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.
Recent ambush attacks are as follows:
The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle:
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
 |
| 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.
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.
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.
####
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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