SIPRI Report :Arsenal Transfer to the Philippines 2012

Radar MMSR AN/TPS-79 (Photo: Lockheed Martin)


Radar Purchase MMSR type of American

According to SIPRI records, has acquired four radar Philippine MMSR types of Lockheed Martin, the United States. Type AN/TPS-79 radar was purchased.

AN/TPS-79 Multi-Mission Surveillance Radar (MMSR) is a medium range tactical radar for air surveillance and air traffic control environment and coastal surveillance applications.

AN/TPS-79 is a multi-mission radar system and is a highly mobile radar can be moved by road (car or train), sea or air (with a transport aircraft C-130) with the set-up time of less than 90 minutes.

Radar was designed as a "gap filler" middle-reaching. Primary surveillance radar coverage to 60 nautical miles (111 km) and secondary surveillance radar coverage up to 120 nautical miles (222 km).

(SIPRI)

Review for South Korean F/A-50 Ongoing

KAI F/A-50 Golden Eagle (photo : Militaryphotos)

MANILA — A ranking Defense official announced that reviews are being conducted for the South Korea's F/A-50 "Golden Eagle."

Fernando Manalo, DND undersecretary for finance, munitions, installation and materiel, said discussions and reviews are now ongoing for the South Korean aircraft.

Earlier, a DND observer stated that the Philippines is now on track to operate again supersonic jet aircraft as the "term of reference" (TOR) of reference for the F/A-50 is now in the works.

"Procurement for the F/A-50 will be on a government-to-government basis," Defense sources said.

They said the go-ahead for the TOR only came recently.

The order came from the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB), an attached agency of the Dept. of Budget and Management.

The observers declined to comment on when the TOR will be completed but stressed it will be done within the year.

The Philippines is in the market for 12 supersonic trainer aircraft which can double as interim fighter and attack planes for the PAF.

It has allocated P18 billion for this program.

The GPPB earlier gave the DND the "green-light" to start pre-negotiations with the South Korean government for 12 F/A 50 aircraft last January.

The plane is manufactured by the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).

The F/A-50 is also known as the TA-50.

The F/A-50 design is largely derived from the F-16 "Fighting Falcon", and they have many 
similarities: use of a single engine, speed, size, cost, and the range of weapons.

KAI's previous engineering experience in license-producing the KF-16 was a starting point for the development of the F/A-50.

PAF S-211 (photo : Timawa)

The aircraft can carry two pilots in tandem seating.

The high-mounted canopy developed by Hankuk Fiber is applied with stretched acrylic, providing the pilots with good visibility, and has been tested to offer the canopy with ballistic protection against four-pound objects impacting at 400 knots.

The altitude limit is 14,600 meters, and airframe is designed to last 8,000 hours of service.

There are seven internal fuel tanks with capacity of 2,655 liters, five in the fuselage and two in the wings.

An additional 1,710 liters of fuel can be carried in the three external fuel tanks.

Trainer variants have a paint scheme of white and red, and aerobatic variants white, black, and yellow.

The F/A-50 "Golden Eagle" uses a single General Electric F404-102 turbofan engine license-produced by Samsung Techwin, upgraded with a full authority digital engine control system jointly developed by General Electric and KAI.

The engine consists of three-staged fans, seven axial stage arrangement, and an afterburner.

The aircraft has a maximum speed of Mach 1.4-1.5.

Its engine produces a maximum of 78.7 kN of thrust with afterburner.

(Zambo Times)

5 Companies to Bid for P866-M DND Coast Watch System Project

Surface search radars included in Coast Watch bidding program (photo : Elbit)

MANILA — Five companies, including Israeli defense manufacturer Elbit, have expressed their interest in Lot 1 of the Department of National Defense (DND)'s coast watch system (CWS) project which aims to secure the Department of Energy (DOE) service contract areas.

Lot 1, worth P866 million, refers to the supply and delivery of CWS requirement for the enhancement of maritime domain awareness capability and security of DOE service contract areas.

These companies are Scan Marine, Inc; Pacific Hemisphere; Telus Teleworks; Bainbridge and Elbit.

The five firms earlier acquired bidding documents worth P70,000 from the DND bidding and awards committee.

