MANILA, Philippines- Nakakuha ang defense sector ng bansa ng suporta mula sa navy ng Thailand sa gitna ng pagsisikap na gawing modernisado ang Philippine Navy (PN) at palakasin ang deterrence capabilities sa West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Inihayag ito ng Department of National Defense (DND) nitong Linggo, kasunod ng courtesy visit kamakailan ni Admiral Adoong Pan-Inam, Commander-in-Chief ng Royal Thai Navy, at kanyang delegasyon sa DND Building sa Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Sinalubong si Pan-Inam ni DND OIC Undersecretary Angelito M. De Leon, na ibinahagi ang estado ng implementasyon ng Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC).
Nilalayon ng CADC na paghusayin ang kapabilidad ng bansa na protektahan at bantayan ang buong teritoryo ng Pilipinas at exclusive economic zone (EEZ), at tiyaking lahat ng natural resources sa mga lugar na ito ay mapakikinabangan ng mga Pilipino.
“In response, Admiral Adoong shared Thailand’s best practices in manufacturing its own ammunitions, weapons, missiles, and military naval assets, particularly its offshore patrol vessels, and spare parts for its frigates,” pahayag ni DND spokesperson Director Arsenio Andolong.
“He also mentioned Thailand’s willingness to support Philippine defense industries through enhanced partnership and collaboration,” dagdag niya.
Inihayag din ni De Leon ang pag-asang magiging katuwang ng Pilipinas ang Thailand sa paglikha sa Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) program, nilalayong bigyang-kakayahan ang bansa na makagawa ng mga armas, small arms and ammunition, tactical communications equipment, basic land vehicles, at small sea craft gamit ang mga lokal na materyales.
Mababawasan nito ang pagdepende ng DND at Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sa foreign markets at tumulong na makalikha ng mayabong na local defense sector.
“Both officials agreed to increase navy-to-navy engagements through established dialogue mechanisms,” pahayag ni Andolong.
Inilahad pa ni De Leon ang posibleng areas of cooperation kabilang ang pakikipag-ugnayan sa tech at systems developers “to jointly enhance cybersecurity, and ensure the protection of cyber-networks as both countries recognize the importance of cyber defense in protecting critical infrastructure” sa ilalim ng implementasyon ng 2021 Memorandum of Understanding on Logistics and Defense Industry Cooperation sa pagitan ng dalawang bansa. RNT/SA
