By Manny Mogato
(November 18, 2024) — Months back, the Philippines reported that some Chinese Coast Guard vessels had gone to patrol in waters about 30 nautical miles from the country’s coastlines in Palawan.
China had violated the Philippines’ maritime zones, particularly the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) guaranteed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
China had over-extended its maritime zones, testing the limits of its baselines under its illegal nine-dash-line claim in the South China Sea.
Beijing had also deployed hundreds of its Navy, Coast Guard, and militia vessels within Manila’s exclusive economic zone, pushing local fishing vessels and government ships away from Bajo de Masinloc, Escoda, and Ayungin shoals.
Thus, China has “invaded” the Philippines’ maritime zones. However, the same happened in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam’s maritime zones.
China, after all, has claimed almost the entire South China Sea based on its excessive and illegal nine-dash-claim.
The Philippines is fighting back. It has been upgrading its maritime domain awareness capabilities, hardening its naval defense, and working with key allies to strengthen its maritime security.
When Gilberto Teodoro Jr. was appointed defense secretary, he introduced a Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Plan to boost the country’s anti-access and area denial (A2AD) capabilities and protect its economic resources within its maritime zones.
The Philippine Navy wanted to build a fleet of 50 surface combatant ships – guided-missile frigates, missile-capable corvettes, offshore patrol vessels, fast-attack interdiction craft, and sub-surface vessels.
It also planned six batteries of shore-to-ship missile systems, underwater sensors, sonars, a network of coastal radars, and an integrated C4ISTAR – command and control, computers, communications, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance.
All these platforms and weapons systems are designed to push China away from the Philippines’ maritime zones, especially if Beijing is aware that Manila can target and hit its vessels within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
The Air Force planned four squadrons of multi-role fighters, airborne early warning and control (AWACs), long-range patrol aircraft, air refueling planes, and electronic warfare aircraft.
The planes would be supported by several three-dimensional air defense radars, ground-based air defense systems (GBADS) batteries, and short-range air defense (SHORAD) missile systems.
The Air Force plans to develop an air superiority capability to respond to contingency within the country’s air defense identification zone (PADIZ).
Currently, the Air Force cannot scramble and prevent foreign aircraft from intruding into the country’s airspace, with a limited number of trainer jets, such as Siai Marchetti S-211 and KAI FA-50A light fighters.
The Armed Forces also planned an integrated defense missile unit, allowing the Army and the Marines to operate with the Air Force the air defense missiles jointly, freeing the Navy and Air Force to perform their core missions.
China never complained about these military plans to upgrade defense capabilities.
It would take decades before the Philippines could match its peers and would not have a chance to equal China’s military.
Teodoro’s ambitious plans would need at least 2 trillion pesos in the next 10 years to achieve a credible minimum defense capability because the Philippines was starting from scratch.
However, Beijing sharply reacted when the Philippines announced a plan to acquire the medium-range capability (MRC), specifically the Typhon missile launcher system.
In April, Washington deployed one of its Typhon missile systems in northern Luzon for training and exercises,
However, the US military has no plans to pull out the missile system, which has a range that can hit China’s coastal cities.
“China has made clear our opposition more than once,” said Lin Jian, China’s foreign ministry spokesman.
“Let me stress again that the Philippines, by bringing in this offensive strategic weapon, is enabling a country outside the region to fuel tensions and antagonism in this region and incite geopolitical confrontation and arms race.”
He also called on the Philippines to pull out the weapons system.
However, Teodoro said the Philippines is ignoring China’s statements. “These are pure propaganda standard lines, which are expected from a distorted governance clique,” Teodoro said.
“They could have been more creative and original in their prevarication.”
Teodoro said Beijing cannot dictate what it should do to fortify its defenses and increase deterrence to Manila.
He said the Philippines is not acquiring a Typhon missile launcher system because it cannot afford it and the Tomahawk and Standard VI missiles that go with it.
Besides, Filipino troops need to become more familiar with the weapons system and would need help operating it.
But, it could afford other defensive missile systems that could hit targets 200 miles from its coastlines.
It has already acquired three batteries for India’s Brahmos and plans to purchase six more.
The Philippines is hoping that the deployment of nine batteries of Brahmos in the country’s western coastlines would scare away China’s vessels from getting close and violating the country’s maritime zones.
The 50-ship fleet would also contribute to building a credible A2AD capability, hopefully pushing away Chinese vessels outside the country’s EEZ.
The views expressed by the columnist do not necessarily reflect that of the media organization.
