The Philippine military's dream of having its own submarines could be provided by France as the two countries move to further expand their defense cooperation to mark their 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit, founder and managing director of Stratbase Group, said France is a good prospect in the Armed Forces of the Philippines' continuous build-up of external defense capabilities that multi-role fighter planes, offshore patrol vessels, corvettes, light tanks, and land-based missile systems.
Under the last phase of the AFP modernization program, classified as Horizon 3 which covers 2023-2028, the military is looking towards increasing their capability in preventing and addressing external threats.
"In this perspective, the country is planning to acquire its very first submarine capability. With an expertise and know-how based on a centenarian experience, France has demonstrated its ability to fully support a partner nation to create and autonomously operate submarine capability," said Manhit.
“A continued engagement with France in the defense and security sectors will enable us to build a credible defense posture in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.
The Philippines is currently locked in a territorial dispute with neighboring countries in the West Philippine Sea, particularly with China which has been very aggressive in asserting its claims in the area by building structures and sending more patrol vessels in the disputed areas.
France and the Philippines are looking into the possibility of holding coordinated patrols in their exclusive economic zones and expand the cooperation between both forces.
The Philippines and France, through its overseas Pacific territories, are both nations of the Indo-Pacific. Both countries increasingly share concerns of similar nature due to the consequences of strategic shifts in the region.
“France has redirected its diplomatic initiatives and policies to promote a multipolar order founded on the rule of law and multilateralism. It envisions a region wherein states advance shared democratic values and governments abide by international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," said Manhit.
Stratbase, under the patronage of the French Embassy in Manila, will host “Revolutionizing the Philippine Defense Posture with France in the Indo-Pacific,” wherein defense experts from both the Philippines and France will gather in a forum to mark mark the 75th anniversary of the Philippines and France diplomatic relations. It will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 14 in Manila.
French Ambassador to the Philippines Michèle Boccoz will deliver the welcoming remarks during the forum. She will be joined by, RADM Dumoulin, Brigadier General Caroline Salahun, CAPT Ludovic Poitou, Dr. Eric Frecon, Mr. Loïc Beaurepaire and Mr. Stephan Meunier.
Manhit will lead the Philippine speakers, and he will be joined by Undersecretary Jaime Victor Ledda from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Renato de Castro, Dr. Chester Cabalza, RADM Jose Renan Suarez, and Dr. Philip Arnold Tuaño. Dr. Charmaine Misalucha-Willoughby will moderate the discussions.