A Philippine soldier holds his baby daughter as he arrives at the port of Manila on October 30, 2017, with some 500 personnel composed of marines, sailors, aviators and intelligence operative after a five-month deployment against Islamic State supporters in Marawi City. The main battle area of a southern Philippine city where Islamic State supporters waged a five-month war resembled a tsunami-hit wasteland, while bullet-riddled mosques and a web of tunnels reveal some of the gunmen's hid and strike tactics. / AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS

The AFP is overhauling the weapons mix in its shopping list to take into account internal

With six soldiers hurt in an attack Thursday in North Cotabato, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana yesterday said the military must focus on strengthening the Philippines’ external defenses while fighting internal threats.

The six soldiers, belonging to the 19th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, were hurt by improvised explosive devices (IED) set off at Barangay Dolores.

The soldiers were returning from a medical mission with a group from the Integrated Provincial Health Office when hit by the back-to-back IED explosions and a volley of gunfire.

The military said it suspects New People’s Army partisans to be behind the North Cotabato attack as a reaction to the Philippine government postponing peace talks with its political arms, the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NDF).

The attack on the soldiers trained the spotlight on Lorenzana’s statement over the weekend that the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is being affected by its ongoing operations against internal threats.

“Of course, because money that could have been used for modernizing our troops are used to fight terror,” said Lorenzana in answering the question whether the military’s modernization is being affected by its campaign against rebels and bandits.

For instance, (in) the five-month Marawi siege, the AFP spent almost P4 billion (to fight and defeat the Maute Group terrorists), excluding the amount to care for the IDPs (internally displaced persons) by other agencies that ran into billions as well,” Lorenzana said.

The AFP needed five months to neutralize some 1,000 militants who held the city of Marawi City starting on May 23 last year.

The Maute attack in Marawi City and the expected resurgence of NPA offensive amid peace talks being stalled are making the military reassess its equipment purchase plan under the Horizon Three program.

A few months back, the Philippine Navy showcased the capabilities of missile frigates on its wish list that, if acquired, would give the AFP better sea and air interdictions.

The hand-me-down vessels that the PN had received from such countries as the United States had been stripped of their missile capabilities before turn over, thus the PN is pushing the acquisition of brand new frigates from South Korea.

Defense department spokesperson Arsenio Andolong on Wednesday said Horizon Three will have to be studied and discussed “kasi nagbago na ‘yung mix natin (because we have a new mix).”

“May movement na kasi (There has been movement), so that will allow us to now plan for what (equipment and platforms) we need,” Andolong told PNA.

“(It) pre-supposes that we have already reached the level of credible defense posture, so we will now be concentrating on territorial defense already,” he added.

“But, of course, we still have our internal security operations that are ongoing. Isa yan sa mga humahadlang sa ating (That is one of the hindrances to our) modernization because our attention is being divided,” he said.

Horizon Two, which is slated for 2018 to 2022, is the AFP’s transition period from internal security operations to territorial defense.

However, due to the conflicts, the progress of the AFP in this acquisition phase is “somewhere in between” as the defense department is acquiring equipment for internal and external defense usage, Andolong said.

Horizon One lasted from 2013 to 2017 and resulted in the acquisition of the three Del Pilar-class frigates, 12 FA-50PH light-lift interim fighters, and two strategic sealift vessels, to name a few.

Under Horizon Two, the AFP plans to acquire towed and self-profelled howitzers, multiple launch rocket systems, armored recovery vehicles, fire support vehicles, tactical radios, ground mobility equipment, individual weapons, crew-served weapons, and night-fighting equipment for the Army.

For the Air Force, the AFP is pushing the purchase under Horizon Two of multi-role fighters, radar systems, light and medium lift aircraft, heavy lift helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, attack and combat utility helicopters, special mission and long-range patrol aircraft.

The frigates, corvettes, submarines, amphibious assault vehicles, anti-submarine helicopters, attack craft, medium lift helicopters, and multi-role vessels are on the shopping list of the Navy under Horizon Two.

Also being eyed are combat engineer, force protection, explosive ordnance disposal, as well as humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief and medical equipment.

In the North Cotabato attack, two of the six soldiers who suffered serious injuries were rushed to the Camp Panacan Station Hospital in Davao City for intensive medical care. With PNA