THE problem, which we mentioned early on, has always been money. As a result, in implementing the 1st component of the program,
Former AFP Chief Yano writes about “”Defense equipment acquisition” that: “Acquisitions made by the Armed Forces of more advanced defense equipment in line with its modernization plan will definitely be a boost to its current capability. Hugging the headlines lately is the arrival from the US of the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, a Hamilton Class Cutter that is definitely larger and more advanced than the current naval ships in our inventory. Before this, the Air Force was likewise able to get its share in the modernization plan with its receipt of Huey helicopters sometime in January of this year.
“While all these acquisitions are indeed a welcome development, serious doubts on the Armed Forces capability to fully perform its constitutional mandate of defending the country’s sovereignty and protecting its patrimony will remain. This sad state will continue to linger unless we take a closer look at the manner in which we implement some of the component programs in the modernization plan.”
That manner—of spreading the modernization program and the acquisition of equipment piecemeal—makes the entire program just a little bit better than a feel-good measure but preposterously ineffective in transforming our military into a credible defender of our sovereignty and the patrimony of the Republic.
Here are Mr. Yano’s expert words: “Piecemeal acquisitions will not adequately equip the AFP to a level where it can satisfactorily perform its constitutionally mandated task of defending the country’s sovereignty and protecting its patrimony. Nor will it enable us to catch up to a point where we will gain respect from our neighbors in the region.
“Let us bear in mind that while we conduct our own defense equipment acquisition, our regional neighbors are likewise conducting acquisitions of their own. Moreover, they already have a way ahead advantage on us, their acquisitions being made just to sustain the current crop of equipment in their inventory, replacing those that are no longer operational due to normal wear and tear.
“If we want the modernization plan to take off and gain significant inroads, it is imperative that we do away with piecemeal acquisitions. It’s high time that large-scale procurement of defense equipment in the manner envisioned by those who crafted the modernization plan is undertaken.”
In other words, we have to decide to spend, and beg, borrow but not quite steal, to acquire the equipment and planes and ships we need.
A joint US-China-Japan project
How to do it? We think we can cleverly turn ourselves into a project for our rich partners—the United States, China and Japan—to turn into a well-armed country. It’s all a matter of diplomacy and presenting ourselves as a force that will be useful to all these three countries. Perhaps, having us as their common ward military-wise is one way of making sure peace reigns in our part of East Asia.
