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• Why cant we buy from Israel when the middle east is already dealing with them

  • its up to the government to decide on the matter, it hasnt

• The PA has a long list of stuff badly in need of replacement. It still has 105mms which are even older than our Model 56s. Units also have the shoulder fired M-20 which we replaced in the 1970's. The question really is whether the government is able to maintain a certain level of funding over the next few years to enable to PA to make inroads with its long overdue modernisation plans.

• Armored Mortar Carrier, Atmos SPH, Sabra Light Tank, Pandur II tank killerr, New APC by Iveco, Brahmos Anti-ship,Brahmis Coastal Dedense, 2 frigate, 2 Corvette, 6 OPV, 9 Shaldag MK V with 8 cell ER missile, Wongbi Trainer Aircraft,5 C-130J, 48 Balck Hawk, 17 Mil, Spyder Defense System, 1,000 RPG, Hubdreds of bunker buster, anothe 2 Pohang, c-star anti-ship missile, Simbad missile 1 OPV Gabriela Silang 84 meters 6 patrol from France, 2 OPV from Japan 97 meters, 10 Patrol Craft from Japan 43 meters..more than 300k of mix small automatic rifle and many more.
  On the pipeline MRF and Submarine. ALL i can Say Duterte is serious in Phil. Modernization...what more in their Horizon 3 the specification for their frigate is 4,000+ tons and length 125 -130 meters.. Pinoy is already awake...

• The govt is too busy with politics and power.

• what exactly the stuff that Israel produced that other countries didn't have?

• prior to ascod, the filipino actually have their own tanks, the M41 walker bulldog. its gun could even penetrate base T-55 with the right type of ammunition. But sadly they're being retired rathee prematurely as tanks, even a comparatively light ones like the M41, costs more to operate than wheeled FSVs like the Simba (that and Marcos being Marcos). Losing them not only meant that they lost any semblance of armor capability, but also institional knowledge

  Also the lack of armor really bit them in ass as shown in both Zamboanga and Marawi conflict, the battle is needlessly long due to filipino military didn't have armor elements to break through the enemy defences abd clear up path for infantry, especially as the enemy didn't have any meaningful anti armor capability

• @Lee Yoke Meng
  You'd stand a better to removing that "...valid for all countries except Israel" T&C from your passport before we'd openly admit and pursue Israeli stuff.

• Azlan their GDP now is $446 billion dollars they already overtake Malaysia $359 billion dollars. They have now a less Debt than Malaysia ranked 30 in the world, while Philippine Ranked 57...And they lend 1 Billion US Dollars in the United Nations for helping poor nations.

• Jun - ''They have now a less Debt than Malaysia''

  Good but is this an actual indicator of how good or things are? The U.S. has a larger national debt than Malaysia.

  The Philippines has indeed come a long way [in some ways but not all it's easier to do business there and the level of English far surpasses us]; it's attracting growing FDI; major call centres are located there; it has a large OFW comminity [about 10 percent of the population] which sends billions back annually; there is a growing middle class; etc but let's not cherry pick; there is still a large gap between the rich and poor; a large and widespread poverty problem; a large part of the population doesn't pay taxes; there are parts of the country in control of non state actors - the NPA; there is a longstanding issue with the ASG, BIFF, Maute Group; society is polarised over politics and various other issues [like here]; lie us inflation and rising prices are a major probl,; etc.

  Getting back to the AFP; recent acquisitions are long overdue and welcomed but the danger [like us] is that they will mostly stick to a buying a ''bit but not enough of everything'' syndrome and that sustained funding the long run might be a challenge. Bear in mind that the AFP has much larger operational commitments than the MAF on account of the country being spread out over an archipelego but it has been in a far longer state of neglect. It has a much bigger liost of things which are long overdue for replacement.

• dundun - ''But sadly they’re being retired rathee prematurely as tanks, ''

  Because they were 60 years old [or more] and because they were not needed; other assets were in place.

  dundun - ''Also the lack of armor really bit them in ass as shown in both Zamboanga and Marawi conflict''

  It was not a ''lack'' of armour but thinly protected armour. M113s/Simbas/V-100/50s were employed successfully [with engineering assets] and played a vital role but they were thinly armoured; hence the use of planks and other means to increase protection.

  dundun - ''needlessly long due to filipino military didn’t have armor elements to break through the enemy defences''

  Incorrect. The battle was needlessly long because that is the very nature of urban ops: look at how long it tool the Syrians and Yanks to tale Aleppo and Mosul. Months..
  Also; troops were under strict ROEs and had to factor in the presence of numerous civilians still stuck in the combat zone. On top pf that most troops had never been in the city and had little or no urban training.

  I had a good walk about in the city in 2019; devastated. Looking at the way it's laid out and the river; as well as the tunnels used by the insurgents; one appreciates the problems faced by the AFP. One of the PMC Colonels who was there was a graduate of our Staff College, Highgate.

  dundun - ''especially as the enemy didn’t have any meaningful anti armor capability''

  I can assure you the RPG-2, M-20s and IEDS were very meaningful to the crews of vehicles which were hit.....

  Jun - ''Azlan their GDP now is $446 billion dollars they already overtake Malaysia $359 billion dollars.''

  Irrespective. To maintain what the AFP is doing requires a sustained level of funding over a set number of years. This really remains to be seen, politics is a major issue; as are various internal problems faced. After decades of neglect; the AFP needs sustained funding to do what it needs to.

  Jun - ''ALL i can Say Duterte is serious in Phil. Modernization''

  Plans were put in place way before Durterte came into power...

  Dundun - ''the filipino actually have their own tanks, the M41 walker bulldog. ''

  They ''has''. Also had Stuarts, Shermans, M-3s and M-8s. Armour played a part in the Huk rebellion; the 1970's civil war and the campaigns fought in the 1980's to the present; as convoy escorts, bade protection and fire support.