Hawk medium range SAM (photo : pdff)

31.03.2014 Defense Studies

MANILA (PNA) -- The Department of National Defense (DND) is looking at the possibility of acquiring improved and enhanced versions of the Raytheon MIM-23 HAWK (Homing All the Way Killer) surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).

The HAWK is a US medium range SAM.

The DND stated that acquisition of this weapon aims to protect the country from air threats its shore-to-ship missile (SSM) launchers which it is planning to acquire for the Philippine Army at P6.5 billion.

The SSM project consists of 12 launchers, trailers and tracking systems and missiles that could be fired to hit naval or sea targets.

It will be carried out through “limited source bidding", a process where certain companies are invited to submit bids for the program.

The HAWK is capable of intercepting and destroying any hostile aircraft, drone, or rocket that may be sent to incapacitate or disabled the Army's SSM system.

It was initially designed to destroy aircraft and was later adapted to destroy other missiles in flight.

The missile entered service in 1960, and a program of extensive upgrades has kept it from becoming obsolete.

Israel, one of the operators of the HAWK missile, have upgraded the Phase 2 standard with the addition of a Super Eye electro-optical TV system for detection of aircraft at 30 to 40 kilometers and identification at 17 to 25 kilometers.

They have also modified their system for engagements at altitudes up to 24,000 meters. 

(PNA)

SEOUL, 28 mars (Yonhap)

Le gouvernement sud-coréen a signé ce vendredi un contrat de 420 millions de dollars pour l’exportation vers les Philippines de 12 avions de chasse légers FA-50 construits par Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), a annoncé ce vendredi l’Administration du programme d’acquisition de défense (DAPA). Le FA-50 est un dérivé de l’avion d’entraînement supersonique T-50 Golden Eagle que KAI a développé conjointement avec l’américain Lockheed Martin.

Ont participé à la cérémonie de signature à Manille le ministre de la Défense philippin, Voltaire Gazmin, le commissaire de la DAPA, Lee Yong-geol, et le PDG de KAI, Ha Sung-yong. Selon les termes de l’accord de gouvernement à gouvernement, KAI livrera les appareils au cours des 38 prochains mois.

Le contrat a été conclu après que la présidente sud-coréenne Park Geun-hye et le président philippin Benigno Aquino III ont signé en octobre de l’année dernière un protocole d’entente pour l’expansion de la coopération dans le domaine de la défense.

March 14th, 2014 defencetalk.com (AFP)

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has drawn up plans to overhaul the pacifist country’s self-imposed ban on arms exports, an official said Thursday, in a move that could anger China.

The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has delivered the blueprint to lawmakers in his party and coalition partner New Komeito, according to an LDP official, with the premier looking for a green light from cabinet by the end of the month.

The relaxed rules could allow Tokyo to supply weaponry to nations that sit along important sea lanes to help them fight piracy and also help resource-poor Japan, which depends on mineral imports.

Japanese arms could potentially be shipped to Indonesia as well as nations around the South China Sea — through which fossil fuels pass — such as the Philippines, for example, which has a territorial dispute with Beijing.

The move would boost Japan’s defence industry amid simmering regional tensions including a territorial row with China, and fears over an unpredictable North Korea.

Japan already supplies equipment to the Philippines’ coast guard, an organization that is increasingly on the front line in the nation’s territorial rows with Beijing.

Any move to bolster that support with more outright weapon supplies could irk China, which regularly accuses Abe of trying to re-militarize his country.

China and Japan are at loggerheads over the ownership of a string of islands in the East China Sea, while Beijing is also in dispute with several nations over territory in the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely.

Under its 1967 ban, Japan does not sell arms to communist nations, countries where the United Nations bans weapons sales, and nations that might become involved in armed conflicts.

The rule has long enjoyed widespread public support as a symbol of Japan’s post-war pacifism.

But it has been widely seen as impractical among experts, because it stops Japan from joining international projects to jointly develop sophisticated military equipment, such as jets and missiles.

In 2011 Tokyo eased the ban on arms exports, paving the way for Japanese firms to take part in multinational weapons projects.

Japan works with its only official ally the United States on weapon projects.

It also works with Britain, but it does not fully participate in multi-nation programs aimed at sharing development cost and know-how, because of the current ban.

