MANILA – In line with ongoing upgrades in the military, the Philippine Army's (PA) Armor Division on Wednesday presented 13 newly modernized armored vehicles to PA commander Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.
These consist of six newly upgraded armored combat vehicles (ACV-300) and seven re-powered Simba fighting vehicles, PA spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said Thursday.
Enclosed weapon stations were integrated into the six ACV-300s while the seven Simba fighting vehicles received upgraded engines.
"The newly-upgraded 'Pambato' (nickname of the Armor) Division’s armor assets -- equipped with modern communication, navigation, and weapons systems -- provide close and immediate indirect fire support for maneuver units on the battlefield," he added.
The blessing ceremonies for these vehicles took place at Armor Division headquarters at Camp O'Donnell, Sta. Lucia, Capas, Tarlac.
Brawner earlier lauded newly appointed Armor Division commander Maj. Gen. Facundo Palafox IV for allocating funds for the upgrade of vital armor assets.
"The newly upgraded and upcoming armor assets will bolster our capability to deal with constantly evolving threats and security challenges," Brawner said.
Aside from these modernized armored vehicles, the PA chief inspected the newly-constructed igloo-type ammunition dump of the Arrmor Division.
He said the newly built ammo dump will help in packaging properly and safely all various weapon ammunitions to avoid ammo wastage in the PA.
The facility will be used by the military to have ready access to supplies when needed. Brawner added the PA will continue to provide and support the Army’s modern warfare assets to improve the capacity of the Armor Division.
"The ammo dump is constructed so we can able to manage our ammunitions properly and prevent depletion due to unwanted fires and hazards in the camp," he added.
(PNA)