagles, as already demonstrated by other navies.

Singapore's Victory-class corvettes, which are almost the same size as the Jacinto-class OPV, are equipped with launcher and recovery systems for the ScanEagle UAV. Photo taken from RSN.

In any way, the addition of these ScanEagle UAVs to the Philippine Navy are very much appreciated to allow the force's continuous improvement, thanks again to the assistance of our ally.

It remains to be seen if the PN will receive another batch of ScanEagles, as the US government appears to have prepared for the allocation lof a 3rd batch of ScanEagle UAVs to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Since the Philippine Army is standardizing with Israeli-made UAVs which it bought on its own, additional ScanEagles could either be for the PAF or PN.

This would be dependent on the policies on upcoming US President Joe Biden, who is believed to be on its way to half US military assistance to the Philippines due to Philippine Pres. Rodrigo Duterte's poor human rights records.

Several weeks ago, our extension Philippine Defense Resource TV posted a video on the creation of a new unit to receive the new ScanEagle UAVs from the US. This was already a sign of things to come considering the deliveries have already started for the entire order made for the 4 selected Southeast Asian countries.

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Project Summary:

ScanEagle UAV Acquisition Project of the Philippine Navy:

Note: Edited as of 22 November 2020.

* End User: Philippine Navy (Naval Air Wing)

* Quantity: between 6 to 8 units

* Modernization Phase: Special Projects of the AFP

* Project ABC: Not applicable

* Acquisition Mode: US Military Assistance Grant

* Source of Funding: Funded by US government

* SARO Release: N/A

* Winning Proponent: Insitu Pacific Corp.

* Product for Delivery: 
    - 6 to 8 ScanEagle UAVs, still to be determined if ScanEagle 2 or 3 variant, including launching and recovery, and support equipment

* Contract Price: Not applicable

* Residual Price: Not applicable

* First post by MaxDefense: 11 December 2017

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PNScanEagleUAVAcquisition

* Status: US government announced grant of surveillance equipment to select Asia-Pacific countries in 2017. Contract awarded by US government to Insitu Pacific in 2019, for delivery by late November 2020.

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First edit and release: 22 November 2020
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines

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Philippine Naval Special Operations Group receives 1st batch of new Fast Boats

The Philippine Navy (PN) has recently received the initial deliveries of new Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB) that it acquired for the Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG) under its Fast Boat Acquisition Project.

Three of the six newly delivered RHIBs that arrived as the first batch of Fast Boats for the Philippine Navy. Photo exclusively shared to MaxDefense Philippines.

The project, which is funded under the 2nd List of Horizon 1 phase, was meant to provide the NAVSOG's Special Boat Unit (SBU) with new additional boats to complement older fast boats in service, while also increasing its operational capabilities.

The Fast Boat Acquisition Project:

The Philippine Navy included the acquisition of thirty (30) brand new fast boats for the NAVSOG SBU under the proposed PATROL BOAT LIGHT ACQUISITION PROJECT as part of the 2nd List of Horizon 1 phase, with a proposed budget of Php450 million., or around Php15 million for each boat.

This was later revised due to budget issues, with the Philippine Navy renaming the project as the FAST BOAT ACQUISITION PROJECT, with a reduced budget of only Php300 million for twenty (20) brand new boats.

The initial basic technical requirements were as follows:

* Length:                    Function of design
* Beam:                      Function of design
* Draft:                       0.50-0.60 meters
* Displacement:         Function of design
* Speed:                     Not less than 45 knots at full throttle at full load
* Range:                    150-200 nautical miles
* Complement:          3 boat crew + 8 passengers
* Gun Mount:             1 x .50 cal machine gun (front)
* Hull Type:                Function of design (not wooden)
* Propulsion:              At least 2 diesel-powered outboard motors
* Seaworthiness:        Operate at Sea State 2, Survive at Sea State 3
* Delivery Period:      12 months

This requirement will become the basis although it can be further improved. One example is the gun mount, which was later on increased from one mount to three mounts (1 front, 2 rear).

Several proposals were floated during the planning stage, which includes options using a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) design, and several options using Fibre-Reinforced Plastic (FRP aka Fibreglass) and Aluminium hull designs.

All options vary in size, displacement, speed, range, complement, propulsion, delivery times and cost.