The new rules may open the door to Japan’s broader participation in such projects.

But they would still “ban exports to countries involved in international conflicts,” and exports that would undermine international peace and security, Abe told parliament this week.

Japanese experts are divided over an overhaul, with some saying it is necessary for cutting defence costs, while others expressing concerns over tainting Japan’s peaceful image by expanding markets for the nation’s defence industry.

25.02.2014 Helen Chachaty journal-aviation.com

Selon l’agence presse Yonhap ainsi que des médias philippins, le gouvernement serait sur le point de conclure un accord avec Korea Aerospace Industries pour l’achat de douze FA-50. Des sources indiquent que le contrat pourrait se monter à 415 millions de dollars. Les négociations durent depuis l’été 2012.

Jan. 7, 2014 – Defense News (AFP)

MANILA — The Philippine government is to triple the size of a special forces military unit that operates against Islamist militants responsible for deadly bombings and kidnappings of Westerners, officials said Tuesday.

The Light Reaction Battalion is to be built up to regiment size, Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes said, an increase from about 500 soldiers to as many as 1,500.

“We have seen how effective they are, so we are strengthening the unit in terms of anti-terrorism. From a battalion we’ll increase it to a regiment,” he said.

The unit is fighting the Abu Sayyaf, a group of several hundred Islamist militants who are behind the country’s deadliest attacks as well as kidnappings of Western targets.

Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the battalion had taken substantial casualties during a three-week battle against gunmen in the southern port of Zamboanga in September last year.

The gunmen are followers of former rebel leader Nur Misuari, who went into hiding as hundreds of his men infiltrated Zamboanga to oppose a proposed peace treaty between the Philippine government and a rival Muslim guerrilla faction.

The fighting left more than 240 people dead and displaced about 116,000 people as entire districts of the city of nearly a million people went up in flames.

“As you have seen, we lost a number of our men in the Zamboanga incident, which led to a shortage that needed to be addressed,” Gazmin said.

Neither official gave a timetable, but armed forces spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said the unit would be bulked up within the year.

“Based on what happened in Zamboanga, our military leadership saw a need to increase the strength of the Light Reaction Battalion to be able to address contingencies anywhere in the country,” Zagala told AFP.

The United States has trained and equipped the battalion since 2002, to help its Asian ally fight the Islamist militants in the south of the mainly Catholic nation.

16/11/2013 rédaction de RTL.fr (AFP)

Les coupes budgétaires pourraient compromettre la capacité de l'armée américaine à mettre en œuvre des opérations humanitaires, selon le chef du corps des Marines.

S'exprimant devant des journalistes lors d'une conférence consacrée à la Défense à Simi Valley, en Californie, le général James Amos a dit craindre que les futures missions humanitaires de l'armée américaine souffrent d'un manque de moyens.

"Je pense que le problème viendra de notre capacité à avoir les fonds suffisants pour déployer les navires", a-t-il déclaré. Le général a dénoncé la fonte des budgets d'entraînement à des missions similaires à celle mise en place aux Philippines.

Restrictions de 10% du budget de la Défense

La Marine américaine a déployé près d'une dizaine de navires au large des côtes philippines, dont un porte-avions, tandis que plus de 600 Marines sont à pied d’œuvre dans les zones sinistrées, selon le corps d'élite de l'armée américaine.

Confronté l'an passé à 37 milliards de dollars de coupes automatiques faute d'accord au Congrès sur la réduction de la dette, le Pentagone fait à nouveau face en 2014 à 52 milliards de coupes supplémentaires, soit 10% de son budget. Ces coupes automatiques affectent principalement les budgets dévolus à l'entraînement et à la maintenance des matériels.

October 15, 2013: Strategy Page

The government is upgrading its military ties with South Korea. The new agreement implements exchanges of military personnel for familiarization and training. This is also meant to exchange information about how each nations’ troops handle disaster relief and peacekeeping operations. Less publicized were the parts of the new agreement dealing with more detailed planning for cooperation against growing Chinese aggression in the sea areas between China and all its neighbors (particularly the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.) All of these Chinese neighbors are strengthening military alliances with each other and the United States to better deal with the Chinese tactics of gradual but persistent pressure.

