A U.S. Marine Corps Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, right, assigned 3rd Littoral Combat Team, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and a U.S. Army M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System assigned to 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, are staged on the beach after a joint ship-to-shore movement during Exercise Balikatan 2026 in Calayan, Cagayan, Philippines, April 28, 2026. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. militar
MANILA, Philippines – Ipinagpapatuloy ng Philippine Navy ang layered approach nito sa coastal defense habang patuloy na humaharap sa nagbabagong security challenges, kabilang ang posibleng paglipat ng Japan Type 88 surface-to-ship missile system sa Pilipinas.
Ayon kay Navy spokesperson Capt. Marissa Arlene Martinez, hindi sapat ang isang missile system lamang para sa coastal defense ng bansa, kahit na papalapit na sa operasyon ang BrahMos missile system ng Philippine Marine Corps.
“Security challenges always evolve,” ani Martinez. “Having the BrahMos itself for coastal defense might not be enough because security challenges evolve.”
Idinagdag niya na may mga karagdagang sistema nang isinasaalang-alang sa ilalim ng Horizon 3 ng Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.
“I would not go into the details of it, but indeed, we would be having equipment that would address coastal defense,” dagdag pa niya.
Giit pa ni Martinez, kailangang multi-layered ang depensa na binubuo ng long-range, mid-range, at short-range capabilities, at dapat ay “network-centric” ang sistema.
“Everything has to be network-centric. With this, in order to have a good defense, we should be able to plan well the Modernization Program.”
Samantala, sinabi ni Roy Vincent Trinidad na bukas ang Armed Forces of the Philippines sa suporta ng mga kaalyadong bansa kaugnay ng posibleng transfer ng Japan Type 88 missile system.
“We welcome any move by like-minded countries to strengthen the AFP’s capability to perform its mandate of protecting our sovereignty, the integrity of our territory, and the Filipino people,” ani Trinidad.
Gayunman, nilinaw niyang hindi pa maaaring ilahad ang detalye ng anumang posibleng kasunduan.
Noong Mayo 6, unang beses na pinaputok sa Pilipinas ng Japan Self-Defense Forces ang Type 88 missile system sa Balikatan Exercise, kung saan mula Paoay, Ilocos Norte, dalawang missile ang tumama sa target na nasa humigit-kumulang 75 kilometro sa dagat. RNT/MND
