Teodoro: PH military needs airborne warning, control system

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the Philippine military needs to obtain airborne warning and control system (AWACS) capability to make the multi-role fighter (MRF) jets, which the country plans to buy, operational.

“It is not only the purchase of the MRF per se which we need to deal with but also to make the MRFs operational as a force package, meaning to say we need the AWACS capability,” Teodoro said.

“A lot of countries have experienced the fact that they are realizing that they need AWACS, notwithstanding the fact that their satellite capability is not enough. We need tankers and we need sustainment,” he added.

He pointed out that the Philippines must take into account that these assets need to be maintained and used with adequate stores, reserves, and munitions, which add to the cost of the package.

Teodoro said the Department of National Defense is in constant coordination with the Department of Finance and the Department of Budget and Management for the continuity of funding available.

According to him, the proposals for the purchase of MRFs are still being reviewed.

Last week, Philippine Air Force (PAF) chief Lieutenant General Arthur Cordura said the country is not discounting the possibility of acquiring Japanese fighter jets in the future.

''Mitsubishi fighters, the Japanese-made multi-roles (fighter aircraft) are very potential platforms also. The selection for the multi-role will depend upon the appreciation of the department in terms of how these are incorporated, this can be effectively incorporated in the whole CADC (Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept) concept ano,'' Cordura said.

''So it does not discount later, perhaps, platforms coming also from Japan if they will serve the purpose of our territorial defense plan,'' he added. —VAL, GMA Integrated News