Philippines Plans To Acquire Two New Anti-Submarine Ships
The Philippines is considering purchasing two more anti-submarine ships to bolster its defense capabilities against China’s growing aggression in the South China Sea.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Philippine Navy West Philippine Sea spokesman Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad stressed the need for more modern naval assets amid growing security threats.
“I think we have proposed to buy two additional aircraft, or two more frigates,” he added.
“The Philippines has recognized this need for many years, “and that’s why Re-Horizon 3 includes more frigates, more ships, and other anti-submarine warfare capabilities,” he added.
In January, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved Re-Horizon 3, a revised $35 billion defense program that promotes a shift in Manila’s national security approach.
Trinidad announced the plan days after a Russian Kilo-Uva diesel-electric submarine emerged in the South China Sea west of the Philippines late last month.
The Russian vessel was docked at a Malaysian port and was seen 148 kilometers (80 km) west of Occidental Mindoro province in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone nautical miles).
In light of this incident, Trinidad confirmed that the Philippine Navy is actively working to improve its ability to detect underwater submarines within the country’s sea lines of communication.
“Submarine warfare is a complex combination of different capabilities, the details of which I have not yet disclosed, but we have left it to the Department of Defense to prioritize which specific submarine warfare capabilities,” Trinidad said.
The Philippine Navy has two guided missile frigates: BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), which also have anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is building two guided missile frigates and six offshore patrol vessels. Naval News learned during ADAS 2024 that the Philippine Navy is considering purchasing variable depth sonar systems for these ships, such as Thales’s CAPTAS.
Security analyst Chester Cabarda, head of the Manila think tank Center for Development and International Security Cooperation, said the Philippine Navy’s new anti-submarine ship is important for the Philippine Navy to protect its landmarks in the West Philippine Sea, Manila’s name for part of the Philippine Sea. The South China Sea is within the Philippines‘ exclusive economic zone.
On Wednesday, December 4, China intercepted four Philippine vessels that tried to “enter the territorial waters around the sand bar.” The sand bar is known as Scarborough Shoal in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines.
The Philippine Coast Guard issued a statement saying they were conducting a “routine maritime patrol” in cooperation with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to support Filipino fishermen in the area when they were subjected to “aggressive behavior” by several Chinese naval vessels. The Coast Guard and the People’s Liberation Army Navy were the two ships.
Two other Philippine Coast Guard vessels nearby, the BRP Teresa Magbanua and the BRP Cabra” also encountered “dangerous maneuvers” by Philippine Coast Guard and People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels. A People’s Liberation Army warship stalked within 300 yards of the Teresa Magbanua. Manila has lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing.
In the past, Beijing has been accused of using aggressive tactics against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea in an attempt to assert its territorial claims in disputed waters.
National Security Council Deputy Director-General Jonathan Malaya said the government is considering deploying naval vessels in the disputed waters.
“We hope the People’s Republic of China will not view our diplomatic or peaceful actions as cowardice.” We don’t want to signal China that they can do whatever they want just because we don’t want to escalate the situation. No, they were the first to deploy PLA ships. So now it is also within the Philippines’ rights. We reserve the right to deploy Philippine Navy ships in the future.”
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including areas claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
