Hi-tech naval station inaugurated in Sarangani

MindaNews / 17 June 2005

DAVAO CITY – No, it’s not the naval base many people have been expecting. But a modern naval facility has just been inaugurated in Glan, Sarangani and is now on a 24-hour watch to monitor illegal activities over major sea routes in Sarangani and General Santos City, the Sarangani Public Information Office reported.

The P5-million Naval Intelligence Security Force Building at Tinaka Point in Barangay Batulaki, refered to as Coast Watch Station (CWS) “with the most modern equipment” was inaugurated Tuesday, the Sarangani PIO said in a report Friday.

The facility has a modern radar system and two stand-by generators. It is manned by Navy personnel and guarded by the Marines.

Sarangani Governor Miguel Dominguez said the naval station was placed in Tinaka Point because of its strategic location. The station is near a century-old lighthouse which is still operational, the Sarangani PIO reported.

The Coast Watch Station in Glan is the 8th in the country.

Oscar Endona, Philippine Coast Guard station commander in General Santos City was quoted as saying the station is “also capable of pursuing and capturing illegal motor boats shipping illegal cargo into Sarangani coasts.”

http://www.mindanews.com/2005/06/17nws-naval.html

:thumb: just hoping we have enough assets to interdict suspicious offshore activities.

this is a laudable effort on the part of the PN but im a bit unconvinced of a modern radar system that costs only P5million pesos, its possible but the capabilities are probably limited e.g. detection range

ya i think so too. 5 million pesos is just unimaginable, unless its actually 5 million dollars and not pesos. But 5 million pesos can be enough though...maybe they bought a big telescope for surface surveillance and a big flashlight for night surface surveillance! :drunk:

Good job, Navy! :salute:

Navy, is the Tawi-tawi area covered by this radar?

The south-western side, like in Mati, Davao shuld also be secured.

They should also do this in Tawi-tawi, if the radar cant reach Tawi-tawi still (but i guess it can) and Davao del Sur or Mati area, if in case it is out of the radar's range.



MORE RP MAPS:

http://geocities.com/lakbay_gubat/

Click Others... then ... Philippine Maps

long range MPAs in the near future?

Philippines looking to Australian 'Coast Watch' model

read more::

This is the point I'm telling about in one of the threads where it would be possible to make use of other agencies' radars. Sharing of equipments where it provides dual or multi-task roles. Assisting different agencies where it lacks needed assets as well as providing security for the country. This method could be expanded to other existing assets such as planes and patrol ships of PCG, PNP MG, DENR, PN and PAF.

In the topics of the surplus F5As this is also my point. With limited funds, for a couple of USD100, we could acquire a number of planes to conduct patrol and recon of our EEZ not reached by our patrol boats. At least for the time being it would assist for an effective Coastal Watch.

yup. similar concept as has been outlined on the MAKE THE COAST GUARD AS BIG AS THE PN thread

and

the Australian customs service is of course a revenue collection body.

and the Coast Watch practice of pooling surveillance assets under a central command neatly ties up the concept of beefing-up the PCG with the old SURFACE WAVE RADAR (“Shore-based 24/7 EEZ surveillance”) thread.

good idea Mr. Secretary :thumb:

Part of an article that appeared in Newsbreak magazine (Feb. 27, 2006). Can't find it on their site but it is poster in the AsiaViews site (link) . The print mag has a map showing suspected JI entry points in the south.
-----

Coast watch south

One weak flank in the country’s fight against terror is the porous southern border. The ATTF has not adequately addressed this mainly because of old problems that have to do with lack of resources.

A new Navy-led inter-agency body is thus shaping up to focus on maritime border security. This year, the Defense Department has made Coast Watch South (CWS) a priority in 2006—a program to tighten security in the area. In his message to the AFP top brass in January, Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz said that CWS is meant “to enhance our ability to monitor the transit of people in the Celebes and Sulawesi Seas.”

How this new body will fit into the ATTF’s opaque structure is still being threshed out.

What has made the CWS urgent is that suspected terrorists have expanded their routes to Mindanao and enter the country’s southern border with ease. Seven routes have already been identified by the AFP and its counterparts in Indonesia and Malaysia.

CWS, while national in scope, will first focus on the south. It will involve, among others, the Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Immigration, Coast Guard, and the maritime police. CWS is set to be operational in July. Already, the defense secretary has held dialogues with Malaysia and Indonesia on coast-watch issues.

Jemaah Islamiyah members used to be limited to two usual routes, maps from the Armed Forces show. But they have added more routes, which are variations of older routes. Maps prepared by the AFP indicate that the entry points to Mindanao are Jolo, Sarangani, Palawan, Tawi-Tawi, and Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi. From these ports, they move on to Zamboanga and later to Maguindanao (see chart and maps).

Despite this information, it’s been difficult for the military to go after the JI operatives. (Intelligence estimates of their numbers vary, but they’re said to be less than 100 and are mostly Indonesians.)

