Page 16 - ADT JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2021 Online Magazine

South Korea’s LIG Nex1 Chiron systems have [ PROCUREMENT ]
been shortlisted as the preferred candidates
for this project.

A number of smaller procurement projects are
Developed using ASCOD 2 Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV) plat- also still active including, but not limited to, 5.56
form by Elbit Systems of Israel, Sabrah light tank was chosen mm caliber assault rifles and 7.62 mm squad
against South Korea’s Hanwha K-21-105 and Indonesia’s PT PINDAD automatic weapons, night fighting equipment,
- Turkey’s FNSS joint project Harimau/Kaplan Medium Tank. A con- grenade and man-portable rocket launchers,
tract worth around US$185.2 million for eighteen Sabrah light tanks, riverine patrol boats, combat engineering vehi-
one ASCOD 2 armored recovery, one ASCOD 2 armored command cles and equipment, as well as unmanned aerial
vehicle, as well as ten Sabrah Pandur II 8x8 AFVs was awarded to vehicles (UAV) of both surveillance and combat
Elbit Systems in September 2020 with initial delivery in early 2022 types.
for the tracked version, and in 2023 for the wheeled ones.

Soon to be inducted in the artillery regiment of the PA are twelve Philippine Navy
Soltam ATMOS 2000 Self-Propelled Howitzers (SPH) which arrived The commissioning of the BRP Jose Rizal
last month. Currently these Elbit Systems-made 155 mm-caliber (FF-150) in July 2020, and BRP Antonio Luna
SPHs are scheduled for technical inspection prior to formal accep- (FF-151) in March 2021, have brought the PN its
tance. Other than howitzers, the regiment will also receive at least first purpose-built, multi-mission capable frig-
three batteries of K136 Kooryong Multiple Launch Rocket Systems ates that are on par with most nations’ navies
(MLRS) donated by South Korea which will be delivered in the next in the region. While these South Korean-built
few months. ships are not the largest vessels ever acquired
by the PN to date, that distinction goes to
As part of the Horizon 2’s armored mortar carrier acquisition project Tarlac-class Landing Platform Docks (LPD) of
which contract worth about PHP1.1 billion (about US$21.3 million) which two were built by PT PAL of Indonesia
that was signed in 2019, Elbit Systems has also delivered fifteen and commissioned in 2016 and 2017 respec-
M125A2 armored mortar carriers which were developed based tively, these Jose Rizal-class frigates are the
on refurbished M113A2 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs). Each first modern surface combatants which paved
M125A2 is armed with a Soltam Cardom 120 mm Recoil Mortar the way for the country’s future warship acqui-
System (RMS) - a highly accurate, computerized and automated sitions.
mortar system that is also in service with the Israeli and US Army
as well as with several other countries’ armed forces. As part of the Horizon 2 phase, a contract for
two corvettes worth around US$495,2 million
While the PA has expressed interest to acquire BrahMos super- has been awarded to South Korea’s Hyundai
sonic anti-ship missile for its Land Based Anti-Ship Missile System Heavy Industries (HHI) - the same company
(LBASMS) acquisition project, it is worth noting that the PN also that built the Jose Rizal-class frigates. After
has the same interest to acquire this joint India-Russia project for the contract was signed on 28 December 2021,
its shore-based anti-ship missile program. After the initial funding HHI will start the construction of the first ship
for three BrahMos systems for the PN was approved by the end in early 2022 with expected delivery of both
of December 2021, it is expected that the PA’s will soon follow suit. ships in 2026. It’s worth noting while corvette
is traditionally regarded as a smaller class of
Aside from a small number of Man-Portable Air Defense System vessel than frigate, but in this case, it is the
(MANPADS) in its inventory which are mainly used by the Philippine’s other way around with the displacement and
Presidential Security Group (PSG), the PA is also planning to acquire the dimension of the new corvettes which will
two MANPADS batteries to enhance its point air defense capabili- be heavier and larger than the Jose Rizal-class
ties. It was reported some time ago that Europe’s MBDA Mistral and frigates (3,200 vs 2,600 tonnes, 115 vs 107.5

16 | January/February 2022 WWW .GBP .COM.SG/ ADT