AFP Buying 2 More C-130 Cargo Planes

The Philippine Air Force should ideally have at least nine C-130s (photo : sires9094)

MANILA, Philippines–The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is in the process of acquiring two more C-130 cargo planes.

Once bought, there will be five C-130 planes in the Air Force inventory. AFP Chief of Staff General Emmanuel Bautista said on Monday that there should be nine C-130s in order to say that the military has enough.

“The Air Force told me that they will be happy if they will get nine C-130s. So we have three and we are trying to acquire two more. So we will try to get more,” he told reports at Camp Aguinaldo.

The three C-130s have been the workhorse of the Air Force in the ongoing relief operations for typhoon-battered areas. It ferries relief goods and residents of typhoon-stricken areas who want to be evacuated.

The local cargo planes can carry as much as 200 persons. Dozens of foreign C-130s have also been helping in relief efforts.

“In terms of strategic lift the C-130 is important. We saw how it helped during calamities. It’s not just for military operations but for other operations other than war such as rescue and relief effort,” Bautista said.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin also revealed in his speech on the sendoff for BRP Ramon Alcaraz last Friday the plans to procure two more C-130s.

Bautista added that they are also trying two acquire two logistics support vessels and strategic sealift vessels.

“In addition to our sealift vessels, only two are used as logistics vessels so we are acquiring two strategic sealift vessels. In fact we need more and we will try to acquire more as resources allow us,” he said.

(Inquirer)

DND Opens Bidding for 10 Units Small Amphibian Vehicle

Ten small amphibian vehicle will be operated by Philippine Marine Corp (photo :U.S. Navy's
Military Sealift Command)

The DND through the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program intends to apply the sum of 105 mio PhP being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Small Amphibian Vehicle Acquisition Project including Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) for the Philippine Marine Corp.

Delivery of 10 units of Small  Amphibian Vehicle is required within 90 days from the opening of Letter of Credit.

Bids must be delivered before on or December 12, 2013 and will be opened in the same day.

(Defense Studies)

BRP Ramon Alcaraz is Now Ready to Fulfill its Mission

PF-16 BRP Ramon Alcaraz (photo : rappler)

Christening, Commisioning and Send-Off Ceremonies for the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF16)

After three months of dry-docking and repainting in preparing our country’s latest warship for its future operations, BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF16) is now ready to fulfill its mission of serving this maritime nation. 

The Christening, Commissioning and Send-off Ceremonies for the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF16) were held today,November 22, 2013 at Pier 15, South Harbor, Manila with Secretary of National Defense as Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker. The Alcaraz family also attended as special guests. 

Immediately after the ceremonies, BRP Alcaraz embarked on her first ever mission, that is Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response operations for the victims of super typhoon “Yolanda” in Eastern Visayas. 

The vessel transports relief items from different government agencies, NGOs and private organizations. BRP Alcaraz also carries PN personnel consisting of builders and engineers that will be utilized for various relief operations which will include but not limited to clearing operations, relief goods distribution, repair and rehabilitation.

With more or less 200 tons of assorted relief goods and other necessary equipment and 12 PN personnel as augmentation troops for the Naval Task Group “Tulong Visayas”, PF 16 is expected to arrive Tacloban on November 24, 2013.

BRP Alcaraz will serve as the command and control of the AFP Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response operations in Samar-Leyte area and will also assist in monitoring relief and rehabilitation efforts of foreign armed forces in the typhoon-stricken areas.

(Phil Navy)

World's Air Force Delivers Aid

37 Countries and Counting

JSDF Arrives in Manila

A Boeing KC 767-200ER Japanese Self Defense Force Plane (87-3601) landed at 4:40 pm in Manila Airport today bringing another 40 Self-Defense Forces emergency relief team (JDR) to help in rescue and relief operations for victims of typhoon Yolanda.  A team of 25 people, mainly medical workers, left for Tacloban on Monday. The JSDF members are expected to conduct mostly medical assistance in the Philippines.

