Indian defense industries are looking into supplying needs of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) through the modernization program which is entering its second horizon next year.
According to National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, India is interested most in supplying Philippine Navy’s modernization needs. In 2018, the Philippine Navy is reportedly launching a corvette acquisition program.
Indian Navy Kamorta-class anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kadmatt (P29) visits Manila in October 2017. Philippine Navy photo
“They are now manufacturing ships, and tanks as well as bullets. In fact, in the past we bought artillery rounds from them. So they are capable of doing that and they want to tap the market because they know that we are modernizing the military and they want to also come in,” Secretary Lorenzana said as quoted by Philstar.com.
In early 2016, Indian shipbuilder Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) was declared lowest bidder in Philippine Navy’s Frigate Acquisition Program, however, it was disqualified in the post qualification inspection after it was found “not capable financially as per computation of its net financing contracting capacity.”
The contract for 2 frigates under the Frigate Acquisition Program was won by Korean Hyundai Heavy Industries.