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Modernization boosts military capability to detect 'surface contacts'

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno
December 4, 2024, 11:06 am

MANILA -- The ongoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program has boosted the military's capability to detect and track "surface tracks or contacts", referring to conventional ships or vessels.

"Yes, for sure these are results of our modernization. Although I could not say specifically when we started having that capability," Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City Tuesday afternoon.

"Suffice it to say with the pronouncement of the President that we are shifting from internal security to external defense. Amplified by this guidance to execute a comprehensive archipelagic defense posture, we have now oriented our monitoring towards our EEZ (exclusive economic zone)," he added.

He made this remark when asked whether the military's modernization played a part in the detection of the Russian attack submarine in Occidental Mindoro waters last Nov. 28.

The Russian submarine was spotted by the Western Command using its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

Trinidad said the AFP has been able to "monitor almost 13,000 maritime traffic or ships within our EEZ for the month of November", including the Russian submarine and around 58 People's Liberation Army Navy and China Coast Guard vessels.

"This also means that we have greater capabilities to monitor surface assets or surface tracks or contacts than what we have to detect underwater contacts. Our underwater, undersea warfare capability is still modest. It is still (an) ongoing development," Trinidad said. (PNA)