The initial steps between Manila and Paris to forge a maritime defense cooperation could bolster the initiative of the Duterte administration to secure submarines for the Philippine Navy, with France as the possible supplier.
While Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana said that the Letter of Intent (LOI) on Enhancing Defense Cooperation in the Maritime Domain that he signed with his French counterpart Florence Parly was still non-binding, he understood that France is among the list of countries being evaluated as the source of submarines for the Philippines.
The intent agreement was signed during Lorenzana’s visit to France early this month from South Korea, where he and President Duterte attended the Asean-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit held in late November.
“It was still an intent, nonbinding, but good enough to start planning. What would be binding is the contract,” the defense chief said of the agreement he inked with Parly, France’s defense minister.
“They were selling to us submarines, the Scorpene. According to the Navy, it’s one of the best submarines,” Lorenzana added on Tuesday night.
France’s Scorpene class submarines are of diesel-electric type also in service of other navies.
France was just among the countries, which included Russia, Germany and South Korea, that has been eyed by the Department of National Defense as a possible source of submarines for the military amid its militarization thrust under the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.
The procurement of submersible assets for the Navy should complement its acquisition of brand-new frigates, two of which are to be delivered by South Korea within the next two years.
The Navy has also procured two brand new anti-submarine helicopters.
On Monday night, Lorenzana also disclosed the ongoing negotiations for the procurement of two batteries of BrahMos supersonic missiles from India, whose document he was expecting to sign, possibly within the first three months of next year.
The defense secretary said the decision to acquire the Indian-made missile with a speed of Mach 3 would jump start the development of the military’s deterrent capability, given its territorial challenges.
(BusinessMirror)