(Photo courtesy of Philippine Army) MANILA - The Philippine Army (PA) on Thursday said it will subject to a post-delivery technical inspection the two units of armored vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) that were earlier shipped to the Batangas Port last July 12. "The AVLBs will be inspected by the Technical Inspection and Acceptance Committee of the Department of National Defense's Procurement Service before acceptance and deployment to the Army's engineer combat battalions," said PA spokesperson, Col. Xerxes Trinidad. He added that these AVLBs were procured through a Philippine-Israel government-to-government deal, and are part of Horizon Two of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program. "The assets will boost the capabilities of Army engineer combat battalions in supporting maneuver units by providing mobility during operations," Trinidad said. The AVLB is a combat support vehicle, sometimes regarded as a sub-type of military engineeri
Department of National Defense (DND) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. (Photo courtesy of DND) MANILA - Department of National Defense (DND) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. pledged to continue the implementation of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program which is now about to enter its Third Horizon. Faustino made the commitment during the first DND-AFP command conference that took place at the AFP general headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Monday. During the meeting, Faustino presented to the AFP top brass the directive of the President and commander-in-chief Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to defend "every square inch of the country's territory." The AFP Modernization Program's Horizon Two is scheduled for 2018 to 2022 while Horizon Three is slated for 2023 to 2028. Meanwhile, Horizon One covered the years 2013 to 2017 and resulted in the acquisition of the three Del Pilar-clas
MANILA - The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Tuesday said it is in the process of choosing between the latest model of the American-made Lockheed Martin F-16s and the Swedish-made Saab JAS-39 for its multi-role fighter (MRF) project. "(The) two last contenders, (for the PAF MRF project are the) F-16V Block 50/52 Variant and the JAS-39 Gripen C/D+ Version," PAF spokesperson, Col. Maynard Mariano, said. Mariano said while the MRF project has been approved, the government has yet to allocate funds for it. "For the MRF, the project is approved with the issued Acquisition Memorandum Decision, the government will still find a way to fund the said project," he added. The F-16V is the latest and most advanced F-16 in operation to date and is considered the foremost combat-proven fourth-generation MRF. It is equipped with advanced radar systems that allow greater detection and tracking capabilities, along with advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. Meanwhile, the JAS-3