THE military’s continuing effort to strengthen its defense capabilities is expected to shore up this year and the next with the highly anticipated delivery of Israeli-made ground-based air defense system and missile-capable gunboats.
The Philippine Air Force is expected to get hold of the Spyder (or Surface-to-Air Python and Derby) air defense system before the end of the year, which will give the country its first ever umbrella cover and response against aerial attacks.
“We haven’t received any notice from Israel that it will be affected. We’re hoping that it will not be affected,” said Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman Arsenio “Popong” Andolong, referring to both the delivery of the Spyder project and Israel’s current conflict with Hamas.
He said the acquisition of the Israeli-made air defense system is on “contract implementation” for this year, with the delivery arranged previously by December.
Variants
THE Spyder, built by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, has two variants, the “MR” and “SR,” and Andolong declined to disclose at the moment which variant is being acquired by the Air Force. One of the variants, the MR, makes up Israel’s “iron dome,” which the Israeli military is using to intercept rocket fire from Hamas with reported 90-percent accuracy.
Still, Andolong hinted that it may be the other feature that may be coming to the Philippine military, as the iron dome is solely exclusive to the Israelis.
Rafael is the same defense contractor that delivered the first missile project for the Philippine Navy courtesy of its Spike-ER (extended range) missiles. The latter have become the primary weapon of the Navy’s multipurpose attack craft, which are indigenously built.
If the Spyder surface-to-air missile defense system is delivered, the country will be joining India and Singapore among the countries that have already acquired the system. The Philippines is acquiring three batteries of the Spyder in the amount of P6 billion, including missiles, radar and command and control system.
‘Important’
THE system can shoot and intercept aircraft, drones, missiles and rockets.
The importance of having an air defense system cannot be overly emphasized, security officials say, as the country has never gotten hold nor acquired such weapon, leaving it indefensible in times of war.
“It’s important,” Andolong said. “Our air defense has been neglected. It’s the first time that we will be having an air defense [system].”
According to Andolong, the Spyder will not be the first air defense project for the country, as the military has also planned to acquire other but similar systems for its use, but not necessarily for the Air Force.
While he did not mention any other forms of surface-to-air defense, the DND has already set its sights on procuring the Indian-made BrahMos supersonic missile, for which the Philippine Army is the recipient. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, however, has delayed the project a little bit.
For maritime defense
ANDOLONG said a lot of acquisition projects for the military are still coming, and this would include the Israeli-made eight-missile-capable fast-attack interdiction craft.
The ships known as Shaldaq-class patrol boats will replace the ageing gunboats of the Navy, all of which the Navy has planned to decommission.
Andolong said the Shaldaq project is for contract implementation this year, and they haven’t received any official communication from its contractor on whether the delivery timeline is being moved.
Earlier, Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said the boats’ contractor was scheduled to make its first delivery by December this year, but work stoppage as a result of the pandemic has forced a deferment to 2022.
Under the contract, four of the eight boats will be built in Israel, while the remaining four will be constructed at the Navy’s yard in Sangley Point, Cavite.
According to Andolong, both the Spyder and Shaldaq projects are included in the military modernization’s Horizon 2 program, while other bigger projects that would see the complete modernization of the military are programmed under the Armed Forces’ modernization’s Horizon 3.
He said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is hastening the completion of the lined-up projects, including other procurements—not only because the military needs them, but because he does want to be signing deals during the election season, when such may be construed as “midnight” contracts.
Images courtesy of Ninlawan Donlakkham | Dreamstime.com and Igor Dolgov | Dreamstime.com
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