In addition to the military ties, South Korea is a major trade partner ($7.4 billion a year in goods, services and investments, mostly going into the Philippines) and source of tourists. South Korea has been a growing source of new technology and technical help in many areas. While the cultures of both nations are very different both have long experience with Americans and both have many English speakers. Some 70-80 percent of Filipinos and about ten percent in South Koreans can converse in English. But over a third of South Koreans can understand written English and that has created a lot of Filipinos and South Koreans who know each other via the Internet. Young South Koreans are more interested in learning English and working or vacationing in the Philippines is a good way to improve your English skills. That also explains the growing number of South Koreans who speak English with a Filipino and not an American accent. 

The army believes that the MNLF attack on the southern port city of Zamboanga on September 9th was facilitated by the rebels smuggling weapons and ammo into the city for over eight months. Most of this stuff came from the nearby islands of Sulu and Basilan. The government recently filed rebellion charges against 65 MNLF survivors of the fighting in Zamboanga. Most of the accused are in custody and the rest are being sought. In Zamboanga the government believes it will take three months for things to get back to normal in the neighborhoods where the MNLF fighting took place. Over 100,000 people fled their homes and many returned to find lots of damage.

October 13, 2013: The 41st round of peace negotiations with MILF ended with unresolved power sharing issues still to be taken care of. The two sides did agree on where to establish buffer zones to protect civilians from any armed clashes between the security forces and MILF gunmen. It was also agreed that recent attacks by Moslem rebel groups BIFF and MNLF would not be held against MILF.

October 10, 2013: In the south (city of Zamboanga) troops looking for any remaining MNLF rebels encountered two of them and killed them in a brief gun battle.

The United States has come out and backed the Philippines in its call for UN sponsored binding arbitration with China over Chinese claims on parts of the South China Sea that have long been controlled by the Philippines. China has turned down Filipino calls for arbitration but with American support pressure in the UN will be greater, and more embarrassing for China.

October 7, 2013: On Basilan troops clashed with Abu Sayyaf Islamic terrorists and killed two of them. The army then chased after the survivors and fired mortars at what they believed was an Abu Sayyaf camp. The MILF said it was one of their camps and called the incident a violation of the cease fire. The army has long accused MILF of secretly cooperating with Abu Sayyaf and believes this is another example.

October 4, 2013: Police and soldiers executed a search warrant on the home compound of MNLF leader Nur Misuari, who was believed to be responsible for the September 9 attack on the southern port city of Zamboanga. Misuari was not at home but plenty of documents and other evidence was.

October 1, 2013: In the south (Davao Oriental) a NPA landmine wounded five soldiers as the NPA fled from a battle with the troops that left one rebel dead. Troops later found an NPA man who had been wounded and soon later identified him as a college teacher (of physics). 

September 30, 2013: The army believes they have killed or captured four of the five MNLF rebel leaders who led several hundred gunmen into the southern port city of Zamboanga on September 9th. The fighting lasted for three weeks.

22 Septembre 2013 Par Francis Vallat, Président du Cluster maritime français, Président du Réseau européen des clusters maritimes - Marine & Océans

Les incidents et conflits larvés qui surviennent régulièrement en mer de Chine où se défient les flottes militaires des pays riverains, Chine, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaisie et Japon, sont extrêmement inquiétants. Plus probablement pour la paix du monde que les crises qui font aujourd'hui la "Une" de nos quotidiens (y compris le drame syrien). Je pense, en particulier, aux manoeuvres autour des îles Paracels et Spratleys qui génèrent des tensions entre le Vietnam et la Chine ou encore à celles concernant les bancs de Sarborough et de Thomas, dans les eaux philippines, qui aiguisent les tensions entre les Philippines et la Chine. A chaque fois l'enjeu y est le contrôle effectif de ces îlots tant sur un plan stratégique que pour les ressources minéralières ou halieutiques qu'ils recèlent. Je pense aussi à divers incidents navals intervenus ces dernières années, en particulier entre la Chine et le Japon, réglés en dehors de toute notion de droit.

