World Military and Police Forces: Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines

Capital: Manila

Quezon is the largest city.

Luzon

Manila Bay

The Philippines is actually an archipelago with 7,107 islands.

Population of around 92 million people.

The Philippines is a rather poor nation.

Predominately muslim southern portion of the Philippines.

1521-1898- Former Spanish colony until the Spanish-American War.
1898-1946- The U.S. controls Philippines.

1898-1991- U.S. military forces stationed in the Philippines. U.S. troops leave the Philippines in 1991.

Spratly Islands dispute between China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei.

After initially joining U.S. forces in the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, Filipino forces are withdrawn after Iraqi insurgents kidnap and threaten to kill two Filipino citizens.

2014
U.S. forces are to return to the Philippines in a U.S. effort to try and contain China's growing power in the Pacific region. U.S. forces may once again be stationed at Subic Bay, Cubi Point, Clark, Oyster Point, Brooke's Point and Batanes Islands.

Subic Bay- Located in western Luzon

Cubi Point- Located in western Luzon
Clark Air Base- Located in central Luzon
Oyster Bay- Located in Palawan

Brooke's Point- Located in Palawan

Batanes (Batan Islands)- Located in Luzon Strait in the north of the Philippine Archipelago.

03 APR 2023- The government of the Philippines announces four sites that will host US forces in the Philippines. The bases will be in Isabela and Cagayan, on the island of Luzon, facing north towards Taiwan, and on Palawan, near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

Air Force

7,000 personnel

FA-50 advanced trainer/light attack aircraft. Made in South Korea. (12)

SIAI Marchetti S.211 advanced trainer/light attack aircraft (13)

OV-10 Bronco attack aircraft (8)

SIAI Marchetti SF.260 trainer/light attack aircraft (20)

T-41 Mescalero trainer aircraft (10)

C-130 transport aircraft (8)

Fokker F27 transport aircraft (2)

Fokker F28 transport aircraft (1)

Nomad STOL capability. (1)

Cessna 210 Centurion (1)

MD-520 Defender attack helicopters (12)

S-70 Black Hawk helicopters (1)

S-76 Spirit utility helicopters (10)

Bell UH-1 helicopters (39)

Bell 205 helicopters (1)

Bell 412 helicopters (3)

PZL W-3 Soko helicopters (4)

Blue Horizon II unmanned aerial vehicles (2)

The Philippines F-5 Freedom Fighter aircraft were retired in 2006.

Air Defense Wing

SPYDER air defense system with Python and Derby missiles.

Japanese made J/FPS-3ME air surveillance and air defense radar for PAF. Positioned at the Wallace Air Station in San Fernando, La Union

Philippines Air Force Special Forces

710^th Special Operations Wing

AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

Philippine Navy
24,000 personnel

Frigates (3)

Corvettes (10)

Patrol Boats (35)

Landing Craft (11)

Swift Class Patrol Boats (29)

Acero Class gun boats (israeli made Shaldag V fast attack craft)

May be armed with Typhoon weapon stations with SPIKE NLOS missiles

PG-901

PG-902

PG-903

PG-905

PG-906

PG-907

Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) Mk III armed with a SPIKE ER missile launcher, a Mini Typhoon remote weapon station with a 12.7mm machine gun, and two 7.62mm machine guns. Made in Taiwan (3)

Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) Mk I armed with three 7.62 machine guns. May also be armed with Typhoon weapon stations armed with SPIKE ER missiles or Mini Typhoon weapon stations.. The MPAC is made in Taiwan.(12)

RHIB (Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats) boats

Riverine Utility Craft (5)

Inflatable boats

BN-2A Islander aircraft used for transport and maritime patrol (8)

T-41 Mescalero trainer aircraft also used for maritime surveillance (4)
AW-159 Wildcat helicopters (2)

Bo-105C helicopters (3)

Robinson R-22 trainer helicopter

K745 Blue Shark torpedoes

SPIKE NLOS missiles for AW-159 helicopters.

