Manila – The Department of National Defense requested Congress to allocate more funds to procure six new anti-submarine helicopters for the Navy, as it anticipated delivery of at least eight new vessels by 2028.
A senior defense official said the Navy submitted an updated procurement plan for the second phase of the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter acquisition project for 42.3 billion pesos.
“The Navy does not want tenders for this project because it wanted a specific helicopter from a specific supplier,” the senior defense official said. “The Navy has two AW159 and a public bidding may introduce a new model not compatible with what is now used.”
The defense official said the Navy has four frigates and is expecting six offshore patrol vessels, all built by a South Korean shipyard. But it has only two Leonardo AW159 Wildcat anti-submarine warfare helicopters.
“Operational compatibility, platform standardization, and deck space limitations aboard Philippine Navy vessels have influenced the preference for the same helicopter model rather than shifting to a different type,” the senior defense official, quoting the Philippine Navy justification for the AW159 ASW helicopters.
He said other ASW helicopters, like the Seahawk, might pose a problem due to weight concerns that would require modifying the frigates’ structure.
However, the senior defense official said the Philippine Navy has support and sustainability problems with Leonardo, which supplied the first two AW159 ASW helicopters.
The senior defense official said the plan to procure six additional AW159 ASW is part of the military modernization program’s third horizon.
The third horizon includes the delivery of twelve FA-50 aircraft, which was signed in June. The Philippine Air Force also recommended acquiring 12 L39NG SkyFox trainers, two aerial refueling tankers, and up to two AWACS platforms.
The Philippine Navy recommended acquiring two additional frigates costing an estimated 43 billion pesos, two corvettes for the fiscal year 2026, additional shore-based and surface-to-air missile systems, 12 units of 155mm/52 self-propelled howitzers for the Marines, and 10 additional fast attack interdiction craft (FAIC). The Philippine Navy inspected up to six Abukuma-class ships in Japan in August.
The senior defense official said the procurement of six more AW159s, if finalized, will align the Navy’s aviation capabilities with the expansion of its surface fleet and meet the rotational requirements of shipboard helicopter deployment.
He said the AW159 ASW acquisition program could be completed before year end and may be signed soon as funding is secured. “If awarded, deliveries could begin within three years, bringing the Philippine Navy’s Wildcat fleet to eight units,” he added.