The cheapest appears to be similar to the FRP-hulled boats, made locally and used by Philippine National Police Maritime Group (PNP-MG) with 3 outboard motors, which can be acquired for less than Php4 million each. The most expensive option includes the US-made Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURC) which is used by the Philippine Marine Corps and US Marine Corps, and the US Special Operations Craft - Riverine (SOC-R) used by the US Navy which cost around Php35 million each.

Among the options raised by the Philippine Navy include locally-made FRP hulled boats similar to those used by the PNP Maritime Group (top), the Small Unit Riverine Craft SURC (middle), and the Special Operations Craft - Riverine SOC-R (bottom). Credits to original sources of photos.

In the end, it appears that the Philippine Navy settled with their original plan to acquire RHIBs. But it remains to be seen if the quantity was reduced from 20 units to less than that. This is because there was a request made in 2017 to reduce the quantity from 20 units to just 10 units, using the same budget.

But since RHIBs of this size does not cost more than Php12 million each, it is possible that the proposal remains at 20 units, subject to further confirmation.

Use of Diesel-Powered Motors:

Another point of interest will be the decision of the Philippine Navy to specify the use of diesel outboard engines rather than petrol powered as most boats today.

Apparently the decision of the Philippine Navy has strong ties to experience by the US Navy, which has specified the use of diesel-powered motors for boats carried by US Navy ships, instead of petrol powered motors that can produce higher power output and allow higher operating speeds.

As explained to MaxDefense by one of our contributor from the defense industry, the US Navy started implementing the use of diesel fuel for small boats after a ship accident in 1995 that caused an explosive gasoline fire. This made the US Department of Defense directive to remove all gasoline powered engines and gasoline fuel tanks about US Navy ships from 2010.

With the Philippine Navy following suit for safety reasons, it only means that the chances of these new fast boats being deployed aboard larger Philippine Navy ships like the Strategic Sealift Vessel / Landing Platform Docks, or even Offshore Patrol Vessels or other current and future surface combatants are quite high.

Not only will the boats be conforming to the directive on removing gasoline powered engines and fuel tanks aboard Philippine Navy ships, but it also allows for the ease on storing fuel since most Philippine navy ships are diesel powered and have sufficient diesel fuel stored. Fast boats using diesel fuel allows for simplicity and commonality in fuel logistics.

The use of 4 outboard motors instead of 3 as originally planned could also be due to the use of diesel motors, which have lesser power output than gasoline powered motors. 

Delivery to the Philippine Navy:

After a public bidding conducted without fanfare, the winning bidder was Solanda Enterprises - Pacficfortia Marine Technologies Joint Venture, with a bid amount of Php228,130,000.00. This is Php71,780,000.00 lower than the allocated budget. A Notice of Award (NOA) was released in favor of the winning proponent on 27 February 2018, with the Notice to Proceed (NTP) released on 01 March 2018.

Solanda Enterprises is the local distributor of Mercury marine engines, while Pacificfortia Marine Technologies carry the Treton brand of RHIBs. This means that based on their products, it can be assumed that the boats with be made by Treton and would be powered by 

Based on the contract, the products should be for delivery within 1 year, or by March 2019.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released the full amount of the contract on 08 March 2018, which enables the winning proponent to start the construction of the boats.

It appears that Solanda Enterprises - Pacificfortia Marine Technologies JV failed to deliver the boats by March 2019, as we have noted that the first batch of 6 boats were delivered only last August 2020.

The new boats are seen here being delivered to the Philippine Navy's Sangley Point Base in Cavite last August 2020. Photos exclusively shared to MaxDefense Philippines.

It still remains to be confirmed if the boats were indeed from Treton, since MaxDefense sources mentioned that the boats were probably built in South Korea.

From the photos, it shows that the boats are powered by 4 outboard motors, most likely diesel-powered Mercury motors.

The boats appear to be not yet inducted to the Philippine Navy, as training is still ongoing although it is expected to happen in the next few months. The NAVSOG SBU afterall are already training and experienced in operating these type of boats, and are familiar with the equipment installed on the boats.

NAVSOG operates several RHIBs in its fleet, although the new one appears to be larger than the one shown above. Photo taken from and credited to VJNorz's Flickr page.

It also appears that the Philippine Navy procured several new automatic grenade launchers and machine guns which would be installed on these new fast boats. We received photos confirming this, although we were asked not to post them to protect our source.

