Army gets 77 US APCs

37 more to arrive in Subic under EDA grant

The Philippine Army (PA) is now more formidable with the arrival in Subic Bay of the first shipment of the 114 units of M113A2 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) set for transfer from the United States government to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the other night.

“Kung ang Air Force ay pumasok sa supersonic age, ang Navy ay tinatawag nang wet and wild, ang Philippine Army naman ay machong-macho na dahil bigatin na sila (If the Air Force has entered the supersonic age; the Navy now called wet and wild; the Philippine Army is now made macho),” said Colonel Restituto Padilla, the AFP spokesman.

The 77 APCs were acquired by the AFP from the US government

through the Excess Defense Article (EDA) Program, the US Embassy in Manila confirmed yesterday. The EDA Program grants excess US military equipment without cost to qualified allied countries.

“This was the first shipment of 114 such vehicles to arrive. The second shipment of 37 units is scheduled to arrive on 14 Dec., and the remainder will be delivered later this month,” the embassy statement said.

The APCs, set to be presented to media tomorrow, were given free to the Philippines as a grant but the shipping costs of bringing them from the stockyard in the US to the country are shouldered by the recipient.

The Department of National Defense (DND) had to source out the funds for their transport.

The US embassy said “the transfer of the APCs is a result of a formal request made by the AFP to assist in their defense modernization efforts.”

The M113 was developed to provide a survivable and reliable light tracked vehicle that allows for troops to be brought forward under armor for dismounted operations.

The US embassy said a number of the vehicles are scheduled to participate in the annual AFP Day Parade on December 21.

APCs to be re-equipped An Army official also earlier said that the vehicles will be stripped of weapons by US authorities, but will be re-equipped with cal. 50 guns in the inventory of the Army when they arrive.

Padilla stressed that the the arrival of the APCs is a “most welcome development particularly for the Army as it energizes and strengthen its mechanized division.”

“Accuracy in operation when it’s mobilized will be fast tracked, survivability and security of our troops in the field especially in buildup areas can be guaranteed,” said the AFP spokesman.