Philippines Asks US for Radar, Patrol Boats and Aircraft
Philippines Navy acquired one Cyclone class patrol ship ex US on 2004 (photo : Phil Navy)
The Philippines said Wednesday it has asked the United
States to supply its armed forces with patrol boats and aircraft as well as
radar systems amid an escalating territorial dispute with China.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the
hardware would help his country achieve a "minimum credible defense,"
a phrase he used in unprecedented talks with senior US officials in Washington
earlier this week.
"We need to know what's going on around us. That's
maritime domain awareness," del Rosario said in answer to a question
following a speech at The Heritage Foundation think tank.
"And we also need to deter any additional incursions
into our seas where we have sovereign rights," the chief Philippine
diplomat said, referring to its dispute with China in the South China Sea.
"We are submitting a list of hardware that the US can
help us out with. This would be in terms of patrol vessels, patrol aircraft,
radar systems, coast watch stations," del Rosario said.
"We're looking for assistance from other international
partners who have also been very forthcoming," he added.
In his speech, del Rosario said the Philippines was
strengthening its partnerships with Japan, Australia, South Korea and others in
areas like maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
While awaiting new hardware, he said it is important for the
Philippines and its treaty ally the United States to continue to conduct
military exercises "in a better way, in more locations, in a more frequent
manner."
The two nations, which completed extensive war games earlier
this month, are bound by a mutual defense treaty in which the United States has
pledged to come to the aid of its weaker ally if it faces military aggression.
"The US needs a stronger ally in the region who will be
able to take on a bigger share of guaranteeing the stability of that
region," del Rosario said in his speech.
"It is therefore in the strategic interest of the US to
invest in the development of the Philippines' defense and military
capability," he said.
"For the Philippines, the tension in the West
Philippines Sea are particularly challenging," he said.
The Philippines and China have been embroiled in a dispute
over a shoal in the South China Sea, or West Philippines Sea, with both nations
stationing vessels there for nearly three weeks to assert their sovereignty.
The Philippines says Scarborough Shoal is its territory
because it falls well within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, as
recognized by international law.
The Philippines has called for arbitration through the
United Nations to end the dispute, but China has refused.
(AFP)
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