Project Sword
Wen Junjian. Comprehensive Global Network and other ** reports,The Philippines is already moving forward with a "Phase III" military modernization program, which was approved by Marcos and includes a plan to purchase a fleet of submarines.
Marcos inspected the Philippine Navy last year and witnessed "air defense capabilities").
Philippine Navy spokesman Trinidad claimed that the plans would enhance the Philippine Navy's "military strength" in the South China Sea, which he claimed would meet the need to "defend sovereignty." Trinidad did not give an answer to the specific number of submarines to buy, but stressed that there is more than one, and that Europe's military-industrial powers such as France, Italy, and Spain, and even South Korea are willing to "provide support".
Philippine Navy **).
As for why you want to buy submarines, foreign media hype that the Philippine Navy is very weak and has no way to "confront" the PLA Navy's water and underwater combat forces, and only submarines can pass through the complex hydrological conditions of the South China Sea and can hide with the help of submarine canyons and shoals.
This kind of intention can only be said to think a little too much, if the Philippines really wants to ***, then the PLA has a way to accompany it, the PLA has more submarines and higher quality, is the Philippines sure that it can afford to play?
The Chinese submarine 039B entered the port of the Gulf of Thailand)
Moreover, Marcos is actually slapping his swollen face and becoming fat, Marcos recently went to Vietnam to visit, and one of the most important agendas turned out to be rice procurement, because although the Philippines has produced its own rice, it is not full, and the price of rice in the Philippines is very high, which makes people's lives a problem. The economy of the Philippines is not very rich, and it was said that it would buy American F-16 fighter jets, but it was shy in the pocket, and there was a problem of insufficient funds before, after all, if the United States F-16 is sold to allies, it usually costs $100 million and $200 million, and the Philippines can afford it.
Marcos visits Vietnam).
Similarly, submarines are also a big money-burner, expensive to buy, and more laborious to maintain. The countries mentioned above must also come for money, and the Philippines does not buy much in quantity, so the asking price will be higher.
Take France's Scorpene-class submarine as an example, this kind of submarine was sold to India for 6 units, and the asking price was nearly 4 billion US dollars, which was a contract in 2005**, when a Scorpene-class submarine cost more than 600 million US dollars, and India ordered 6 submarines**. Later, Australia failed to buy US nuclear submarines, why is France so angry, because Australia originally wanted to buy Scorpene-class submarines, 12 of which cost 66 billion US dollars, and one cost billions of US dollars, I don't know if the Philippines can afford it.
India's "Scorpene-class submarines").
Southeast Asian countries generally have a general economy, so they will take a pragmatic line in military development, in fact, many ASEAN countries have maintained military-technical cooperation with China, such as Thailand to buy China's **, is also paying attention to Chinese submarines, no matter how poor Bangladesh is, it also costs 20.3 billion dollars received 2 035G submarines from China.
The Bangladesh Navy likes to mention Chinese submarines).
If the Philippines had not been so stiff in its relations with China, it would have considered buying submarines from China. Chinese goods are cheap and cheap, and those who have bought this know this. Moreover, China has never said anything about the Philippines, and it has always been the Philippines itself that is doing things. If the Philippines wakes up as soon as possible, it will not actually need to buy submarines, and it will be better to spend the money on development.