DEFENSE Secretary Voltaire Gazmin yesterday said the military’s air and naval assets are “deplorable,” because of unavailability of funds to modernize the current fleet of World War II vintage.
“Lest we forget, our naval air group has been practically devoid of flying assets that leaves our pilots on their flying wing on the ground. This is truly deplorable, but it is the plain reality,” Gazmin said in his speech during the Navy’s 113th anniversary celebration on Roxas Boulevard, Manila.
Gazmin took note of the observation of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who said defense modernization should focus on building first a strong air force.
“If I were the President, the first thing that I will modernize is the Air Force. We should build a strong Air Force,” said Enrile, in a roundtable with the BusinessMirror last week in view of the present security challenges posed by the disputed Spratly Islands on the South China Sea.
But Gazmin said the defense equipment status “simply succumbed to the punishment of wear and tear and obsolescence,” and to the unavailability of funds for the modernization.
“We can’t do anything. As what Senator Enrile said, we have no capability,” Gazmin said.
“Our slow-sailing but durable LSTs [landing ship tanks] have been out of service for quite long. Many of our patrol ships, vessels and craft have been out of commission. And the remaining ones are dwindling, and their operability and capability have been far below naval standards as they wait to lie in the keel in the graveyards,” he said, referring to Navy assets.
On the Spratlys dispute, Gazmin said that with the very limited materials resources, the military draws its potent strength from the profound patriotic fervor with human resource.
On May 11 two “unidentified” jet fighters, believed to be Mig-29 “Fulcrum” of China, intruded into Philippine air space on the Spratlys that flew above two OV-10 reconnaissance planes of the Philippine Air Force.
But Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie denied they have Mig-29 in their current inventory.
In March two Chinese Navy patrol vessels harassed a group of oil explorers, led by the Department of Energy, on the Reed Bank Island.
But the two issues have not been resolved in the visit of Liang in the Philippines on Monday.
“Until such time we are able to upgrade our capability with modernized equipment, we have no recourse but to keep on filing protests,” Gazmin said.
But he expressed optimism, saying there is hope in the near future as the present administration has already embarked on the acquisition of more naval vessels to boost its marine security capability, particularly in the Palawan area and the Spratlys.
“We’re expecting the arrival of the Hamilton-class cutter by August of September and two more within this year. The modernization program is rolling that has been approved by Congress and the government,” he said.
The almost 50-year-old cutter has been phased out from the US Coast Guard inventory.
“We shall happily await to welcome the arrival of our new man-of-war BRP Gregorio del Pilar that would be coming from the United States in August of this year,” he said.
The government has allotted more than P11 billion for the vessels, including multirole helicopters.
In Photo: The Philippine Navy marks its 113th anniversary on Tuesday morning, showcasing some of its weapons and uniforms. (Nonie Reyes)
