n his book “The New Rules of War” Professor Sean McFate describes the post-WWII era as a period of “durable disorder.” He cites the following evidence to support his finding: increasing challenges on the “rules-based” world order; rising number of “fragile” or “failed” states; half of the countries in the world are experiencing some form of conflict; armed conflicts today…
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INTRODUCTION. A country with a 36,289-kilometer coastline and the world’s second largest archipelago, the Philippines’ lifeline is the sea, thus utilizing it to our advantage is a primary mission as part of today’s area denial counter to an invader. The country having a number of straits, inlets, bays and passageways can use these features in delaying the enemy’s advance. The…
The world’s predominant superpower will always create the conditions to perpetuate its global dominance and weaker nations will always be subsumed by these conditions. Like it or not, that’s just how the world works. It was true during the ancient Byzantine and Roman empires as it was true during the recent British and American empires. How do superpowers create the…
LANDING SUPPORT VESSEL (LSV). It would be 17 years later that the Service Force would have a boost in the arm with commissioning of the Frank S Besson Class BRP Bacolod City (LC-550) on 03-December-1993 and BRP Cagayan De Oro (LC-551 later changed to BRP Dagupan City) on 05-April-1994. Both still extant today with a 990-ton capability load for amphibious…
INTRODUCTION This article is a product of research work that will differentiate the function of the Army Combat Engineer Brigade from the Navy Amphibious Construction Brigade of the SEABEES. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Army Combat Engineer A sapper, in the sense first used by the French military, was one who dug trenches to allow besieging forces to advance towards the enemy defensive…
The 2023 budget deliberations and recent legislative hearings once more brought to the fore their observation about our present inability to confront intrusions into the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Rise. One senator urged “the government to expedite the buildup of defense forces in the WPS.” Another congressman was advocating to stress lethality in the development of this force….
Military personnel from the Philippines, United States, Australia, France, Japan, and United Kingdom kicked off exercise Sama Sama-Lumbas in Cebu, Philippines on 11-October-2022. Sama Sama is an annual bilateral navy-to-navy exercise between the Philippine Navy (PN) and the U.S. Navy (USN), while Lumbas is a yearly bilateral navy-to-navy exercise between PN and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). This is the…
NEW YORK (1-November-2022) –A growing reliance on private contractors to protect vessels, commercial shipping, offshore platforms, ports, and other maritime infrastructure has exposed human rights violations perpetrated by mercenaries and private military and security companies, UN experts said. A report presented to the General Assembly by the Working Group on the use of mercenaries explores how the maritime security sector has evolved…
THE BEGINNINGS Formerly known as the Underwater Operations Team or UOT as the present day Philippine Navy Seals were then known, the unit was conceived by then LT Ramon N Baluyot PN while in operations with the Philippine Marines in the Sulu Sea Frontier against dissidents and combating piracy which was prevalent in the area during those times. ACTIVATION AND…
INTRODUCTION. This article is a product of research by the author on three types of hulls mainly used in the design of fast patrol boats, frigates, and transport vessels of the Navy. Three Types of Hull Planning Hull – designed for motor torpedo boats that typically have a displacement of about 250 tons with a deep V midship section in…
The Western Command Armed Forces of the Philippines successfully conducted a reprovisioning mission to BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) at Ayungin Shoal to replenish the supplies and materials needed by its crew on 2-August-2022. Escorting the reprovisioning boat, MV Unaiza Mae 2, were the Philippine Coast Guard’s newest Multi-Role Response Vessel (MRRV), the BRP Teresa Magbanua MRRV 9701 and BRP Malapascua…
SUBIC, Zambales – Part II of the Marine Aviation Support Activity (MASA) 2022 between the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) was conducted in Zambales and Taguig City during 18-22, July 2022. This included, among others, Helicopter Rope Suspension Training and Aeromedical Evacuation Training. BGen. Raul Jesus L. Caldez PN(M), acting Commandant of the Philippine Marine…
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Among the 17 participating multinational warships, the Philippines’ multi-capable frigate, BRP Antonio Luna (FF151) garnered the 3rd place during the Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) Rodeo of the “At-Sea Phase of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC)” exercise on 4-August-2022. NSFS Rodeo is a naval gunfire accuracy competition where participants are given a two-dimensional virtual land…
BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PS15) conducted shipboard familiarization and tour to 86 Advance Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) students who hailed from various parts of the country currently taking-up the Naval Science 43 (NS43) administered by the Naval Reserve Command Training Center (NRCTC) on 8-August-2022. The NS43 students were introduced to various shipboard equipment and spaces as well as…
The 12th Special Battalion of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) participated in the Urban Counter-Revolutionary Warfare Course (UCRWC) Class 101-2022 training which was supervised by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Northern Samar personnel of Coast Guard District Eastern Visayas (CGDEV), together with Special Operation Unit (SOU) Northern Samar, and CGK9-Allen on 06-July-2022 with 79 students participating. The main UCRWC…
National Security Policy 2017-2022 is a declaration of the government’s commitment to continuously develop a national security system that is rules-based, able to effectively respond not only to security threats but also to opportunities beneficial to the national interest. Enhancing the process, scope, and organizational cohesiveness of the national security system is imperative for the Government, with the support of…
CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City–The Armed Forces of the Philippines through the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Forces Pacific opened the Marine Aviation Support Activity 2022 (MASA 22) on 6-June-2022 at the PMC headquarters in Taguig City. Activities commenced on 6-June-2022 in the province of Palawan which includes combined joint forward arming and refueling demonstration,…
Naval Station Jose Andrada, Manila. Philippine Navy frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF151) docked at U2 Pier on June 12 in time for the commemoration of the 124th Philippine Independence Day. Members of the Naval Task Group 80.5 proudly saluted the National Flag as it was raised while BRP Antonio Luna (FF151) was docked at Naval Base Guam. To also mark…
The Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao welcomes the Philippine Navy’s Littoral Combat Force’s 4th Boat Attack Division comprised of three Mk3 class Multi-Purpose Assault Craft (MPAC) at Naval Station Felix Apolinario, Panacan, Davao City. These attack boats increase the capabilities of the Philippine Naval Forces in Eastern Mindanao and boost the maritime security in the area These assets are part of…
The two oldest undersea forces established on 04-September-1937 and 12-September-1959 have the distinction of having the first Submarine Forces in the Southeast Asian region. These are the Royal Thai Navy and the Indonesian Navy Force. The Royal Thai Navy acquired its first Submarines through bidding which was won by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan for a price 75,000 Pounds for…
In the early 2000s, the AFP created an ad hoc committee to conduct a feasibility study on the acquisition of three (3) 90-meter corvettes offered by a Canadian firm. As former skipper of a similar vessel, I was designated as the vice chair. The “project” did not materialize because the proposal lacked certain requirements. Had the government pursued it, the…
On 28-March-2022, Malaysian Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, and yours truly, representing the Philippines, held our Ministerial Meeting on Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement (TCA). To further strengthen the security of Sulu and Sulawesi Seas, we agreed to develop the TCA beyond the current security landscape through multiagency combination, accelerate the placement of Trilateral Maritime Patrol Relations Officers in…
INTRODUCTION. Vampire! Vampire! Vampire! yelled the Fire Controlman aboard BRP Vicente Catalan (DDG-01) as the blips came into his scope. Countermeasures! as the Ship’s Weapons Officer shouted, decoys launched. Enemy Missiles destroyed. –A fictional futuristic scenario in which Philippine Navy warships may encounter in a modern high intensity conflict from a mobile land-based anti-ship missile systems. On 04-April-2022, the Shore-Based…
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has confirmed the increasing presence of Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc, Zambales. During the intensified maritime operations from 28 February to 05 March 2022, the PCG has monitored approximately 45 Filipino fishing boats conducting fishing activities at the vicinity waters off Bajo De Masinloc. Through the ongoing “Bayanihan sa Karagatan,” personnel of BRP Capones…
The American Era: Coastal Defense Fortifications Take Shape The importance of Corregidor Island in the military complex dates back as far as the beginning of the Spanish Colonial period during the 1500’s, as Spanish Galleons used to anchor at the Island or on other nearby islands. Apart from being a naval anchorage, it was an outpost to alert Manila and…