IAF arrives Mactan Cebu  

Indonesian Air Force members unload boxes of relief aid inside a Hercules C-130 plane from Halim Perdana Kusumah Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia to Mactan Cebu International Airport this afternoon (EPA)

RMAF Also arrives in Mactan

Royal Malaysian Air Force send aid on board two C-130aircraft from Subang, Malaysia

 Taiwan helps Too!

Two ROC C-130 planes carrying 15 tons of relief goods and nongovernmental organizations personnel landed at Mactan Cebu International airport this afternoon from an air force base in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu for international relief mission. Ministry of National Defense spokesman Luo Shou-he said Further logistic assistance will be provided to the Philippines if necessary. Its Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anna Kao said the ROC government has donated US$200,000for the relief efforts.

RAAF C-17's to provide logistics operations

Australia donated 10 million US dollars worth of aid and brings Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-17A Globemaster and a C-130J Hercules to the Philippines transporting Australian Medical Assistance Team (AusMat) from Darwin. Defence Senator David Johnston said the two heavy lift aircraft carried the civilian medical team and 22 tonnes of associated equipment to Mactan Airport in Cebu and will provide logistic support assistance via RAAF Mobile Air Load Team (MALT), an Aircraft Security Operations Team and Aeromedical Evacuation specialists. Johnson said these personnel will be responsible for enabling the delivery of the medical specialists and their equipment to Tacloban.

German Contingent at Mactan

Helpers of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief prepare the equipment of the service for the further transport into the catastrophe area in the Philippines in Cebu, Philippines, 15 November 2013. Photo by: Kai-Uwe Wärner/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Image

UK Response

United Kingdom's Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening and Station Commander Steve Lushington look at emergency supplies including JCB diggers and Land Rovers loaded on board RAF C-17 transport plane at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire before the supplies head to Cebu in the Philippines to help aid the relief effort following the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan. Picture date: Friday November 15, 2013. See PA story WEATHER Typhoon. Photo credit should read: Chris Ison/PA Wire URN:18211381 (Press Association via AP Images)

The UK has also dispatched a C-17 to the Philippines, while New Zealand has dispatched a C-130 from Whenuapai Airbase, Auckland, New Zealand

Canada's DART in charge of Panay Island

Canada dispatched a Bombardier CC-144 Challenger jet with an advanced assessment team comprising the Department of National Defence and Canadian air force personnel. It was followed by two Boeing C-17 aircraft carrying 200 of the country's disaster assistance response team (DART).

Israeli Defense Force

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) left for the Philippines Tuesday with 150 medical and trauma personnel and 10 tons of relief goods onto a 6,000-mile El Al Airlines flight to Cebu. They took charge of Bogo town and set up a remote hospital in the northernmost part of Cebu that was hardly hit by the typhoon. The chosen soldiers include doctors, nurses, paramedics, X-ray and laboratory specialists, and search-and-rescue personnel.

South Korean Delivers Aid

South Korea sent two military C-130 cargo planes loaded with relief goods as it leaves Thursday, November 14 for Tacloban airport in central Philippines for victims of Typhoon Haiyan.

The Unites States Armada Takes Guiuan

The Philippine government has opened Guiuan to the United States of American as relief base supported by George Washington carrier fleet. In a statement, the US Defence department said that five KC-130 and four Bell Boeing MV-22 Ospreys operated by the US marines have delivered 107,000lb of relief supplies to the Philippines Wednesday. By Friday two more KC-130 will be added for logistics operations for a total of seven KC-130.

Four more additional MV-22B Ospreys have been deployed Friday from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Japan, to support Operation Damayan, a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operation in the Philippines. The additional Ospreys, which bring the total to eight for this deployment, will assist the U.S. Marines and sailors from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force’s 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade who already had deployed to Leyte Province. There are 400 US troops helping in the relief effort and 1000 more are coming by weekend.

The USA was the leading provider of airlift capability. In a statement, the US defence department said that five KC-130 and four Bell Boeing MV-22 Ospreys operated by the US marines have delivered 107,000lb of relief supplies to the Philippines Wednesday. Four additional MV-22B Ospreys have deployed from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Japan, to support Operation Damayan, a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operation in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan.