Fibreglass-Reinforced Plastic Watercraft Acquisition of the Philippine Navy (Marines)

 

The Philippine Navy has raised a requirement for the procurement of sixteen (16) Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Watercrafts, which are essentially small multipurpose speedboats to support operations by the Philippine Marine Corps' Assault Boat Battalion.

Take note that this project is different and separate from an earlier project to acquire FRP watercrafts for the Philippine Navy's Naval Special Operations Group, which we would tackle in a separate resource page.

One of the FRP Watercraft undergoing sea trials in Subic Bay. Photo credits to Frances Mangosing.

Project Summary:

Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic Watercraft Acquisition Project

Note: Edited as of 13 April 2023.

* End User: Philippine Navy (Philippine Marines Corps - Assault Boat Battalion)

* Quantity: 16 units

* Modernization Phase: Special Projects outside Horizon 2 period

* Project ABC: Php340,632,603.36

* Acquisition Mode: Public Bidding through Philippine International Trading Corp (PITC), after 2 Negotiated Procurement attempts failed, Originally for Public Bidding with three attempts made.

* Source of Funding: Philippine Navy 2018 GAA Funds

* SARO Release: TBC

* Winning Proponent: Joint Venture of Propmech Corporation and Safehull Marine Technologies Inc.

* Product for Delivery: Propmech-Safehull FRP Watercrafts

* Contract Price: TBC

* Residual Amount: TBC

* First post by MaxDefense: 28 October 2018

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PNFRPWatercraftAcquisition #PMCFRPWatercraftAcquisition 

* Status: still for procurement, after another attempt for tender last December 2019 was cancelled. New tender attempt was made on November 2020, with SOBE on 15 December 2020. Awarded to Propmech Corp - Safehull Marine Technologies Inc. JV based on PITC's recommendations made on February 2021, with NOA released sometime in 2021. First batch of 7 boats delivered on May 2023.

The concept is similar to the Special Operations Craft - Riverine (SOC-R) used by the US Marines Special Operation Group, although less armed and less expensive than its American counterpart. Photo taken from Wikipedia.

Overview:

In 2017, the Philippine Navy called for the acquisition of Fast Boats which would be used by the Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG) to patrol littoral areas especially for counter-terrorism and counter-piracy operations in the Sulu-Basilan-Tawi-Tawi-Zamboanga area. This was highlighted during the Marawi City crisis when reports that the ISIS-inspired Maute Terrorist Group were said to have been reinforced and resupplied via gaps in the waterways around Marawi City, as well as by forces scattered in the Western Mindanao area.

Another requirement came out, this time in 2018 calling for additional boats to be acquired for the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC). Sixteen (16) units are planned with a proposed budget of Php340,632,603.36 (or around Php21,289,537.71 per boat) inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT).  It is still unknown why the Philippine Navy decided to reduce the average budget per boat considering the earlier contract to build boats was priced at an average of Php1 million higher per boat than the current budget.

Only local ship or boat-builders licensed by MARINA will be entertained, thus giving the local boat-building industry an exclusive priority for the project.

The design and technical requirements were mostly retained.

Initially it was proposed to be acquired through Public Bidding, with the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) responsible with the bidding process through its own Bids and Awards Committee (BAC).

An initial Public Bidding attempt was made on 25 January 2019, and this was considered a failed bidding. A second attempt was conducted on 02 April 2019, and this was again another failed bid.

For the third attempt, the PITC and PN decided to go for a Negotiated Procurement mode which may increase the chances of having a winning proponent after 2 failed attempts.

The submission of proposals or offers was scheduled on 17 May 2019, and so far it appears that there was no changes made on the deadline.

A new tender attempt was made in November 2020, with the submission of bids scheduled on 15 December 2020.

Technical Requirements:

Based on the project's bid documents, the boats are to have the following technical requirements:
* Length: 11 to 12 meters --> revised to "not less than 11 meters"
* Breadth: at least 3 meters
* Draft: between 0.70 to 1.10 meters 
* Cruising Speed: at least 35 knots --> revised to minimum of 30 knots
* Maximum Speed: at least 45 knots --> revised to 40 knots
* Acceleration from 0 to cruising speed: not more than 30 seconds
* Capacity: 4 crew members, and space for 2 Marine Fire Teams of 4 troops each; --> revised to "not less than 12 personnel"
* Payload: not less than 6,800 lbs
* Survivability: Full function at Sea State 2, Survive at Sea State 3;
* Weapon Mounts: 1 forward, 2 aft, with universal adaptor to allow mounting of either .50 caliber heavy machine gun, M60 7.62mm general purpose machine gun, of 40mm automatic grenade launcher;
* Radar: 36 nautical miles range
* Communications: Marine VHF, should be compatible with existing MILCOMM Harris Falcon III Vehicle/Base VHF Radio System (RF-7800V-V51X)
* Boat Trailer: included, 16,000 lbs GVWR minimum rating.

The Philippine Marines is expected to provide the weapons itself, as the proponents are only required to supply the platform itself without any weapons.

Delivery of the first batch of eight (8) units are expected to be made within ninety (90) days from release of Notice of Produce (NTP), while the second batch of eight (8) units shall be delivered within ninety (90) days from the delivery of first batch. 

The bid documents provided this illustration to guide proponents on the requirements. Photo taken from the PITC's Bid Documents for the Project.

============
U P D A T E S:
============

28 October 2018:

MaxDefense released a blog entry on the planned acquisition of sixteen (16) fibreglass reinforced plastic watercraft by the Philippine Navy for the Philippine Marine Corps' Assault Boat Battalion.

Most of the details on the project were discussed, including the technical requirements which were also highlighted in this resource page.

The bid opening is scheduled on 23 November 2018, and it is expected that the bidders for the Philippine National Police's requirement for High Speed Tactical Watercraft would be participating in this tender (which includes Propmech Corporation, Als Marine, and Josefa Slipway).

MaxDefense believes that the base requirements of the Philippine Navy is similar to those of the Philippine National Police, thus the same proponents are expected to submit their bids. Above is a fibreglass speedboat built by Als Marine for the PNP Maritime Group. Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons.

===============

20 January 2019:

The PITC released updates on the project, with the tender now scheduled to to have the bid opening by 25 January 2019.

No changes were made on the bid documents and requirements.

===============

30 March 2019:

It appears that the bidding for the project failed, as a new deadline for bid submission and opening was posted by PITC, this time by 02 April 2019.

As expected, no changes were made on the bid documents, technical requirements, and budget.

===============

10 June 2019:

Based on the new bid documents posted by PITC, it now appears that the 2nd bidding attempt on the project also failed.

The new requirement now calls for a Negotiated Procurement, with interested proponents given to submit their proposals or offers by 17 May 2019.

So far MaxDefense has not receive any information if a decision has been made or if a proponent was already confirmed the lowest compliant bidder.

PITC posted an amended invitation, this time calling for Negotiated Procurement after several failed bid attempts. Photo taken from PITC's posted Bid Documents.

===============

11 July 2019:

With the reintroduction of a new Re-Bidding Document set at the website of the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC), it only means that the previous Negotiated Bid for the project failed in some point.

This should be the 3rd bid failure for this project. Surprisingly, they are still going for a 4th attempt instead of going for direct negotiations.

The Submission and Opening of Proposals and Offers is scheduled on 17 July 2019, although there is no schedule yet on the date of Negotiations with the preferred proponent.

New schedule as per Bid Docs released in July 2019.

===============

15 October 2019:

MaxDefense received word that the project was being negotiated with Solinda Enterprises Inc. - Pacificfortia Marine Technologies Joint Venture. Both are local companies, with Pacificfortia actually involved in several supply and delivery projects involving FRP fast boats for the Philippine Navy, as well as the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard.

It remains to be seen if the discussions will be successful, as the project is already experiencing delays due to its inability to be able to be awarded.

===============

06 December 2019:

It appears that negotiations with Solinda Enterprises - Pacificfortia Marine Technologies has bee unsuccessful, as the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) has released another Invitation to Bid for the project last November 2019.

This would be the 3rd attempt to publicly tender the project, although no changes were made on the budget and requirement. The new SOBE was scheduled on 12 December 2019

MaxDefense believes that the short delivery time and sampling requirements may have been the reason why the discussions failed, but it is surprising that the decision was to have it re-tendered rather than do another round of negotiations that considered changing the reasons why the bidding and earlier negotiations failed.

===============

16 February 2020:

The 3rd bidding attempt for the project was cancelled. No reason was provided on why but this is not a good sign for the project. MaxDefense is still trying to get confirmation if the bidding even pushed through.

It would be remembered that this project is being funded by Philippine Navy General Appropriations from 2018, which means this project is already almost 2 years in the making and is already delayed by so much. And considering the PITC already conducted both public bidding and negotiated procurement and still failed means that the procurement process is not the problem.

It remains to be seen if the project will still proceed a few months from now, and what procurement method will be used.

The ITB for the 3rd bidding attempt, showing that the tender was cancelled. Photo taken from PhilGEPS.

===============

01 January 2021:

A new 3rd re-bidding was scheduled was held last November 2020, with the new SOBE deadline on 15 December 2020.

Based on the Pre-Bid Conference minutes that was released, potential bidders may include the following companies:
1. Stoneworks Specialists International Corp. - the company manufactured and is delivering the Philippine Army's FRP-hulled Riverine Light Boats, with more than 50 boats for delivery.
2. Propmech Corp. and Safehull Marine Technologies Joint Venture - both companies were involved in the supply of more than 20 FRP High Speed Tactical Boats to the Philippine National Police Maritime Group, not to mention the Multi-Purpose Attack Crafts for the PN.
3. Pacificfortia Marine Technologies - another company that specializes in FRP boats, and is currently supplying the PN's Fast Boats for the Naval Special Operations Command.
4. Hexagon Distributing Corp.
5. Dynacast Shipbuilding & Repairs Inc. - a Cebu-based shipbuilder which also recently supplied 22 FRP-hulled High Speed Tactical Watercraft to the PNP-Maritime Group.

6. Herma Shipyard Inc. - has been participating in naval projects and has ventured into small boat production.
7. S&S Enterprises Inc.
8. Sustainable Charters Inc. - a local supplier of yachts and private boats

In addition, the Supplemental Bid Bulletin issued later on showed that another company, Bangkapro Aquatics Inc. which submitted queries on the tender.

Also as shown on the Supplemental Bid Bulletin, the requirements for delivery was changed compared to previous tenders, giving more time for the winning bidder to deliver the boats.

Some changes were made to the specifications, which are now highlighted on the "Technical Requirements" portion of this resource page.

===============

22 April 2021:

The PITC has posted that they are recommending the awarding of contract for the project to the Joint Venture of Propmech Corporation and Safehull Marine Technologies as of February 2021, although no further details were provided on how much did the joint venture offer for the project. 

Since this was done through PITC, we expect minimum information to be posted by the DND and the Philippine Navy regarding this procurement.

===============

13 April 2023:

Propmech Corporation has invited the media to view their facility and in conducting testing of one of the upcoming High Speed Tactical Watercraft for the Philippine National Police's Maritime Group.

And with this, we are able to view for the first time the FRP Watercrafts being manufactured for the Philippine Navy by the said company.

The footage from CNN Philippines shows 6 of the boats being manufactured, with the hull almost complete and will be completing fitting-out works soon.

Six of the new FRP Watercrafts for the Philippine Navy (Marines) as seen in Propmech's facility as of April 2023. Photos screengrabbed from CNN Philippines' video.

It also included the trailers that will allow the movement of the boats over land.

The design also appears to be different from the drawing included in the tender documents from the Philippine Navy, which probably means that negotiations happened between the Philippine Navy and Propmech-Safehull JV before finalizing the design.

It also looks totally different from the US Marines' SOCR boat.

The six boats shown on the video appears to be ready for delivery in a few months time. 

According to the post of Inquirer.net's Frances Mangosing, there are seven boats that are scheduled for delivery next month (May 2023), which all appear to be undergoing sea trials and are completed.

One of the 7 completed FRP Watercrafts undergoing sea trials prior to delivery to the Philippine Marine Corps by May 2023. Photo credits to Frances Mangosing.

She also confirmed that Propmech-Safehull JV intends to deliver all 16 boats by September 2023.

The photos below show some of the boats still under construction, which probably is part of the last batch. 

Hull construction of the FRP Watercraft. Photo credits to Frances Mangosing.

===============
===============
First edit and release: 11 June 2019

Copyright MaxDefense Philippines / Philippine Defense Resource

 

Multi-Purpose Amphibian Aircraft Acquisition Project of the Philippine Navy

 

As part of the Horizon 2 Priority Projects phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program, the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Philippine Navy (PN) has started the bidding process for the acquisition of one (1) Multi-Purpose Amphibian Aircraft.

The Approved Budget for Contract (ABC) for this project is at Php1,333,333,333.33 (US$24.69 million based on US$1=Php54), and bidders are expected to deliver the aircraft within 730 days (2 years) from signing of Contract and receiving the Notice to Proceed (NTP).

The end user for the aircraft is the PN’s Naval Air Group (NAG), which currently operates the Beechcraft C-90 King Air & Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander surveillance and utility aircraft, and Cessna 172 Skyhawk trainer aircraft, aside from helicopters.

The DHC-6 Twin Otter Guardian 400. Photo taken from Viking Air's website.

Project Summary:

Multi-Purpose Amphibian Aircraft Acquisition Project

Note: Edited as of 31 May 2023.

* End User: Philippine Naval (Naval Air Wing)

* Quantity: 1 aircraft

* Modernization Phase: Horizon 2 Phase Priority Projects of RAFPMP

* Project ABC: Php1,333,333,333.00

* Acquisition Mode: Public Bidding

* Source of Funding: From General Appropriations Act (GAA) annual funding, to be paid one time.

* SARO Release: SARO-BMB-D-18-0013736, released 18 June 2018.

* Winning Proponent: TBA

* Product for Delivery: TBA
    
* Contract Price: TBA

* First post by MaxDefense: 16 November 2013

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PNMPAAAcquisition, #PNAmphibianAircraftAcquisition

* Status: First bidding attempt failed. No attempt made yet to restart project. Philippine Navy prefers the Canadian-made VIking AIr DHC-6-400 Twin Otter Guardian 400. Project has been temporarily cancelled for failing to reach re-bidding phase as of end of 2022. So far this project has not been included under Horizon 3 Phase 1 procurement list as submitted by the DND to Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for in-principle approval on May 2023, but is expected to be acquired in other ways.

===============

Requirements:

Based on the Bid Documents and Technical Specifications released by the DND for the project,  the aircraft can be considered as a brand new, Twin-Engine, multipurpose seaplane which is large enough to be capable of maritime surveillance, search & rescue, and Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) and Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC).

The aircraft itself should have the following features:
- Twin Turbine Engined;
- Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) capable;
- With a cruising speed of at least 150 knots in full mission configuration;
- Payload of at least 1,500 kilograms in amphibian configuration;
- Endurance of at least 6 hours;
- Range of at least 900 nautical miles:
- Can take-off and land at Sea State 3 condition

For Maritime Surveillance, the aircraft is to be equipped with the following:

a. Electro-Optical / Infra-Red sensor – retractable to protect from sea landings, capable of multi-sensor imaging and lasing, and in high definition output.

b. Radar – Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) using X-Band Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology capable of surface, air, and weather surveillance, with a maximum range of 120
nautical miles, and weighs not more than 40 kilograms.

c. Fitted for but not with Tactical Data Link 16, and permit 2-way exchange of tactical data with other TDL-equipped AFP units.

d. Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) / Selective Identification Feature (SIF)

e. Bubble-type Windows on both sides – to allow eyeball observation, including suitable use of DSLR camera and digital handheld video cameras.


As a Utility or Passenger Aircraft, the aircraft should have the following:

a. 4 Stretchers for MEDEVAC missions;

b. Seats for at least 19 passengers excluding the pilots:

c. Detachable Static Line for Para jump operations.

The supplier is also required to provide Integrated Logistics Support (ILS), including spares for 1200 hours of operation (an equivalent of 3 years worth of flying hours), Support Equipment and Structures including the tools, ground support equipment, and even the aircraft’s hangar that can accommodate 3 aircraft of the same model at any given time, and conversion training for pilots and ground crew.

PAF Search & Rescue Seaplanes Version 2?

Based on the requirements for the Philippine Navy’s Multi-Purpose Amphibian Aircraft, it is almost exactly the same as the requirements made by the Philippine Air Force a few years ago for their proposed Search & Rescue (SAR) Seaplane, which was later on shelved due to funding diverted to other requirements of the PAF during the Horizon 1 phase of the RAFPMP.

Even the budget for this PN project, which is Php1,333,333,333.33, is exactly the same budget allocated by the PAF for each seaplane.

Dimension size, range and endurance, engine requirements, and other aircraft feature requirements are also almost if not exactly the same as the PAF’s. The radar and EO/IR sensor requirements are also almost the same.

Previosuly, MaxDefense posted a blog entry regarding the PAF’s Search and Rescue Seaplane acquisition project, which can be accessed on the link below:

“Details and Analysis of the PAF's Search and Rescue Seaplane Acquisition Project” – first posted on 16 November 2013.

You can see from the blog entry above and from the current requirements that there are not much differences from each other's requirements, both for the platform/aircraft and the onboard equipment. And it seems that it’s also pointing to the same aircraft as before, which MaxDefense believes is the Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter Guardian 400.

There isn’t too many available amphibian aircraft in the market that fits the requirements provided by the PN’s technical specifications. Other minor features indicated in the specs, like a need for a lavatory, makes it more specifically pointed at the Twin Otter Guardian 400.

The Viking Air Twin Otter Guardian 400:

This is a special missions version of the standard DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 currently being manufactured by Viking Air of Canada.

The Twin Otter Guardian 400 without the amphibian floats. Photo taken from Viking Air website.

It has all the bells and whistles that the Philippine Navy is looking for based on the aircraft specs it made publicly available.

The aircraft itself is powered by 2 turbine engines, has a surveillance range of 970 nautical miles (vs 900 nautical miles), and surveillance time on station of 7 hours (vs 6 hours).  And aside from having floats to make it amphibian, the landing gear can be configured also to use standard wheels.

It has a 19-passenger seating (meets requirements), a lavatory, and can be configured to carry up to 8 stretchers (vs 4 stretchers).

A typical cabin configuration of the Twin Otter Guardian 400 in martime surveillance mission profile.

It is equipped with a CarteNav AIMS-ISR Data Management System that controls and integrates the mission sensors, which includes the Selex Seaspray 500E AESA surface search radar, and a retractable EO/IR sensor using either the FLIR PolyTech UltraForce 350 or L3 Wescam MX-15HDi EO/IR sensor equipment. An Automatic Identification System (AIS) can also be installed as an option (required by PN), and several other features.

One of the Data Management System console aboard the Twin Otter Guardian 400. Photo taken from Viking Air's website.

The only problem we see here is the aircraft being from Canada, which could be an issue after what happened to the G2G deal between the DND and Canadian Commercial Corporation. The export license may be an issue, considering that the aircraft is military in nature although it is obviously not armed and cannot be used to kill people.

But if this pushes through without too much drama, this opens up the window again for defense acquisitions from Canada, although probably limited only to unarmed systems.


Impact on the Naval Air Group:

Once this aircraft comes into service, this would effectively become the Naval Air Group’s most capable maritime patrol aircraft, considering that the plan to upgrade their existing Beechcraft C-90 King Air fleet by installing surveillance equipment is has not moved beyond the planning stage yet as of this writing, while MaxDefense believes that there is only 1 of their BN-2 Islander aircraft that was upgraded with a limited maritime surveillance capability.

One of the 5 Beehcraft C-90 King Air of the Naval Air Group. MaxDefense have reasons to believe that if more of these birds can be provided by Japan, the NAG might convert some of them into ELINT platforms. Credits to owner of photo.

It would also lay the groundwork for the acquisition of more Amphibian Aircraft for the PN-NAG, considering that despite only 1 was requested in this Horizon 2 phase, originally the PN-NAG was requesting for at least 3 aircraft worth Php4 billion (still based on a budget of 1 aircraft for Php1.33 billion). The PN-NAG is targeting to have 6 aircraft by the end of Horizon 3 phase, which means up to 5 more will be acquired.

Together with the Beechcraft C-90, these will form the Philippine Navy’s Maritime Patrol Aircraft fleet covering short-medium range requirements of the AFP, while the Philippine Air Force will cover the long range requirement using their still pending Long Range Patrol Aircraft and their upcoming Hermes 900 unmanned aerial systems.

The disadvantage of these air assets are their lack of capability in anti-submarine warfare (ASW), as well as munitions delivery capability. It is expected that these assets will act as eyes and ears for the fleet, as well as part of the overall AFP C4ISTAR system interconnecting all AFP units into a more cohesive fighting force.

Procurement and Bidding:

The bid opening is currently scheduled on 16 October 2018, although this could change depending on request by potential bidders for time extension or further clarifications. But due to the requirements leading too much for a specific product, MaxDefense doesn’t expect a lot of drama coming out from this project.

Viking Air is apparently represented in the Philippines by Asian Aerospace Corporation (which requested for the bid documents based on PhilGEPS page of the project), although previously, Viking Air appears to have made their own representation during the PAF SAR Seaplane Acquisition Project.

With the project still in the pre-bidding stage, MaxDefense expects a lot of updates coming out in the next several weeks leading up to an award. Hopefully, the DND would at least release the Notice of Award to the lowest calculated bidder before the end of the year.


============
U P D A T E S:
============

20 February 2019:

MaxDefense learned that the Public Bidding for the Multi-Purpose Amphibian Aircraft acquisition for the Philippine Navy FAILED. This is due to no bidders submitted a bid when it closed last October 2018.

The worrying part is that the Department of National Defense (DNd), which is undertaking the bidding process on behalf of the Philippine Navy, has not reopened the project for another re-bidding.

Re-Bidding is expected to happen since the country's procurement laws under RA9184 only allows going into negotiated procurement after the DND fails again in another public bidding attempt.

The decision to go for public bidding is actually a funny decision by the DND, since it is very clear that the Philippine Navy is after a specific aircraft, which is the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter from Viking Air. They are being represented in the Philippines by only a single company.

Should they have just went for a negotiated mode of procurement, this project should already be rolling by now.

Just for the sake of discussion, is the Philippine Navy really urgently needing to acquire this, considering only a single aircraft is involved? 

While it is highly possible that this is a prelude to the acquisition of several more (as the PN is looking at having at least 6 of them for a squadron) and that this unit is to prepare them for it, there are several projects in the Philippine Navy that MaxDefense and several of it's contributors believe to be underfunded. 

Among them are the following:
1. Del Pilar-class Frigate Upgrade Project - MaxDefense was told by people involved that the budget is too low that even the cheapest product being offered many not meet the requirements!!

2. Offshore Patrol Vessel acquisition - the mission modules needed for other important missions like minehunting may not be funded as the project's budget is already too tight for additional items. Also, the additional budget may allow the PN to specify a better sensor suite (i.e. a 3D radar instead of 2D) for all 6 ships.

3. Frigate acquisition (Horizon 1 Jose Rizal-class) - is the PN not considering the installation of 2 units of 30mm machine gun system instead of just having 1 unit per ship? Normally 1 gun system covers 180 degrees of the ship, and 2 are needed to cover most, if not all sides of the ship from surface threats like small suicide boats. Why not install 1 gun system each at port and starboard side, just like what they did on the BRP Ramon Alcaraz?

These are just questions that we hope the Philippine Navy can see, as we believe these proposals could be also in the minds of some of their officials.

MaxDefense will provide more updates on this Multi-Purpose Amphibian Aircraft acquisition project as more information comes in.

===============

17 August 2019:

So far, no schedule was also provided if there will be a re-bidding for the project. And considering that it is almost 1 year since the bidding failure, it remains to be seen if the Philippine Navy will proceed again with this project, or if there will be changes going to be made.

The introduction of the Beechcraft C-90 King Air donated by Japan actually provided a stop-gap measure on the lack of surveillance and utility aircraft for the Philippine Navy's Naval Air Wing (NAW) since its current fleet of Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander aircraft are being prepared for retirement gradually.

===============

31 May 2023:

Our parent page MaxDefense Philippines received confirmation from its sources that this project has been scratched-off the Horizon 2 phase procurement project's list as of 2023, as it has not reached rebidding phase as of end of 2022.

Instead, the project will be included at a still unconfirmed phase under the Horizon 3 phase of the RAFPMP. So far, Phase 1 which was submitted for in-principle approval to Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. this month did not include this project.

It would be remembered that while the project did proceeded to tender stage a few years ago, the project tender failed and the Philippine Navy and the DND did not continue pursuing the project until now. 

This has become a factor for it being removed from the Horizon 2 phase procurement plan.

===============
===============
First edit and release: 17 August 2019
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines / Philippine Defense Resource

Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) Acquisition Project of the Philippine Army

In line with the Philippine Army's modernization program, it has raised the requirement to equip its forces with air defense systems to protect its units from aerial threats, while also forming the base for an expanded air defense capability in the future.

To meet the requirement, the Philippine Army has included the Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) Acquisition Project under its Horizon 2 phase Priority Projects.

An example of a SHORAD system being looked at by the Philippine Army for their initial air defense artillery units. Photo from MBDA website.

Project Summary:

Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) Acquisition Project

Note: Edited as of 30 November 2023.

* End User: Philippine Army (Army Artillery Regiment)

* Quantity: 2 batteries, increased.

* Modernization Phase: Horizon 2 Phase Priority Projects of RAFPMP

* Project ABC: Php2,275,200,000.00

* Acquisition Mode: TBA

* Source of Funding: From other sources, to be paid via Multi-Year Obligatory Allocations (MYOA).

* SARO Release: TBA

* Winning Proponent: TBA

* Product for Delivery:
    - 2 batteries worth of MANPADS system

* Contract Price: TBA

* First post by MaxDefense: 14 October 2018

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PAMANPADSAcquisition

* Status: Procurement phase ongoing. Shortlisted products were the MBDA Mistral and LIG Nex1 Chiron. Decision is expected to be made before mid-2020, and an award made by 3rd quarter 2020 or earlier. Project was placed at the backburner due to lack of funding, and did not reach awarding stage by the end of 2022 which is also officially the end of Horizon 2 phase. Project is CANCELLED but re-emerged as the Short Range Air Defense System (SHORADS) Acquisition Joint Project of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy (Marines) and General Headquarters - Armed Forces of the Philippines as part of Horizon 3 Phase 1. The project remains under the Re-Horizon 3 after a review by the DND under orders of Defense Sec. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. with only difference in programming period.


Overview:

The Philippine Army has raised the requirement to have at least 2 air defense batteries to become the initial component of a modern unit tasked to defend Philippine Army units from aerial threats.

In this regard, the Philippine Army also raised two new Air Defense Artillery Batteries that will become the core units of a future Air Defense Artillery Battalion under the Army Artillery Regiment. 

According to the Philippine Army:

“(An) Air Defense Battery is designed to provide air defense for Army units, areas, and installations against unmanned aerial vehicles or remotely-piloted vehicles as well as fixed and rotary aircraft…”

Another one infotarp displayed by the Philippine Army during the event. The system on the photo is the MBDA Mistral using the ATLAS mounting. Photo shared exclusively to MaxDefense by a community member.

It would be remembered that as early as 2016, MaxDefense has posted reports on the Philippine Army training on Air Defense Artillery with the US Army in Fort Sill in Oklahoma, in preparation for these new capabilities.

The Philippine Army used to have air defense units using anti-aircraft guns received from the US government after World War II, including M45 Quadmounts using 12.7mm machine guns. 

Previously the PA had air defense assets like the M45 Quadmount as seen here used in the Korean War by PEFTOK contingent.

This time, the Philippine Army will be initially using missile systems starting with Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) missile systems  before progressing to longer-ranged air defense systems.

Unknown to many, while the Philippine Army unofficially do not have air defense units or assets prior to the 1st and 2nd Air Defense Artillery Batteries, the Philippine Army is safekeeping the air defense assets of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) which has MANPADS in its inventory including the MBDA Mistral and FIM-92 Stinger in limited numbers.

With the project failing to reach a decision to award to any proponent, the project was cancelled in its current form, budget and quantity, and re-emerged as the Short Range Air Defense System (SHORADS) Joint Acquisition Project between the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy (Marines) and the General Headquarters - Armed Forces of the Philippines as part of the Horizon 3 Phase 1 of the RAFPMP.

This was later slightly revised under the Re-Horizon 3 Phase as the Horizon 3 Phase underwent re-review under orders from Defense Sec. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Only slight changes were made to accommodate the programming of the project.

There is only a few changes on the specifications between the original and new project, although the main difference will be on the budget and quantity to be procured, which is now larger to accommodate the requirements of all 3 end users.

According to the Re-Horizon 3 Phase documents received by our parent page MaxDefense Philippines, the aim of the SHORADS Joint Acquisition Project for the General Headquarters AFP is for "Air Defense of Critical Infrastructure and High Value Targets" which require "Mobile Anti-Aircraft / Anti-Surface Capabilities". Meanwhile there are no changes in the Philippine Army requirements which is for "Air Defense of Army and Divisional elements, areas or installation". 



============
U P D A T E S:
============

14 October 2018:

MaxDefense first mentioned about the project of the Philippine Army to acquire Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) as one of its priority projects.

This would be separate from air defense systems being acquired by other AFP service branches, like the Philippine Air Force's Ground-Based Air Defense System (GBADS) and the Philippine Navy's Shore-Based Air Defense Missile System (SBADMS).

The Philippine Army requirement would allow them to defend ground formations / field units and bases against low-flying aircraft and helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other low-flying aerial threats.

MANPADS could also be used to defend from aerial threats during huge events like world leader gatherings, sports Olympics, concerts, political rallies, and others. Photo for reference only.

===============

01 November 2019:

MaxDefense received several queries regarding a post made by an FB-based South Korean defense page on the review of export approval by South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration for TPS-880K local air defense radar and Chiron KP-SAM air defense system to the Philippines.

Since the source of the news is from South Korea, obviously it tackles on the South Korean side of things. So MaxDefense will discuss the Philippine side on the issue, us being more knowledgeable on what's happening in the AFP Modernization as well as on what's happening behind the Philippine defense and military bureaucracy.

Currently, there are three air defense projects in the Horizon 2 phase of the RAFPMP, but only the Philippine Army is requiring a low level air defense system under its Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) Acquisition Project. This project has requirement that fits the capabilities of the LIGNex1 Chiron VSHORAD system.

Since the information from the South Korean side was said to be sourced from DAPA, most likely it is true that the South Korea is already looking at approving any export license to the Philippines. This could only happen if the Philippine side, most likely the Department of National Defense (DND) already sent a Letter of Request (LOR) to its South Korean counterpart to start looking at the possibility of exporting it to the Philippines.

Sending in an LOR means that a selection shortlist was already made by the Philippine Army's Technical Working Group (TWG) and Defense Acquisition System Assessment Team (DASAT) for this project. Thus its possible that LIGNex1's Chiron KM-SAM short range air defense system and the TPS-880K local air defense radar are already among the those in the top selection / shortlist.

Upon checking with sources, MaxDefense was told that the the project has not been finalized yet, and the Chiron-TPS-880K combo is competing with other products mostly from Europe. Also apparently the project has not received an approval from the GHQ AFP yet, which is part of the approvals ladder, although it will soon. While LIGNex1's offer has a high chance of getting the final selection, chances of other proponents bagging it instead of LIGNex1 still remain high.

The TPS-88K radar (top) and the Chiron SHORAD system (above) appears to have been offered as a package by the South Korean government to meet the requirements of the Philippine Army's MANPADS Acquisition Project. Credits to original sources of the photos.

===============

15 November 2019:

MaxDefense confirmed in its social media post that Russia's 9K333 Verba short range air defense system was among those included in the Philippine Army's evaluation for MANPADS, but it did not reach shortlisting. 

Instead, only MBDA's Mistral and LIG Nex1's Chiron were shortlisted by the Philippine Army's Technical Working Group (TWG) for the project, for still unknown reasons.

The Russian 9K333 Verba, which is an improved version of the earlier Igla system. Credits to original source of photo.

MaxDefense received word from sources that the Verba actually has superior performance even compared to the Mistral and Chiron, but other reasons were said to have been raised in removing it from the final selection. MaxDefene believes that CAATSA could be a major issue, as the same has been happening to several projects where Russian products were considered.

===============

17 January 2020:

As posted on MaxDefense's blog entry regarding the topic, which can be accessed through the link below:

"PH Army to Acquire ATMOS SPH, Eyes MBDA Mistral & LIGNex1 Chiron SHORAD as it Activates 2 New Units" - first posted on 17 January 2020.

The activation of the 2nd Air Defense Artillery Battery is in line with the Philippine Army's plan to build-up cadres and operational units to operate incoming air defense assets.

The Philippine Army has an ongoing project to acquire such systems under the Philippine Army Man Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) Acquisition Project, which is part of the Horizon 2 phase of the RAFPMP. The project involves the acquisition of 2 batteries worth of MANPADS with a budget of around Php2,275,200,000.00 (around US$44.6 million).

MaxDefense sources confirmed that the Philippine Army is looking at two models, the French MBDA Mistral,  and South Korean LIGNex1 Chiron short range air defense missile systems. Both missile systems are similar in capabilities as the Chiron was said to have been developed from the Mistral but using South Korean technology and content, and both having an effective range of around 6 to 7 kilometers. MaxDefense will discuss about both systems in a future blog or resource page entry.

The MBDA Mistral in ATLAS mounting (top) and LIGNex1 Chiron (above). Photo taken from MBDA website for Mistral, and Indian Defence Review for Chiron.

It still remains to be seen which one will be selected as the Philippine Army’s Technical Working Group (TWG) for the project is still conducting their evaluation as of this writing, although MaxDefense was told that competition is tight between MBDA and LIGNex1.

Standing-up both batteries for the Air Defense Artillery is already an indication that the project is coming up soon, with MaxDefense expecting a decision and contract signed by 2020. 

Based on the Philippine Army's programming, they expect the delivery of the weapon systems by 2024, while also activating the 1st Army Air Defense Artillery Battalion also by 2024.

It still remains to be seen if longer ranged air defense systems will be acquired as part of the Horizon 3 phase of the RAFPMP, which also means activating additional air defense units.

Activation of the 2nd Air Defense Artillery Battery during ceremonies last 15 January 2020. Photo ftom Philippine Army.

===============

19 June 2020:

Looks like the Army Artillery Regiment now also has a mock-up of a vehicle-mounted man-portable air defense system (MANPADS), which they presented during their 13th founding anniversary.

MaxDefense previously reported that based on the Philippine Army's evaluation, they have shortlisted the MBDA Mistral and LIGNex1 Chiron MANPADS to fulfill the requirement under the Philippine Army's MANPADS Acquisition Project.

MaxDefense believes that the Mistral may be more palatable to the Philippine Army due to commonality with existing MANPADS.

A mock-up of a vehicle-mounted MANPADS, similar to those based on the Mistral or Chiron VSHORAD systems. Photo from King of Battle (Army Artillery Regiment) official Facebook page.

===============

30 June 2023:

The Philippine Army's Army Artillery Regiment posted a video during its 125th Anniversary last 27 June 2023, showing their requirements for a Short Range Air Defense System (SHORADS).

Among those mentioned are what we assume is the base requirements for the system, which includes a Minimum Radar Range of 25 kilometers, a Missile Range of between 6 to 8 kilometers, Altitude of 1,500 to 3,300 meters, Speed not less than Mach 2, Firepower /Warhead of between 2 to 4 kilograms using proximity and impact fuze.

This is not too different from the original specs of the MANPADS Acquisition Project, and its possible that both the MBDA Mistral 2 and the LIG Nex1 Chiron could still be among the top choices.

Our parent page MaxDefense Philippines confirmed that the MANPADS Acquisition Project did not reach a certain degree of procurement phase by the end of the Horizon 2 phase in 31 December 2022, and is being carried over to the Horizon 3 phase under a different project name, and changes in the project's coverage and requirements which will be discussed later on.

Screen grabbed from the AAR's video.

===============

30 November 2023:

As the Horizon 3 phase of the RAFPMP has been ordered for re-review by Defense Sec. Gilberto Teodoro, the project now appears to be clearer in terms of scope and requirements.

Our parent page MaxDefense Philippines confirmed that what was previously posted about the changes in the project from MANPADS Acquisition to SHORADS Acquisition is indeed correct.

But there are changes in the Horizon 3 Phase compared to the original Horizon 2 project, as the project is now a joint acquisition between the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy (Marines) and the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The quantity and budget has also been increased, from 2 batteries for the Philippine Army in the Horizon 2 phase, to far more than that for all 3 end users. 

The Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps intend to use the SHORADS for Air Defense of manoeuvre units, as well as bases and installations. Meanwhile the GHQ AFP intends to have some of the SHORADS for air defense of critical infrastructure and high level targets.

We will be posting more details about this project as the Re-Horizon 3 Phase is approved by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. either by December 2023 or early 2024.

===============
===============
First edit and release: 16 February 2020
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines / Philippine Defense Resource.