• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

AFP thanks PBBM for support in modernization program

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno
July 30, 2025, 8:06 pm

MANILA -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday expressed its gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his continuous commitment and support to the ongoing military modernization program.

"Kami po sa AFP ay nagpapasalamat sa ating Pangulo dahil tuloy-tuloy po ang modernisasyon ng ating Armed Forces (We are very thankful to our President for the continuous modernization of the Armed Forces)," AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said during the 2025 Post-SONA Discussions held in San Juan City.

Brawner cited some of the latest acquisitions of the AFP, which include warships and combat helicopters.

"Bukod sa mga bases na dini-develop na po natin, ay marami na po tayong nabiling mga kagamitan, mga platforms katulad po ng mga barko ng Philippine Navy. Dumating na bagong frigates natin, mayroon na po tayong dalawang bagong corvettes. Parating na rin po ang anim na offshore patrol vessels natin. Marami na rin po tayong na mas maliit na mga barko na dumating na (Aside from the bases that we are developing, we have already bought a lot of equipment, platforms like new ships for the Philippine Navy. Our new frigates have already arrived, we now have two new corvettes, and there will be six more offshore patrol vessels that will be delivered soon. We also have a lot of smaller vessels that have been delivered)," he said.

Some of the newly-acquired ships of the Philippine Navy (PN) include the two Jose Rizal-class guided missile frigates, delivered in 2020 and 2021, and the newly-commissioned BRP Miguel Malvar, which joined the fleet in May.

As for the Philippine Air Force (PAF), Brawner said the service now has a lot of S-70i "Black Hawk" combat utility helicopters in its fleet, with more still to come.

The Philippines has ordered an initial 16 S-70i units in 2019 and another 32 units in 2022, which are now in the process of being delivered.

Brawner said the "Black Hawks" are needed not only for security and defensive purposes but also in times of calamities, as they can be used to transport relief goods, along with the larger C-130 transport aircraft, to areas severely hit by cyclones and other disasters.

The AFP chief also said they also have placed an order for an additional 12 FA-50 Block 70 light combat aircraft, which will be useful in patrolling and defending not only the West Philippine Sea but the entire archipelago. The delivery period for these South Korean-made aircraft is scheduled from 2026 to 2030.

"Bukod po dito, may mga bagong tangke tayo sa Philippine Army (PA) at marami pa ho tayong self-propelled howitzers. Mga bago po ito. At marami pa po tayong kinukuha (Aside from this, the PA has new tanks and a lot of brand new and modern self-propelled howitzers. We are still getting more)," Brawner said.

Aside from equipment, Brawner said the military's cyber systems are also being upgraded, as cyber warfare is now considered as the newest form of conflict. (PNA)