During Wednesday's pre-bid conference held at the DND Building in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, representatives of the five companies requested that they be given until April 10 to submit pertinent documents and requirements, stressing that the March 10 deadline set by the DND is too thin and early.

DND undersecretary Eduardo Batac, who chairs the bidding and awards committee, noted the concerns of the five companies and stressed that they would immediately act on it.

As this develops, the five interested companies asked the DND and its technical working groups to give more details on the operational requirements of the radars needed by the CWS to give them idea on how to satisfy and meet it.

The DND earlier announced that it is bidding out P979 million worth of CWS which will be used in securing DOE service contract areas.

Lot 1 -- Supply and delivery of CWS requirement for the enhancement of maritime domain awareness capability and security of DOE service contract areas and worth P866.060 million;
Lot 2 is supply and delivery of two rigid hull inflatable boats with integrated logistics support (ILS) worth P63,159,000;

Lot 3 is supply and delivery of firearms, accessories and ammunition with ILS whose value is placed at P21,813,000;

Lot 4 deals with the delivery of supply and delivery of gas and oil platforms takedown equipment and gears with ILS worth P10,578,000; and

Lot 5 is supply and delivery of night vision devices with ILS worth P6.3 million.

Interested bidders may proceed to the DND main office in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City for application and inquiries. Bidders must also have completed a similar project within the last five years and must be capable of delivering the items within 540 calendar days upon receipt of the notice to proceed.

(Zambo Times)

DND Draws up Bidding Documents for Purchase of New Frigates

Incheon class frigates (photo : militaryphotos)

THE Department of National Defense (DND) is now drawing up the necessary papers as it chose the public bidding option for the purchase of brand-new frigates.

This was confirmed by DND Spokesman Peter Paul Ruben G. Galvez. “I believe the office handling the acquisition is finalizing the papers for public bidding.”

Galvez, acting chief of staff of Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin, spoke to the BusinessMirror after Philippine Navy (PN) spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic confirmed news reports that the Philippine Navy is seeking to acquire two brand-new frigates.

“It makes sense for the Philippine Navy, for us, for the government to settle for something new,” Galvez said, adding that the first option of buying second-hand frigates on a government-to-government method would be costly in the long run.

“It’s like buying a car that you would need to spend an additional more to overhaul.”

Galvez said while the government-to-government method is also effective, “it’s different this time.”

“We believe that if we invest that amount to be spent for an upgrade, rather than spend it for an overhaul, it would even be beneficial to the country,” he said.

Initially, the bid amount was pegged at P11.7 billion (288 mio USD)

(Business Mirror)

Navy in the Market for Three More MPAC

Philippine Navy plans to acquire three more MPAC (photo : Timawa)

In a bid to modernize its patrol craft forces, the Philippine Navy (PN) announced that it is planning to acquire three more "multi-purpose attack crafts" (MPACs).

This acquisition program is under the Navy's mid-term development plan for 2014 to 2017, PN spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic said.

"This (MPAC)acquisition is under our mid-term development plan for 2014 to 2017," he added.

The PN at present has six MPACs in service.

Three of them are sourced from Taiwan while the remaining three were ordered from Filipino shipbuilder Propmech Corporation, which is based in Subic Bay, Zambales.

Each one is worth around P90 million and is capable of carrying 16 fully-equipped troopers or two tons of cargo.

The MPAC is capable of operating in territorial waters up to "Sea State 3" (slight waves) without any system degradation.

It is armed with one .50 caliber and two 7.62mm machine guns. (PNA)

(PTVNews)

Bataan Hails Arsenal Modernization Plan

Government Arsenal, the country's maker of basic weaponry and ammunition will be modernized (photo : Government Arsenal)

BALANGA CITY, Bataan - Second District Rep. Abet S. Garcia revealed yesterday that the security and economic development of the province and the rest of the country will be further boosted after President Benigno S. Aquino III signed a landmark legislation modernizing the Government Arsenal based here as part of the P75-billion program to upgrade the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Saying it is a legislation that he had originally authored, Rep. Garcia said Republic Act No. 10349 or the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program seeks to develop the army into a multi-mission oriented force capable of effectively addressing internal and external security threats.