Plus encore probablement que le fond, c'est la méthode et le comportement de la Chine qui inquiètent. Une méthode qui s'apparente à des tentatives de règlement des différends non plus par la voie diplomatique ou l'application des conventions internationales, mais par l'intimidation, voire la menace, le chantage, ou encore la politique affirmée et répétée du « fait accompli ». Cette logique risque de remettre en cause l'ordre international que nos ancêtres sont difficilement parvenus à établir pour sauvegarder la liberté des mers, garante de la liberté des échanges, elle-même garante de rapports pacifiques.

En ce sens, il s'agit objectivement d'une logique de guerre. Car si le droit international n'est plus appliqué, si les principes ne sont plus défendus, si les puissances ferment les yeux, l'anarchie s'installera, puis la violence avec un risque (une certitude ?) de retour à des affrontements armés et à des crises régionales graves. Il ne s'agit pas là, par ailleurs, seulement de liberté de circulation. L'enjeu est aussi celui de la protection de toutes ces ressources alimentaires et minières qui font de la mer l'avenir de la terre, que ce soit celles des grands fonds, des zones économiques exclusives et de la haute mer, à condition de les exploiter proprement et en les sécurisant.

Il s'agit là d'une problématique, à la fois particulière dans ses manifestations "maritimo-navales" d'aujourd'hui, et bien connue dans ses principes, à laquelle le XXIème siècle est confronté à son tour, comme il l'est par les problématiques de protection des grandes routes maritimes ou de circulation dans les bassins. De fait, l'esprit est le même, puisque là aussi l'équilibre entre les Etats dépend en grande partie de leurs capacités à organiser librement et pacifiquement leurs échanges commerciaux. C'est d'ailleurs pour cela que la piraterie est identifiée comme l'un des principaux problèmes de sécurité des prochaines décennies. D'autant que si à ce jour elle se concentre dans l'Océan indien, le Golfe de Guinée, au large du détroit de Malacca et le long de certaines côtes d'Amérique du Sud, il est malgré tout clair qu'elle peut et pourra concerner, dans la durée, toutes les zones côtières de notre monde qui voient transiter des flux énormes de richesses, au large de pays pauvres.

Il est donc essentiel, au vu de ces dangers, que les Etats de droit aient le courage de condamner plus vigoureusement ces agissements et prennent les moyens de se faire entendre, y compris de la Chine concernant la "mer de Chine"... appellation que certains dirigeants de l'Empire du Milieu invoquent pour dire "tout y est à nous" ! Mais il est vrai que sans moyens navals dignes de ce nom, le message de nombre de pays risque fort de ressembler aux moulinets de Matamore ou du Capitaine Fracasse. Raison de plus pour que la France ne baisse pas la garde. Il est encore temps !

Sailors from the Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Training (MCAST) team exchange best practices with a Royal Malaysian Navy boarding team as part of SEACAT 2013 drill. Photo: courtesy of US Navy photo.

17 September 2013 naval-technology.com

Navies from the US, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore have conducted their annual Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) 2013 exercise from 2-12 September 2013.

During the exercise, the participating navies performed planning exercises at the Changi command and control (C2) centre at Changi Naval Base, Singapore.

The US Navy's Freedom-variant of the littoral combat ships (LCS), USS Freedom's (LCS 1) boarding team carried out a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise with the Indonesian Navy, during the at-sea training event.

Freedom's commanding officer commander, Pat Thien, said: "We did exactly what the ship was built to do: we operated in a near-shore environment, in littoral waters, with other ships similar in size and we were successful."

In addition, the drill involved both command post exercise at Singapore's Changi Naval Base and a field training exercise in several regional locations at sea.

The allied navies also conducted other drills such as tracking of ships, and the boarding of a merchant vessel simulating to be engaged in terrorist-related activities at sea.

First conducted in 2002, the SEACAT exercise aims to improve sea-based information-sharing and the coordination of maritime security responses in the region.

The exercise has witnessed patrol vessels from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), accompanying sea security teams, patrol boats from the Singapore police coastguard and maritime patrol aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

In addition to enhancing dialogue and practical cooperation during realistic scenarios, the drill provides hands-on practice for participating navies in maritime security operations, while highlighting information sharing and multilateral cooperation in scenarios.

