Why the Transfer of additional OV-10 Broncos and Spare Parts for PAF Should Proceed

MaxDefense will try to make some minor changes in the way we use the blog entries in reporting news on the AFP. We'll have more shorter blog posts, only a few paragraphs long but will have more entries per month than usual.

Our first entry for 2020 should have been good news, but MaxDefense has not really found too much good news this early of the year. Instead, we are carrying over a potential bad news that came from late last year which we were not able to report due to our need to get more information from sources.

The fist one for the year will come from the Philippine Air Force (PAF), which has been active in the last year on their modernization projects due to a strong push by their leadership.

But at the very end of the year, MaxDefense found out that there appears to be issues surrounding one of its projects that was started by the previous PAF leadership. We are talking about the PAF's OV-10 Bronco Aircraft and Spare Parts Transfer Project, which is a PAF Special Project undertaken within the period covered by the Horizon 2 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Project.

All four OV-10s shown in the photo consisting of 2 OV-10A and 2 OV-10G+ are seen here in NASA's Langley Research Center in Viriginia. The FLIR turret on the OV-10G+ were already removed by the USAF prior to handing over the planes to NASA. All four are being transferred to the PAF, if this deal continues to push through. Photo taken from The Drive The Warzone website.

Being a special project, it is not funded by the AFP Modernization Trust Fund, and is actually funded by the annual funding allocation of the PAF.

Before proceeding with the rest of the article, MaxDefense hopes its readers to read our first entry regarding the project, which explains the deal and gives a background on how the deal even started. It can be found on the link below:

"OV-10G+ Combat Dragon II Broncos & Spare Parts for Transfer to the Philippine Air Force" - first posed on 24 July 2018.

The OV-10G+ Combat Dragon II Broncos as used by the US Air Force. Credits to original source of photo.

The article above describes the capabilities of the aircraft being transferred, as well as its potential contributions to the PAF once it enters service.

Based on information gathered by MaxDefense this past weeks leading to the New Year, it appears that the Philippine Air Force is still having issues in closing the deal for the delivery of used OV-10 aircraft and spare parts from the US, which includes two (2) used Rockwell OV-10A Bronco and two (2) OV-10G+ Combat Dragon II close air support aircraft that are being kept by the US government, as well as millions of dollars worth of OV-10 Bronco spare parts that were acquired at very discounted prices by the PAF.

The four working aircraft were added by the US to the package, which the PAF found to be very useful due to the declining condition of its existing fleet of OV-10A/C Broncos with the 15th Strike Wing.

It would be remembered that MaxDefense's previous discussion about the proposed transfer was that the four OV-10A/G+ Bronco aircraft were previously used by the US military but transferred to the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and were originally for disposal. And since the PAF will acquire the stored spare parts, the US government decided to include the 4 aircraft as part of the package after the Philippine side negotiated for them.

While the PAF's overall budget for the transfer was only a little over US$2 million, the spare part's worth is said to be worth several millions of dollars worth, with the aircraft added as freebies.

OV-10G+ capabilities with the US Air Force. While some of its US-only equipment has been removed, the original plan was for the PAF to install some of them back at PAF's own cost using PAF-standard equipment like MX-15 EO/IR turret and L3Harris communications equipment. Photo credits to original source.

Possible Cancellation of the OV-10 Aircraft and Parts Transfer to the Philippine Air Force:

Based on information gathered by MaxDefense, the deal to transfer the OV-10 aircraft and spare parts to the PAF appears to be not yet 100% confirmed due to multiple reasons. And MaxDefense believes it is bad news if the deal does not push through.

The cancellation of the deal to transfer additional OV-10 Bronco aircraft and spare parts will have negative implications on the Philippine Air Force, which includes the following:

1. Failure of additional aircraft to arrive means no increase in PAF's air combat capability - this means that instead of boosting the air combat capability of the PAF by adding four additional aircraft, the PAF would not have additional improvements and instead will expect reduced capabilities.

2. Lack of spares to support active OV-10 Bronco aircraft - if the large pool of spare parts that the PAF is expected to not arrive, the PAF could potentially have difficulty sourcing spare parts for the fleet. The original plan of the PAF was for the spare parts to allow continuous operation of the OV-10 Bronco fleet until 2024. This would become impossible if the deal falls through.

3. Lack of spares to revive mothballed OV-10 Bronco aircraft - the lack of available spare parts would also not allow the PAF to revive mothballed aircraft to increase quantity of air assets. Many of the mothballed OV-10s are in need of spare parts that the US-sourced pool was suppose to provide, with the PAF estimating at least 4 mothballed aircraft possible for rehabilitation. This would also be threatened if the deal does not happen.

