For the first time in 20 years, the Philippine Navy showcased its capabilities and assets during its 120th anniversary celebration on Tuesday at Coconut Palace in Manila.
President Rodrigo Duterte, the guest of honor and the military’s commander in chief, witnessed as some of the air and naval assets of the Navy gathered at the anniversary venue facing Manila Bay.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also attended the event.
The Naval Special Operations Group and the Marines Special Operations Group staged a simulation firefight between “friendly and enemy forces,” aimed at displaying the “fusion of skills of Philippine Navy personnel and reliable and cutting-edge assets in action.”
Rear Adm. Robert Empedrad, Navy flag officer in command, admitted that the Navy was still “too far behind” compared to those of neighboring countries in the region, but they were in the process of modernizing the organization.
“After the war, the Philippine Navy is one of the most powerful navies in the Asian region,” he said. “However, six decades later, we are one of the weakest even in Southeast Asian region. Maritime nations like Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and even Vietnam and Myanmar, have upgraded their naval capability while the Philippine Navy went to obsolescence.”
It was only last month when the Navy had its first short-range missile system acquired from Israel. This will be fitted to the local multipurpose attack craft and will be operational by July.
Among the assets expected by the Navy are two anti-submarine warfare helicopters with torpedoes and two missile-capable frigates in 2020.
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