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meters length, and 14.8 vs 13.8 meters beam).

The PN has also expressed interest to acquire
one more Pohang-class corvette from nine
that have been decommissioned by the South
Korean Navy in December 2021. South Korea [ PROCUREMENT ]
has previously donated one of its Pohang-
class corvettes to the Philippines where it has
entered active duty as BRP Conrado Yap (PS-
39) since 2019. It is expected that the second
ship will be delivered to the Philippines during
the first half of this year.

Moving forward, while COVID-19 pandemic has
caused the postponement of the procurement
project for additional LPDs in 2020, it can be
expected that a follow up order for two more
Tarlac-class vessels to Indonesia’s PT PAL will be armed with Spike NLOS ground attack/anti-armor missiles with
be finalized sometime this year. The third and a 25 km maximum range.
fourth vessels will also include various improve-
ments and modifications based on the inputs In what will also be the first for the PN, the service is currently on
from the PN’s crews aboard the currently active track to acquire submarines from France. While the deal had to
Tarlac-class LPDs. be put on hold in 2019 due to the pandemic, it has been indicated

that a contract worth about PHP70 billion (about US$1,35 billion)
The acquisition of six 83 meters Offshore for two Scorpene-class submarines will finally be signed this year.
Patrol Vessels (OPVs) from Australia’s Austal
was also approved in May last year. A con- As mentioned earlier in the PA procurement projects, the PN will
tract worth around US$600 million for these acquire three batteries of the Indian/Russian BrahMos shore-based
OPVs is expected to be signed this month in supersonic anti-ship missile system. A formal contract for the pur-
which Austal will soon start building them in the chase was inked with BrahMos Aerospace in January. The decision
company’s shipyard in Cebu, Philippines. These to acquire them came after the approval of funds worth PHP2.83
ships are projected to replace World War II era billion (about US$55 million) from the Philippines’ Department of
patrol ships which have been retired recently. Budget and Management (DBM) was made in December last year.

This year will also see the first delivery of three
Shaldag Mk V patrol boats from Israel. As part Philippine Air Force
of the Fast Attack Interdiction Craft-Missile In the Horizon 2 phase, as much as US$2.61 billion funds have
(FAIC-M) acquisition project, the contract for been allocated for the PAF for its modernization programs. One of
eight patrol boats was signed in May 2021 these is a project to acquire a squadron of multirole jet fighters to
where Israel Shipyards will build and deliver enhance the country’s air power in addition to the current twelve
eight Shaldag Mk V for the PN. It has been FA-50PH light fighter/trainer and six A-29B Super Tucano light
reported that four of the new boats will also attack aircraft. After several setbacks and delays, the service is
likely to choose Sweden’s SAAB JAS-39C/D Gripen jet fighters
over F-16V Viper from Lockheed Martin of the United States. It has
been hinted that between six to twelve Gripens will be acquired in
a contract that will be signed sometime this year with an expected
first delivery in 2024.

Although not a currently active procurement project, the PAF
also has its eyes on the potential purchase of the KF-21 Boramae
jet fighter in the future. Depending on the allocated funds in the
Horizon 3 phase, the service may see itself planning to acquire up to
36 of the joint South Korea/Indonesia 4.5th generation twin-engine
multirole combat aircraft currently in development of which its first
flight is scheduled in the next few months ahead.

Another fixed-wing combat aircraft procurement project for the
PAF is eighteen additional A-29B Super Tucano turboprop powered

ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY January/February 2022 | 17