It remains to be confirmed though if these were acquired separately, although most likely they were.

It also remains to be seen on when the rest of the boats will be delivered to the Philippine Navy. So far, no new deliveries were confirmed to MaxDefense by our sources, although it is expected that more boats will arrive within the year.

Congratulations to the Philippine Navy for these new additions to the fleet!

Note: MaxDefense tried to delay the release of this blog hoping that more boats would be delivrered. But it appears we have to wait for sometime for the rest of the new boats to arrive.

Project Summary:

Fast Boats Acquisition Project

Note: Edited as of 23 September 2020

* End User: Philippine Navy (Naval Special Operations Group)

* Quantity: at least 10 boats (exact quantity still for confirmation)

* Modernization Phase: Second List of Horizon 1 Phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program (RAFPMP)

* Project ABC: Php300,000,000.00

* Acquisition Mode: Public Bidding

* Source of Funding: GAA Funds through AFP Modernization Program Trust Fund

* SARO Release: SARO-BMB-D-18-0004636 dated 08 March 2018

* Winning Proponent: Solanda Enterprises - Pacficfortia Marine Technologies Joint Venture

* Contract Price: Php228,130,000.00

* Residual Price: Php71,870,000.00

* First post by MaxDefense: 27 July 2018 

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag:  #PNFastBoatAcquisition

* Status: Awarded to Solanda Enterprises - Pacificfortia Marine Technologies JV on February 2018, and Notice to Proceed was released on March 2018. Delivery scheduled for March 2019, delayed. First batch delivered on August 2020. More batches expected.

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First edit and release: 23 September 2020
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines

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Philippine Navy plans to acquire Shore Based Air Defense Missile System

The Philippine Navy (PN) continues to expand its capabilities as part of the AFP Modernization Program, being the naval warfare component of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

With naval warfare and naval defense becoming multi-dimensional, the PN is trying to obtain new capabilities to keep up with the added responsibilities and coverage that has started to overlap with those of the other AFP branch services.

MaxDefense will be discussing one of the most discreet asset acquisition projects of the Philippine Navy, which is actually not part of the Php300 billion Horizon 2 phase Priority Projects that was approved in-principle by President Rodrigo Duterte last June 2018.

As promised to its readers, this is actually one of the 7 projects that reached milestone last October 2019 when the Department of National Defense (DND) Senior Leaders had their roundtable discussions.

Exclusive @ MaxDefense Philippines: may we present the Philippine Navy’s Shore-Based Air Defense Missile System (SBADMS) Acquisition Project.

The Philippine Navy is currently undertaking the acquisition of a Shore Based Air Defense Missile System as part of its 2nd List of Horizon 2 acquisition plans. Photo taken from Kongsberg's website.

The Shore-Based Air Defense Missile System (SBADMS) Project:

Little is actually known on this project if you only rely from printed sources, since this is one of the Philippine Navy’s most secretive project. Since their debacle on the Frigate Acquisition Project, the Philippine Navy leadership has become more secretive on their current acquisition projects to avoid being exposed if another debacle happens, or if scandals arise again during the procurement phase.

The Shore-Based Air Defense Missile System (SBADMS) acquisition project was intended to provide the Philippine Navy with an air defense capability to protect its assets on shore or on port. This includes naval or marine bases, and naval or marine shore-based assets like anti-ship missile batteries and Marine units.

A typical air defense system would include a mobile firing unit, a radar system, and other support systems like command and control, logistics and others. Photo taken from Army Technology website.

The preferred system is a Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile system, mobile/self-propelled preferably on a wheeled platform rather than tracked. The choice on mobility requirements would allow the system to move faster and more efficiently over road networks, with partial off-road capability, without the need for tank transporters.

Range is said to be at least 40 kilometers, although a longer range is expected to have stronger preference.

New comer on the offerings to the AFP in general is the Roketsan HISAR-O which is the medium range version of the HISAR system from Turkey.

Being medium-ranged, the Air Defense Missile System would enable to defend high value assets and units under a larger umbrella, with future short range missile systems possibly added later on to provide better coverage in all range brackets.

An air defense system protecting the Philippine Navy's main base at Sangley Point, Cavite also means partial protection of the southern part of Metro Manila and Manila Bay due to proximity.