Many of the PAF's OV-10A/C Broncos are non-operational due to lack of spares, or reaching maximum service lifespan of its airframes. Apparently its down to its lowest ever in the PAF's history as you can count those operational with the fingers of your hand. Photo credits to original source.

4. Early retirement of OV-10 Bronco than originally planned - with no additional spare parts for both active and mothballed aircraft, the PAF might be forced to retire the OV-10 Bronco fleet earlier than planned. MaxDefense estimates that the Broncos may be out of service by 2021 instead of 2024 or later as originally planned.

5. PAF not having enough Close Air Support assets - with the potential early retirement of the OV-10 Bronco if no parts or additional aircraft arriving, the PAF would not have enough air assets to provide close air support, considering the PAF is only expecting 6 new Embraer A-29B Super Tucano aircraft that were originally meant to add numbers to the already depleted fleet of OV-10s equipping 15th Strike Wing. Should the Broncos retire earlier than planned, the six (6) new A-29B Super Tucano fleet would be left on their own. And since the PAF has not ordered additional Super Tucanos, there won't be enough aircraft for the PAF to use for close air support or air strikes.

6. 15th Strike Wing might need to hang on to the armed SF-260TP Warrior fleet - originally, the PAF was to remove the SF-260TP Warrior armed trainer fleet from combat duty and will be shifted to  training duties for the 15th Strike Wing once the six new Super Tucanos arrive, which means the Broncos and Super Tucanos will become the fixed wing combat assets of the wing. But should the Broncos retire early, the wing might be forced to use the SF-260TP Warriors for combat operations longer than planned.

The 15th Strike Wing's other fixed-wing attack aircraft, the SF-260TP Warrior is not really capable enough in providing air support compared to the OV-10 or A-29B. Photo credits to original source Samuel R Forston.

Signs of the Deal Not Pushing Smoothly as Planned:
The US government through the US Air Force previously held a public tender for a contractor to do the crating and shipping of the four OV-10A/G+ Bronco aircraft to an overseas location, and reassemble the planes once delivered to the said overseas country. But this has not moved and has been inactive until now with the FBO services of the US government.

Another sign is that the deal has not moved positively since 2018, despite the original plan for the aircraft and parts to be moved out of NASA's storage yard by end of 2018 to give way to more space. By end of 2019, there is still no positive news on the deal. Any positive movement should have been picked up by large international defense news outlets by now.

This previous solicitation made by the US government has not moved forward, which is not a good sign for the PAF. Photo taken from FBO website of the US government.

MaxDefense has also been monitoring if the PAF was able to receive any shipment of spare parts of created aircraft from the US, but MaxDefense received confirmation from PAF sources that no deliveries were made between 2018 and 2019. The PAF remains to still be relying on whatever parts they have, including mothballing other Broncos. There are now less flying Broncos with the PAF compared during the Marawi City crisis in 2017.

While there were news of PAF officers flying to the US that is related to the OV-10 aircraft and spare parts deal, there were only meetings that did not really made a huge dent on making the deal happen.

There were also plans for the PAF to install new MX-15 FLIR turrets and communication equipment from Harris Corporation (now L3Harris) to replace those removed by the US Air Force. So far there are no confirmed contracts or signs that the deal was closed for the acquisition of such equipment.

MaxDefense Philippines did not report these events as we continued to hope that the deal would push through, considering we are still picking up news that the deal is still a go despite these negative signs.


Another Potential Reason Which May Lead to a Potential Cancellation:
Although MaxDefense did not receive a solid confirmation if the deal crumbled or not, it appears that there were changes in the PAF leadership's policy with regards to the fate of the OV-10 Bronco fleet.

It would be remembered that the plan to acquire the spare parts and aircraft from the US was based on a plan that the PAF would continue operating the Rockwell OV-10 Bronco until at least 2024, while the PAF is still in the process of acquiring additional Embraer A-29B Super Tucanos on top of the six units ordered during the Horizon 1 phase.

It is highly possible that the current PAF leadership is considering or may have even already considered making changes on that plan, including the consideration of shortening the OV-10 Bronco's service to until 2021 only. This may include cancelling any plans to acquire more aircraft or reviving mothballed aircraft, and just focusing on keeping the current active fleet flyable until then.

Another possible issue is funding since the PAF did not use AFP Modernization funding for this deal, instead using their own annual operating funds in the hope of reducing red tape and hastening the deal rather than going through lengthy process as prescribed by RA 10349 (Revised AFP Modernization Program Act).

But MaxDefense sources and contributors highly doubt the issue of funding since, apparently, the PAF is actually well funded in terms of modernization projects for 2018 compared to the Philippine Navy and Philippine Army. Not to mention, the more than US$2 million cost is nothing compared to the budget of the PAF on acquiring spare parts for its air assets every year.


