Army Wants One Brigade Combat Team for Each PHL Island–Group

12 September 2019

BCT will have Infantry, mechanized, artillery, aviation and special operations, and other support, for the three main islands (photo : Mintfo)

THE Army is planning to create another brigade-size combat team (BCT) for its continuing force strengthening following the creation and deployment this year of a similar unit in Mindanao.

Army Spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon P. Zagala said the Army leadership is looking at creating another BCT this year and another one next year.

“Part of our modernization is for us to have a territorial defense division so that we could confront all threats using these forces,” he said.

Zagala said the plan has been to cover all the country’s three main islands with one BCT each.

Early this year, the first BCT was deployed to Sulu to not only help in the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Western Mindanao but also against all lawless groups in the region.

A suicide bombing perpetrated by Norman Lasuca, a member of the ASG, and a Caucasian-looking man rocked the headquarters of the first BCT in Indanan, Sulu, in June this year, killing three soldiers and civilians.

Lasuca and the other bomber were also killed. Twenty-two others were also wounded in the twin bombings.

“The thrust of the Army is to have a ready force that is capable and can be rapidly deployed to adapt to any threat. It must be able to project power and dominate the enemy,” Zagala said.

“This BCT will have Infantry, mechanized, artillery, aviation and special operations, and other support enablers for them to be able to utilize the land power maneuver concept and utilize its capabilities to defeat current, emerging and future threats,” he added.

Zagala said the creation of BCTs were part of the Army’s capability development plan that seeks to address both material and nonmaterial capability gaps.

“This is doctrine, organization, training, material, leadership, personnel and facilities,” he said.

(Business Mirror)