M3 sub-machine guns

Naval Intelligence

Naval Construction Brigade (CB) or “Sea Bees”.

Navy Special Operations Group (NAVSOG)

Special Forces

Philippine Navy Special Warfare Group (SWAG)

Philippine Marine Corps

7,000 personnel

LAV-300 6x6 wheeled armored personnel carriers (23)

LAV-150 armored personnel carriers (19)

LVTP-5 (7)

LVTH-6 (Landing Vehicle Tracked Howitzer)- 6

HMMWV utility vehicles

GKN Aquatrack tracked amphibious vehicles

Gun Trucks- 2 ½ ton cargo trucks with improvised armor and machine guns added.

Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns

M101 towed 105mm howitzers

Oto Melara Model 56 towed 105mm howitzers

Armbrust anti-tank rocket launchers.

M67 recoilless guns

M-3 sub-machine guns. Some camouflaged and suppressed.

Reconnaissance Battalion

Scout snipers use scoped M-16 assault rifles.

Army

86,000 personnel

ASCOD 2 Sabrah light tanks

FV101 Scorpion light tanks (41)

AIFV infantry fighting vehicles (50)

V-150 amphibious armored vehicles (120)

M113A2 armored personnel carriers (114)
Donated by the United States in 2015. Many have been upgraded by the israeli company Elbit into various configurations.

M113A2 with upgraded 25mm remote turret (28?)

M113A2 with upgraded 12.7mm remote weapon station (44?)

M113A1 armored personnel carriers (100)

GKN Simba armored personnel carriers (150)

ACV-300 Turkish made armored personnel carriers (7)

Bravia Chaimite Portuguese made wheeled armored personnel carriers (20)

FV104 Samaritan armored ambulance (6)

FV106 Samson armored recovery vehicle (3)

HMMWV

M151 MUTT

M35 2 ½ ton trucks

Kia KM-250 2 ½ ton trucks

ATMOS self propelled 155mm howitzers (12)

Soltam M-68 towed 155mm howitzers

Soltam M-71 towed 155mm howitzers (7)

M114 towed 155mm howitzers (8)

M101 towed 105mm howitzers (120)

M102 towed 105mm howitzers (24)

Oto Melara Model 56 towed 105mm howitzers (100)

M2 60mm mortars

M29 81mm mortars

M30 107mm mortars

Armbrust anti-tank rocket launchers
ATG-L anti-tank rocket launchers
RPG-7 anti-tank rocket launchers

M72 LAW anti-tank rocket launchers

M40 106mm recoilless guns

M67 90mm recoilless guns

M20 75mm recoilless guns

M134 mini-guns

M203 under barrel grenade launchers

M79 grenade launchers

M82A1 .50 cal sniper/anti-material rifles

M2HB Browning .50 cal heavy machine guns

M-60 machine guns

Ultimax 100 light machine gun (Singapore made)

Daewoo K3 light machine guns (South Korean made)

FN Minimi light machine guns

M21 sniper rifles

M-16 assault rifles

M-4 carbines

M-14 assault rifles

Steyr AUG assault rifles

HK G36 assault rifles

HK MP5 sub-machine guns

Benelli M3 shotguns

Benelli M1 Super 90 shotguns

Army Aviation

Beechcraft 80 Queen Air utility aircraft (3)

Cessna 421 Golden Eagle utility aircraft (2)

Cessna 206 Super Skylane utility aircraft (2)

Cessna 172 Skyhawk utility aircraft (1)

Polaris Motor SRL- Italian made flying inflatable boat. Basically a motorized glider. (2)

Special Forces

1^st Scout Ranger Regiment

1^st Special Forces Airborne Regiment

Light Reaction Battalion

Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU)

Armed civilians who help combat insurgents in insurgent dominated or contested areas. Considered active reserve forces. Act similar to Civilian Irregular Defense Group program used by U.S. forces in Vietnam. Basically village militia used to combat insurgents.

Presidential Security Group