MaxDefense’s initial information suggests that the budget allocated for the SBADMS acquisition project is around Php9.8 billion, which is more than the PAF’s own GBADS acquisition project. But this is still subject to changes considering the Philippine Navy is now having problems on getting enough funding for other projects like the Submarine Acquisition Project which is expected to be the most expensive naval project in Philippine history to date.

The PN SBADMS would also be protecting future shore based anti-ship missile systems. Photo above "for reference only", if you know what I mean.

In comparison, the PAF GBADS only has a budget worth Php6.846 billion, or 30% less than that of the

It is highly possible that the PN SBADMS project would involve either more firing units, or more ammunition compared to the PAF's GBADS project to justify the Php3 billion difference in budget.

India's Akash medium range SAM system was also offered by officials from Bharat Dynamics and the Indian government. Photo taken from Economic Times India.

Options for Medium-Range Air Defense Missile System:

The Philippine Navy actually received the same offers made as the Philippine Air Force for their Ground-Based Air Defense System (GBADS) acquisition project, considering the requirements are almost similar for both the PAF GBADS and the PN’s SBADMS projects.

Among those that made their pitch or were included in the evaluations made by the Philippine Navy were:

* Rafael Advance Defense Systems with the SPyDer Air Defense System from Israel;
* Diehl Defence with the IRIS-T Surface Launched (SL) from Germany;
* LIGNex1 KM-SAM Cheolmae-II from South Korea;
* OKB TSP Buk-MB3K from Belarus;
* Almaz-Antey Buk M3 from Russia;
* Kongsberg Defense – Raytheon NASAMS from Norway;
* Roketsan HISAR-O from Turkey;
* Bharat Dynamics Akash Mk.1 or Mk.2 from India

Apparently both the Buk M3 (top) fron Russia and the Buk MB3K (above) from Belarus were offered for the project. While the Buk M3 is said to be the more advanced system, the Buk MB3K has the advantage of avoiding CAATSA sanctions due to it being from Belarus. Photos credited to original sources.

Rafael SPYDER:

MaxDefense’s sources have mentioned that among the selections, Rafael’s SPYDER ADS was said to be potentially leading due to commonality with the selection made by the Philippine Air Force for its GBADS requirement. The SPYDER-MR, similar to what the PAF was after for their GBADS requirements, is the expected variant to be offered due to range requirements.

(Top): The SPYDER MR uses a larger launcher than the other shorter-ranged variants, which means a larger truck platform.
(Above): the missiles used by the SPYDER ADS including the Python V and I-Derby missiles with boosters (3rd and 4th from left).
Credits to original sources of photos.

The SPYDER-MR is the medium range version of the SPYDER Air Defense System. It has a longer launcher due to the installation of boosters on the standard I-Derby and Python V missiles which makes them longer. Coupled with a longer-ranged IAI Elta ELM-2084 MMR 3D AESA radar that can detect even beyond the range of the missile system, full potential of the missiles can be realized.

A typical set-up of a Spyder ADS battalion with 3 batteries. Photo taken from Rafael's website.

Kongsberg Defense-Raytheon NASAMS:

While Kongsberg Defense’s NASAMS appear to be a favorite, it was said to be the most expensive system in the list above which would be detrimental in the selection process. The current push to acquire US-made weapon systems has made this system more attractive to the Philippine Air Force due to recent increased support from the US for allies to purchase their weapon systems. The larger budget allocated for the project compared to the PAF’s GBADS also is a factor that may allow the acquisition of more expensive systems like NASAMS.

While the NASAMS can be mobile and installed on a truck-based mobile unit, it can also be placed in a semi-permanent position like the unit shown above. Photo taken from Second Line of Defense website.

The NASAMS, or National/Norwegian Advance Surface-to-Air Missile System, uses a ground-launched version of the Raytheon AIM-120 Advance Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) which is more known as the medium range air-to-air missile of US forces and its allies.

Depending on the version of AMRAAM missile used, range of the system can either be below or exceed 40 kilometers. It will also be dependent on the radar supporting the system, which usually is the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel F1 Improved 3D radar that has a maximum effective range of around 80 kilometers. An older version of the Sentinel radar has a short effective range of a little over 40 kilometers.

Finland's NASAMS are mounted on SISU heavy duty offroad trucks as shown above. Credits to original source of photo.