Aug. 30, 2013 – Defense News (AFP)

MANILA — The United States and the Philippines are moving toward an agreement that will expand the American military’s presence in the Philippines, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday during a visit to Manila.

Hagel and President Benigno Aquino “reaffirmed the progress being made” in talks begun earlier this month to allow a bigger military footprint in the Philippines, the Pentagon chief said.

“This progress is welcome and encouraging. I noted that our negotiating teams are working hard to finish the framework agreement in the near future,” he told reporters.

Hagel’s optimistic comments appeared to open the possibility that the negotiations, which resumed this week in the US capital, could be wrapped up in time for President Barack Obama’s expected visit to Southeast Asia later this year.

An accord opening the way to a more visible role for the American military marks a shift in relations between the two countries more than two decades after the United States closed large bases amid anti-American sentiment.

But the Philippines faces territorial disputes at sea with China and has asked for US assistance to better monitor coastal waters. The United States, meanwhile, is seeking to bolster its ties across Southeast Asia, partly to counter China’s growing military power.

The proposed deal would allow more US troops, aircraft and ships to temporarily pass through the Philippines at a time when Washington is refocusing its attention on Asia after a decade of war.

Hagel sought to reassure Filipinos, whose senate voted out the American presence in the early 1990s, saying Washington had no interest in setting up permanent outposts.

“The United States does not seek permanent bases in the Philippines — that would represent a return to an outdated Cold War mentality,” he said at a joint news conference with his Filipino counterpart.

“Instead, we are using a new model of military-to-military cooperation befitting two great allies and partners,” he said.

The Philippines once hosted tens of thousands of US soldiers at two bases near Manila, but they were forced to leave in 1992. A new accord in 1999 allowed troops to return to the Philippines for joint military exercises every year.

Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the proposed agreement could permit US forces to regain access to Subic Bay, a large naval base north of Manila that the Pentagon handed over to Philippine control in 1992.

“Subic Bay is one of the facilities that was mentioned for the US forces to (have) access in. As soon as the framework agreement is complete, we will provide the necessary access to all these facilities,” Gazmin added.

The US defense chief went ahead with his overnight visit to Manila despite a tense showdown over Syria, with US forces prepared to launch punitive strikes against the Damascus regime if ordered.

Even with the turmoil in the Middle East, Hagel said the US remained committed to a strategic focus toward Asia, as well as its 1951 mutual defense pact with Manila.

Hagel was in Manila at the end of a week-long Asian tour amid fresh strains between the Philippines and China over rival territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The tensions have forced Aquino to call off a planned visit Sept. 3 to the Chinese city of Nanning to attend a trade conference.

The Philippines accuses China of aggressively pushing its territorial claims over most of the South China Sea, including waters close to Philippine shores.

Hagel endorsed efforts by China’s smaller neighbors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to negotiate a South China Sea “code of conduct,” as well as Philippine efforts to solve the disputes.

Without mentioning China, he said that Washington wanted nations to settle their disputes through international law “without coercion or militarized attempts to alter the status quo.”

Hagel held separate talks with Gazmin and Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, and visited the US military cemetery in Manila before heading back to Washington.

August 28, 2013: Strategy Page

Vietnam and the Philippines announced that are developing joint military and diplomatic plans to thwart increasing Chinese aggressiveness in territorial disputes throughout the South China Sea. In the past Vietnam tried to go it alone against China and got beaten in several battles. Perhaps because of the rough treatment Vietnam has received from Chinese forces in the past, the Philippines also repeated its staunch support for a “no confrontation” policy. This is part necessity, because even with lots of charity the Philippines cannot expect to ever afford a military that would be more of a nuisance to China. For confrontation, especially when China asserts its claims to territory right off the Filipino coast, an ally like the United States will be needed. So far the Americans have not committed to helping with such a desperate situation.

As the peace talks with MILF creep towards completion the Moslem factions that oppose the terms of the deal (limited autonomy and not independence) are now accused of supporting terrorist attacks in the south (Mindanao and adjacent smaller islands). Abu Sayyaf is accused of cooperating (and being paid) to help carry out this disruption campaign. This violent factionalism is nothing new in the south and is seen as a problem that will persist after the peace deal is implemented.