MaxDefense's Opinion:
First of, MaxDefense believes it would have been better for the PAF to proceed with the OV-10 Aircraft and Spare Parts Transfer project. Our reasons are as follows:

1. The six new A-29B Super Tucanos coming in this 2020 are not expected to be fully operational until 2022. The PAF usually follows a post-delivery program wherein the unit handling the new assets are given at least 2 years to be proficient enough with the new aircraft before the unit can be called fully operational with the new asset. This means that the PAF would be forced to break this due to lack of air assets once the Broncos are retired.

This happened to the 15th Strike Wing before, when the 18th Attack "Falcons" Squadron was pushed to use the AgustaWestland AW-109E Power armed helicopters earlier than planned, especially when the Marawi City crisis happened in 2017, when the unit was still in the process of operationalizing the newly acquired assets.

2. The PAF has not made any follow-on orders for additional Super Tucanos to cover the retirement of the remaining OV-10A/C Broncos in service with the 16th Attack "Eagles" Squadron. It would be remembered that it will take around 2-3 years from ordering to delivery of the aircraft, plus another 2 years for operationalization, although the squadron that will operate the Super Tucanos are expected to be already proficient with the type when the 2nd batch are delivered. 

If the PAF puts an order for another batch of Super Tucanos this year (which is probably not going to happen), it means the PAF is only expected to receive them by 2023 and probably have them operational by 2024, which means the PAF will have insufficient air assets between 2021 to 2024 except for the 6 Super Tucanos delivered in 2020.

Aside from the 6 A-29B Super Tucanos ordered in 2017, the PAF has not made any follow-on orders for more units. This despite the obvious situation wherein the PAF may not have enough CAS assets once the OV-10s and SF-260TPs are retired from combat duties. Photo credits to original source.

3. While the Broncos are old, they have proven their worth in its almost 30 years of service with the PAF since the early 1990s. They are expected to be a better attack platform than the other platform in service with the unit, the Aermacchi SF-260TP Warrior armed trainers which are smaller and not really designed for close air support.

4. The PAF is still having problems on the acquisition of Attack Helicopters as the final decision has not been made last 2019 if it will continue to proceed with the Turkish-made TAI T129 ATAK which the PAF's Technical Working Group (TWG) selected in 2018, or if it will change its decision due to issues involving Turkey and its relations with the US and its other NATO allies that may affect the supply of helicopter engines and subsystems. Even if the PAF makes a confirmed order by 2020, it is expected that the first new attack helicopters will arrive only by 2023.

PAF officer in Turkey with the T129 ATAK during flight tests last December 2019. So far the PAF has not made a final decision if it will push through with the T129 ATAK that it selected last 2018, or will change to another model due to concerns of Turkish relations with the US that may affect sourcing of subsystems and engines for the helicopters. Photo shared to MaxDefense by a contributor.

The only quick fix solution MaxDefense sees is if the PAF decides to order the Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter, and use the option to request the US government for grants or sale of used ex-US Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters that could be delivered as early as late 2020.


MaxDefense is still hopeful that the PAF would proceed with the deal within the year, and that the PAF may see the benefit of this deal in the short term while still continuing its modernization program by procuring new assets. MaxDefense believes that the PAF has people capable of seeing the problems it might encounter if fails to make this Bronco deal happen.

MaxDefense still hopes that this could really happen in the future. Credits to original source of fanphoto.

Project Summary:

OV-10 Bronco Aircraft and Spare Parts Transfer Project

Note: Edited as of 02 January 2020.

* End User: Philippine Air Force (15th Strike Wing)

* Quantity: 4 used OV-10 aircraft, millions of dollars worth of OV-10 spare parts

* Modernization Phase: Special Project within Horizon 2 phase timeline

* Project ABC: ~US$2 million ++
     
* Acquisition Mode: US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program

* Source of Funding: PAF 2018-2019 GAA

* SARO Release: N/A

* Winning Proponent: TBA

* Product for Delivery:
      - 2 units used OV-10G+ Combat Dragon Bronco aircraft
      - 2 units used OV-10A Bronco aircraft
      - 1 lot OV-10 spare parts worth millions of USD.

* Contract Price: TBA

* First post by MaxDefense: 24 February 2018

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PAFOV10TransferProject

* Status: Procurement process said to be ongoing but has met some problems, potentially for cancellation.

===============
===============
First post and edit: 02 January 2020
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines

Read More

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. 

===============
===============
First post and edit: 01 December 2019
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines

Read More

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.

===============
===============
First post and edit: 09 November 2019
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines

Read More