The Philippine Department of Defense (DND) continues to seek new equipment to fill capability gaps in terms of small arms and crew-served weapons for both the Philippine Army and the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC).
Addressing current PMC requirements first, the DND has launched a PHP514.8 million ($10.1 million) project to obtain 702 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers plus 22,000 rounds.
These 40mm RPGs will replace old M67 90mm recoilless rifles in marine infantry squads. The PMC is also seeking 40 trainer RPG launchers plus 21,061 tracer practice rounds for training.
Elite units within the Philippine Navy and PMC are already operating
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The new artillery and howitzer factory pre-dates the emphasis on this capability from this month’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The first joint industry-government meeting outlined in the review took place this week.
Romania received its first Cobra MkII 4×4 light tactical armoured vehicles, ordered Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) and VAMTAC light vehicles, and is set to invest billions-of-dollars in infantry fighting vehicles.
The Italian Army operates Pumas in 6×6 and 4×4 configurations but the platforms are ageing and numbers have fallen with obsolescence also being an issue. Any replacement is likely to have a focus on the involvement of local industry.
The VAMTAC (Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico or High Mobility Tactical Vehicle) 4×4 by Urovesa is in service with or has been ordered by eight countries, the most recent being Spain this month and Romania last month.
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile with the solid rocket motor (SRM) provided by Northrop Grumman. The company is working to boost its SRM production capability.
The CV90 is in service with or ordered by ten countries. The agreement between six of these countries is designed to create commonality to provide economies of scale and a reduced training burden.
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