In the midst of rising maritime tensions in the South China Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)  said the military can defend and shield the nation if the need emerges.

AFP public affairs chief Col. Noel Detoyato said the Philippines can defend and protect itself regardless of having limited defense capabilities as compared to China and other claimants in the maritime dispute.

“Yes we can. That is our mandate,” Detoyato told in a media interview.

Detoyato was referring to a Japanese Ministry of Defense presentation titled “China’s Activities in the South China Sea,” which demonstrated and showed the Philippines lagging behind China, Vietnam and Malaysia as far as air force and naval capabilities.

noel-detoyato
Col. Noel Detoyato

The report said among the four nations, the Philippines has the minimum number of warships with just 80, while China has 892, Malaysia with 208, and Vietnam has 94.

It likewise demonstrated that among the four claimant countries, only the Philippines has no submarine.

The report likewise uncovered that China towers over the three other claimants with 2,582 units of aircraft. The Philippines just has 26, Vietnam has 97 and Malaysia has 71.

The report said the Philippines’ buy of 12 Korean jet fighters FA-50 in 2014, which will be used in service by 2017.

FA-50-Fighting-Eagle-Philippine-Air-Force
PNHamiltons_zpsf4803bcf
Featured images credit to pinoy weekly
By: Jason E.

 

SHARE

5 COMMENTS

  1. What are you saying sir can protect? and how we even junk the SBMS project in favor of helmet and vest..

    • Am in awe and bustling with pride for our philippine fleet! Those are stealth vessels undetectable by radar! Arm them with improvised slingshots and they would be truly formidable.

  2. Another insane idiot afp officer col.noel detiyatopak de gago,how can u depend protect shield this nation from submarine,missile,destroyer and jet fighter of china when philippines military equipment were mere antique obsolete cannot even defend nor inflict heavy damage to milf rebels what more if china attacked our islet in spratly. Ngangat ngawa wa k col.noeldetiyatopak k tlga hahahaha

Comments are closed.