DND execs in Moscow to scout for military hardware

Defense officials headed by Secretary Delfin Lorenzana are now in Moscow to scout for key military platforms to fast-track the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization program.

But before flying to Moscow Thursday, Lorenzana had a meeting with visiting US Assistant Defense Secretary for Asian and Pacific Security Randall Schriver at the US embassy in Manila.

Among key government officials with Lorenzana in the Russian capital is Defense Undersecretary for finance and materiel Raymundo Elefante.

The group will be in Moscow until next week, the official said, adding aside from important meetings to further hasten defense and security relations between Moscow and Manila, the group will be visiting key Russian military and naval facilities to scout for warships and other key defense platforms.

“But nothing’s definite yet. They’re just there to scout for possible future procurement of the AFP’s needed equipment, as Russia of all other defense contractor-state, is offering the Philippine a soft loan to help bankroll the AFP modernization program,” a high ranking official revealed yesterday.

On Friday, Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta said the Philippines is eyeing to purchase Russian naval ships as it weighs all other proposals for military equipment.

“We are looking at the naval vessels. We have already had people come here look at the documents, look at the vessels. And the process will continue. They will have to look at others also, other countries and then come up with a decision,” Sorreta told TASS.

“Russian equipment is getting to be very desirable for many developing countries. They prefer Russian equipment and the terms are good. We’ve been discussing possible terms,” Sorreta added.

Sorreta credited Moscow for not having “political conditionality” in the purchase of arms, unlike other source countries.

“Russia’s terms are reasonable and they don’t have what’s called ‘political conditionality.’ When we buy something, you trust that we will use it well. With some countries, when we buy something they put limitations, conditionalities,” he said.

The prospecting of Russian naval ships by the Philippines followed an agreement signed by Lorenzana and Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu in October last year for military and technical cooperation.

As part of a new defense relationship, Philippines received 20 trucks, 5,000 units of AK-74M Kalashnikov assault rifles, one million units of 1943-type cartridges with steel core bullets, and 5,000 units of steel helmets from Russia.

In the same interview, Sorreta said some soldiers protecting President Duterte had been trained by Russia’s Federal Protection Service.

He said discussions are currently underway for the Russians to provide additional training to other Filipino military personnel.

“It’s part of our defense cooperation agreement, the creation of working groups who will discuss the details and part of their agenda is training,” Sorreta said.