LIGNex1 KM-SAM Cheolmae-II:

Another strong competitor is the LIGNex1 KM-SAM Cheolmae-II (Iron Hawk) from South Korea, which is said to be affordable, and is something being considered in the long term as the Philippine Navy is also looking at the naval version of KM-SAM for deployment to future warships. Despite not being used by other countries, it still meets government procurement law on having the country of origin (South Korea) using the system.

The KM-SAM is to replace the ageing Raytheon Hawk and I-Hawk missile systems. Credits to original sources of photos.

The KM-SAM was developed by South Korea in cooperation with Russia’s Almaz Design Bureau, is said to carry technology derived from Russia’s S-350E and S-400 air defense missile systems. The KM-SAM missile is said to have a maximum range of around 40 kilometers, although proposals were made to further extend the missile’s range.

Despite evaluation said to be still ongoing, these three air defense missile systems are said to be the expected air defense systems that might find its way to the shortlist for different reasons.

Of the three, the Rafael SPYDER-MR has the longest maximum range at 60 kilometers by installing auxiliary boosters on the Python V and I-Derby missiles to extend their flight range.

MaxDefense’s Opinion:

All three air defense missile systems are said to be the best, and most easily interoperable to the Philippine Navy and the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ equipment system. Except for the LIGNex1 KM-SAM, all widely in use: the SPYDER is being used by Singapore, Vietnam, India, and Georgia; while the NASAMS by the US, Finland, Spain, Norway, Chile, and the Netherlands.

All three are mobile and are fitted unto multi-purpose trucks, including the mobile firing units, command posts, sensors and support vehicles. NASAMS is also able to be removed from the mobile unit and installed as a semi-fixed launching unit.

Based on the maximum range alone, the Rafael SPYDER-MR medium range air defense system appears to have the advantage being able to defeat air targets at up to 60 kilometers away using the boosted version of the I-Derby and Python V missiles.

The SPYDER-MR also benefits from being the selected system by the Philippine Air Force for its own air defense requirements, which means commonality and compatibility in terms of operations, interconnectivity to an integrated air defense system, maintenance and support, training and logistics.

Another advantage is that the Python V and I-Derby missiles used by the SPYDER ADS are also being considered by the PAF for use by fighter aircraft especially by the KAI FA-50PH Fighting Eagle fleet, although the NASAMS may also have a similar advantage once the Philippine Air Force finalizes its acquisition of Multi-Role Fighters since the selected aircraft from an American manufacturer normally uses AMRAAM as its medium-range air-to-air missile.

Both SPYDER-MR and NASAMS are said to be easy to integrate with the PAF and AFP’s upcoming Air Defense Network system despite being a Philippine Navy asset. It remains to be seen though if the same can be said on the KM-SAM Cheolmae-II considering the South Korean military operates in a similar NATO-standard system as the US, Philippines, and other US allies.

MaxDefense believes that the SPYDER-MR, NASAMS and KM-SAM would be great addition to the Philippine Navy and the overall air defense system of the Philippines, although MaxDefense leans more on the SPYDER-MR and NASAMS due to reasons above.

The radat and mobile launching units of the SPYDER MR system. 

The Real Question Though:

It still puzzles MaxDefense though that the Philippine Navy was allocate a budget for a Shore Based Air Defense Missile System, when their Jose Rizal-class frigates are yet to have a proper vertical launch system (VLS) for a longer-range anti-aircraft missile system due to funding issues.

So how come there is priority on a Shore Based Air Defense Missile System, but none on the Vertical Launching System (VLS) and VLS-launched air defense missiles for the Jose Rizal-class frigates? Credits to original sources of photos.

Project Summary:

Shore-Based Air Defense Missile System Acquisition Project

Note: Edited as of 01 December 2019.

* End User: Philippine Navy (unspecified unit/s)

* Quantity: TBA

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

* Project ABC: Php9,800,000,000.00
     
* Acquisition Mode: Most likely Government-to-Government deal.

* Source of Funding: TBA

* SARO Release: TBA

* Winning Proponent: TBA

* Product for Delivery: TBA

* Contract Price: TBA

* First post by MaxDefense: TBA

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PNSBADMSAcquisition

* Status: Pre-procurement phase ongoing. Senior Defense Leaders provided approval to proceed. Technical Working Group evaluation and selection process ongoing. 

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First post and edit: 01 December 2019
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines

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