Senate Supports Early Acquisition of Submarines for Navy

25 Juni 2018

DND will purchase 1-2 submarine for Navy (photo : thaifighterclub)

The announcement of Department of National Defense (DND) that the Philippines will be acquiring submarines in the Second Horizon of Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program for the Philippine Navy was commended by Senator Richard J. Gordon.

“We are one of four countries in Asia that do not have submarines. If the report about the purchase is true, I endorse and I am elated by it. We should go by the way of the Japanese. During the Meiji Restoration, their motto was ‘enrich the nation; strengthen the military,” he said.

The DND announced this week that the purchase of diesel-electric submarines had been moved from Horizon 3 to Horizon 2 of AFP modernization. Projects under Horizon 2 will be implemented from 2018 to 2022, while Horizon 3 projects will run from 2023 to 2028.

“Matagal ko nang sinasabi na dapat itaas ang antas ng kagamitan ng ating Hukbong Pandagat, Hukbong Panghimpapawid at ng buong Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas para may laban naman tayo. Para katulad ng Finland, kahit papaano nirerespeto ng Russia dahil nilabanan sila in the 1930’s… Kung umangan tayo ng barko, umangan tayo ng eroplano nila e tiklop tayo. Dapat kahit papaano meron tayong panabla,” Senator Gordon said added.

He also pointed out that unlike some of its Asian neighbors like China, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Indonesia, among others, the Philippines had one of the lowest military expenditure which is why it has one of the weakest militaries

“The Philippines had one of the lowest military expenditures. We only spent around 1 percent of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) on defense spending, which is behind the Southeast Asian average of around 2 percent of the GDP. Kaya it is really a positive development that DND had the fifth largest budget in this year’s budget GAA (General Appropriations Act). I also insisted last year on allocating a portion of the proceeds from TRAIN for the AFP modernization program,” he said.

(Mintfo)