By Matheus Bruno Ferreira Alves Pereira
In May 2023, the Philippine Navy celebrated its 125th anniversary with the commissioning of two newclass patrol vessels steel. During the celebrations, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a “turnaround” in Philippine defense policy: protecting the country’s borders from outside influences is the new priority.
ACERO class patrol ship
To achieve this goal, the President stressed the need to support the development of his armed forces, especially the Navy. With the aim of curbing Beijing’s advances in the western Philippine Sea and achieving greater security, the Southeast Asian country is trying to modernize its fleet as part of the AFP modernization program.
Among the goals aimed at, the acquisition of submarines is one of the most awaited; However, the timely feasibility of a submarine program for the country’s current needs is being questioned. The development of a submarine program is a complex and longterm project, since it ranges from the conclusion of the agreement to the launching of the first ship at sea, considering the country’s intention to build them nationally. Also part of this process is the time spent training and qualifying submariners, as well as basic maintenance knowhow, which the country does not have.
In addition, the COVID19 pandemic has severely damaged the Philippine economy and drastically reduced the budget for the maritime modernization program. Despite the possibility of improving the strategy of denying the use of the sea, Manila also recognizes that this can be used against the country: with more than seventy submarines, Beijing far exceeds it in terms of numbers and expertise. This also applies to other Southeast Asian actors with which the country disputes sea areas, such as Vietnam and Malaysia, although the likelihood of an armed conflict between them is extremely remote.
Although there is a need to expand its capabilities through the acquisition of submarines, the current priority within budget constraints is to strengthen antisubmarine capabilities. In this regard, the Philippines have been looking for ways to protect their waters using familiar and less expensive devices such as surface vessels and observation aircraft.
The country’s strategy therefore takes a pragmatic approach to its immediate needs without jeopardizing longterm plans. As one of Southeast Asia’s largest economies and the founder of ASEAN, the Philippines knows they need to step up to the defense tier in the face of adversity they face today.