In an interview with this correspondent inside his house here, the bachelor solon said the AFP modernization program has a budget of P75 billion for the first five years of implementation which includes the procurement of major weapons and non-weapon equipment and technology, and the construction of needed major infrastructures.

Garcia, the eldest son of Gov. Tet Garcia, said the law was a "landmark legislation" that was consolidated from his original House Bill No. 76 which sought to modernize the Government Arsenal, the country's maker of basic weaponry and ammunition, located in Lamao, Limay town.

"I filed this bill as early as the 14th Congress precisely to rehabilitate our 370-hectare Government Arsenal in Lamao, Limay, Bataan which, to date, remains under-utilized and unproductive," said Garcia.

He said only four types of ammunition are produced in the defense estate: the 7.62mm M80, 5.56mm M193, Cal .45 M1911, and 9mm Parabellum.

"There is a need to upgrade the capability of the Government Arsenal to produce not only small arms ammunition but also higher caliber ammunition such as 40 cal., and even mortars and other crew-served weapons ammunition," Garcia said.

With the passage of the law, Garcia said the development of the land is projected to create more jobs for Bataeños and become a catalyst for economic activity.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), which also gets its munitions from the arsenal, has expressed elation over the law with a top local official saying will be integral in sustaining national security and public safety.

(Manila Bulletin)

TOR for F/A-50 'Golden Eagle' Now Being Crafted

KAI F/A-50 Golden Eagle (photo : chosun)

MANILA — The Philippines is now on track to operate again supersonic jet aircraft as the "term of reference" (TOR) for the F/A-50 "Golden Eagle" is now in the works.

"Procurement for the F/A-50 will be on a government-to-government basis," the Department of National Defense (DND) observer stressed.

He also said the go-ahead signal for the TOR only came last week.

The order came from the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB), an attached agency of the Department of Budget and Management.

The DND observer declined to comment on when the TOR will be completed but stressed that it will be done within the year.

But he expressed confidence that the Philippine Air Force (PAF) will be flying the F/A-50 within two years time.

The last supersonic planes operated by the country was the Northrop F-5 "Freedom Fighter" which was decommissioned due to lack of parts and air frame aging sometime in 2005.

The TOR describes the purpose and structure of a project, committee, meeting and negotiation.

It also defines the vision, objectives, scope and deliverables (i.e. what has to be achieved); stakeholders, roles and responsibilities (i.e. who will take part in it); resource, financial and quality plans (i.e. how it will be achieved); work breakdown structure and schedule (i.e. when it will be achieved) and includes success factors/risks and restraints.

The Philippines is in the market for 12 supersonic trainer aircraft which can double as interim fighter and attack planes for the PAF. It has allocated P18 billion for this program.

The GPPB earlier gave the DND the "green-light" to start pre-negotiations with the South Korean government for 12 F/A 50 aircraft last January.

The plane is manufactured by the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The F/A-50 is also known as the TA-50.

The F/A-50 design is largely derived from the F-16 "Fighting Falcon", and they have many similarities: use of a single engine, speed, size, cost, and the range of weapons.

KAI's previous engineering experience in license-producing the KF-16 was a starting point for the development of the F/A-50.

The aircraft can carry two pilots in tandem seating. The high-mounted canopy developed by Hankuk Fiber is applied with stretched acrylic, providing the pilots with good visibility and has been tested to offer the canopy with ballistic protection against four-pound objects impacting at 400 knots.

The altitude limit is 14,600 meters (48,000 feet), and airframe is designed to last 8,000 hours of service.

There are seven internal fuel tanks with capacity of 2,655 liters (701 US gallons), five in the fuselage and two in the wings.

An additional 1,710 liters (452 US gallons) of fuel can be carried in the three external fuel tanks.
Trainer variants have a paint scheme of white and red, and aerobatic variants white, black, and yellow.

The F/A-50 "Golden Eagle" uses a single General Electric F404-102 turbofan engine license-produced by Samsung Techwin, upgraded with a full authority digital engine control system jointly developed by General Electric and KAI.

The engine consists of three-staged fans, seven axial stage arrangement, and an afterburner.
The aircraft has a maximum speed of Mach 1.4-1.5.