The government is having a problem with southern (largely Moslem) politicians who refuse to allow American UAVs to operate from local airports. Although the UAVs are often used to aid disaster relief (like for the recent massive typhoon storm damage) the politicians fear retaliation from Islamic terrorists who see the American UAVs as a mortal threat and want to interfere with the use of this aerial surveillance as much as possible. In the latest case it was the government that asked for the U.S. UAVs to be brought in to provide a more precise view of the storm damage that has left nearly a million Filipinos homeless.

August 26, 2013: Over 100,000 people demonstrated against corruption in the capital and other major cities. The anger was directed at “legal corruption” in the form of millions of dollars a year given to politicians for their favorites projects but that is widely acknowledged to be diverted to personal use. The government has been unable to get the legislature to vote down this practice and that created widespread anger against seemingly feeble efforts to curb corruption. Most Filipinos now agree that the corruption is the biggest obstacle to economic growth and all manner of progress in the country.

August 24, 2013: In a peace gesture the NPA released a soldier they had captured 20 days earlier. The NPA is in the early stages of peace talks with the government, apparently in an effort to build on whatever gains the MILF talks create.

August 21, 2013: In the south (North Cotabato province) NPA gunmen attacked a banana plantation and destroyed six trucks and stole portable equipment. The plantation owners had refused to meet NPA extortion demands. The NPA depends on extortion and kidnapping to keep itself going.

August 18, 2013: The government finished another four days of negotiations with MILF. This was the 39th meeting and both sides said progress continued to be made in sorting out the details of Moslem autonomy in the south.

In the south (North Cotabato province) NPA gunmen attacked a construction site and destroyed three construction vehicles. The construction company, which is building a road, had refused to meet NPA extortion demands.

August 13, 2013: In the north (Laguna province) NPA gunmen attacked a bus company depot and destroyed 11 busses. The bus company refused to meet NPA extortion demands. In this case the NPA was also apparently backing a union that was having a hard time getting more money out of the company. This sort of violence is also common in labor negotiations.

August 10, 2013: In the south (Cotabato) the army launched another offensive against BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters). The first day of fighting left two rebels dead and two soldiers wounded. At least two thousand civilians fled the fighting, which centered on army efforts to keep the rebels from blocking a key highway. BIFF apparently also planted two bombs in the area. One went off but caused no casualties while the other was found and disabled. The army has carried several of these operations against BIFF this year. Each results in dozens (or more) rebel casualties and captures. But so far BIFF, despite getting weaker, has not called it quits. Last September the main Moslem separatist group (MILF) negotiated a peace deal with BIFF which was then supposed to rejoin MILF and stop causing problems with their attacks on Christians in the south. That has not happened yet and apparently won’t. BIFF contains former members of MILF, something MILF leaders have played down for years. Last year MILF openly agreed with government demands to do something about these "outlaws". BIFF contained about a thousand armed men earlier in the year and MILF sought to negotiate a peace deal with the dissidents while publicly insisting that it would crush these rebel rebels. BIFF had become increasingly violent, and outspoken about how MILF is selling out Moslems. Now MILF will have to use force to coerce the BIFF outlaws to get with the new peace deal. Otherwise the treaty will turn into a civil war within the new Moslem homeland down south. BIFF refused to comply with the peace deal it made with MILF last year and the current army operations are not being opposed by MILF.

26 July 2013 By Dona Z. Pazzibugan- Pacific Sentinel

MANILA, Philippines—”Of what use is a combat helicopter if you cannot use its machine gun?” President Aquino asked in his State of the Nation Address on Monday.

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the purchase of eight Sokol helicopters from Poland would be the last by the Department of National Defense (DND) since they could not be used in combat, after all.

“I understand helicopters because I’m a combat officer. The first thing I noticed was, why do you have to remove the machine gun before you can get inside it? The entrance is too narrow, it’s all wrong,” said Gazmin, a former Army Special Forces commander.

The P2.8-billion deal with Augusta PZL Swidnik of Italy and Poland for eight Sokol helicopters had been signed, sealed and delivered when he assumed office in July 2010, Gazmin said.

“We just had to make the payment,” he said.

The eight Sokol (Falcon in Polish) helicopters were delivered in two batches in 2012.

Read the full story at Inquirer News