Its engine produces a maximum of 78.7 kN (17,700 lbf) of thrust with afterburner. 

(Zambo Times)

Arrival of PN's Second Frigate Delayed until August

PF-16 BRP Ramon Alcaraz (photo : Philippines Embassy)

PN's second frigate to arrive by August


MANILA — The Philippine Navy's (PN) second frigate, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16), is slated to arrive in August, not April as earlier stated.

The extra five months can be attributed to the commissioning requirement of more intensive training for its crew before the vessel can be taken out of its North Charleston, South Carolina naval facility.

"Latest estimate is August of this year as the crews' training more requirement is more intensive now," PN spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic said.

The BRP Ramon Alcaraz has more sophisticated weapons and sensors that its sister ship, the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-15).

She was also fitted with Mark 38 Model 2 "Bushmaster" auto-cannon and a new main engine, making her more capable than her sister ship.

Around USD5 million was spent by the PN for the upgrade.

The former USS Dallas (BRP Ramon Alcaraz) was a high endurance cutter commissioned in 1967 at the Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans.

She was the sixth ship or boat to bear the name of Alexander J. Dallas, the Secretary of the Treasury under President James Madison (1814–1816).

The ship is one of twelve Hamilton-class cutters built for the US Coast Guard.

It weighs 3,250 tons, has a length of 378 feet, beam of 43 feet, and draft of 15 feet.

Its propulsion systems consist of two diesel engines and two gas turbine engines, giving it a top speed of 29 knots.

The ship has cruising range of 14,000 miles and has a sea and loiter time of 45 days.

It has a complement of 167 officers and men.

The ship was originally equipped with an AN/SPS-40 air-search radar Mark 92 Fire Control System and armed with one Oto Melara Mark-75 76-mm gun, Two Mark K-38 25-mm machine gun system, two Mark 36 SRBOC systems, one Phalanx CIWS missile defense gun, along with multiple mounted M2HB .50-caliber machine guns and M240 7.62-mm machine guns.

Under Philippine service, all of the above-mentioned weapons and sensor systems were removed with the exception of the Oto Melara Mark-75 76-mm main gun. (PNA)

(ZamboTimes)

South Korea Offers Incheon Class Frigate to Philippines

Incheon class frigate (photo : KDN)

South Korean defense manufacturer signifies interest to provide DND's frigate requirements

MANILA (PNA) -- A South Korean defense manufacturer is now talking with the Department of National Defense (DND) regarding its requirements for two brandnew frigates.

A DND observer said that the company is offering the Philippines varieties of the "Incheon" class frigates.

"Some initial talks are now being held and hopefully, the company will get a chance to bid for our frigate requirements," he stressed.

He also pointed out that talks with the South Korean defense manufacturer came about when the DND decided to not go ahead with the planned purchase of the Italian "Maestrale" frigates due to questions of cost and hull aging.

The "Incheon" are coastal defense frigates of the Republic of Korea Navy with its lead ship launched on April 29, 2011.

The "Incheon" class frigates will replace the aging fleet of "Pohang" class corvettes and "Ulsan" class frigates, and take over multi-role operations such as coast patrol, anti-submarine warfare and transport support.

Later batches are planned to be specialized on anti-air and anti-submarine warfare.

"Incheon" class frigates are armed with the 127mm/L62 Mk. 45 Mod 4 naval gun.

Point-defense armaments include a single 20 mm Phalanx CIWS and a RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile Block 1 21-round launcher.

Anti-Submarine Warfare armaments consists of K745 LW Cheong Sahng-uh (Blue Shark) torpedoes.

Its anti-ship capability is provided by 16 SSM-700K Hae Sung (Sea Star) long-range anti-ship missile, each with performance similar to the US Harpoon while land-attack capability is provided by the recently-developed Hyunmoo IIIC (Guardian of the Northern Sky) cruise missile, which is similar to the US Tomahawk.

It has a length of 374 feet, speed of 30 knots, capable of carrying a naval helicopter and a complement of 140 officers and men.

"Incheon" frigates weigh around 3,000 tons and has cruising range of 5,000 miles. 

(PNA)