A briefing by the AFP says that from Sarangani and Zamboanga, the JI members proceed to Cotabato and later to the boundary of Butig in Lanao del Sur and Barira in Maguindanao. Those who go to General Santos City stay overnight at lodging houses before proceeding to Cotabato City, using a bus or leased passenger jeepney. Several JI members are said to have used private vehicles while in Cotabato City.

“The backbone of maritime security in Mindanao is Coast Watch South,” says Navy
Capt. Rex Recomono, outgoing chief of Navy plans and programs. “Before, it was each agency to its own. What we need is an institutional response.”

EL/M-2226 - ACSR - Advanced Coastal Surveillance Radar


The EL/M-2226 is an innovative state-of-the-art Coastal Surveillance Radar optimized for the detection of small surface targets even under extremely adverse sea conditions.

This digital, compact, cost-effective and user-friendly system is the 3rd generation Coastal Surveillance Radar. It incorporates ELTA's vast experience in surveillance radars and utilizes the company's high resolution technology.

The radar features continuous, gap-free, automatic detection and tracking of targets, providing a reliable tactical situation display with a very low operator workload.

The system can be supplied either in fixed or mobile configurations.


Features

* Operates 24 hours a day under all weather conditions
* Optimal detection of small surface targets
* Automatic detection without operator intervention
* Tracking of up to 200 targets
* High range accuracy and resolution
* Classification by accurate range signature
* PC based control unit and friendly MMI
* Background digital map on color display
* Lightweight and low power consumption
* High reliability and advanced Built-In-Test (BIT)
* Simple networking of several radars remotely controlled by a Command & Control Center
* Interoperability with additional sensors (i.e. optical, CSM, ESM)
* Growth potential


Applications

* Prevention of illegal immigration and drug smuggling
* Maritime traffic control and prevention of illegal fishing
* Prevention of terrorist activities
* Detection of submarine periscope and radar antenna
* Detection of airborne targets


Specifications

Frequency: X Band
Azimuth beamwidth: 1.5
Elevation beamwidth: 2.6
Detection ranges (sea stage 3)

- Rubber boat: > 20 km
- Patrol craft: > 60 km
- No. of targets/tracks: > 200


System Configuration

* Lightweight antenna assembly including Pedestal / Turntable
* Main electronic unit including: RF Front-End, Transmitter, Receiver, Signal Processor and Controller
* PC-Based Control and Display Unit


to read more about the Elta EL/M-2226 - ACSR, visit www.iai.co.il.

EADS Coastal Surveillance System CSS 7000


EADS Deutschland has developed a land and offshore based Coastal Surveillance System for territorial protection, called "CSS 7000"

The CSS 7000 Coastal Surveillance System uses Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) equipment and software as well as key subsystems of the well-proven Seatrack 7000 system by EADS Deutschland to the maximum, complying with all relevant international and industrial standards.

The CSS 7000 Coastal Surveillance System uses as a standard Coastal Surveillance Radars for sea target detection or for air target detection or a combination of both, including the necessary coastal communication network, signal processing and display subsystems. It is highly reliable and easy to maintain, making it the ideal solution for unattended operation and low maintenance/life cycle cost. The radars can be remotely controlled from the Control Centre where the coastal surveillance situation is displayed to the operators.

The CSS 7000 Coastal Surveillance System is ideally suited for the permanent surveillance of any large or small coastal area and can be adapted for different end users such as Navy and Coast Guard, the Fishery Administration, Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), Immigration, Customs, Police, Coastal and Offshore Companies.


for more, please visit EADS.net.


----------


EADS Delivered Coastal Surveillance Radar System To Estonia
spacemart.com
by Staff Writers
Munich, Germany (SPX) Mar 14, 2006


EADS Defence and Communications Systems has completed the delivery of Coastal Surveillance Radar System (CSR), which had been ordered by the Estonian Ministry of Interior. The system, operated by the Estonian Border Guard, covers the entire coastline of more than 500 km.

The 27 million euro contract includes the delivery of the whole Coastal Surveillance System, including radar, signal processing, multi sensor tracking, system management, data base system and recording and replay based on the EADS product CSS Seatrack 7000.

Designed and built to ensure the integrity of the Estonian territory and territorial waters the system identifies and recognises surface and air targets in the responsibility of the Estonian Border Guard.

The system is based on twenty radar sites, including ten Short Range Radars (SRR) with sea target detection and signal processing capability and ten Long Range Radars (LRR) with sea and air target detection and processing capabilities.

The operational responsibility is allocated to four Regional Control Centres (RCC). Each RCC is connected with a number of radar sites. The number of associated radar sites varies from four to eight LRR and SRR, depending on the complexity of the coastline. The overall coastal operations picture of all four RCC is displayed to four operators in the National Control Centre which is located at the Border Guard harbour in Tallinn.

"As an expert for integrated security systems and platforms, EADS has comprehensively responded to these objectives by developing a sophisticated Coastal Surveillance System as an essential step towards extensive Maritime Security, and a Border Security Programme which has only recently been acquired by the Estonian government in order to meet European security standards.

"EADS itself has strong and proven expertise in the planning, integration and execution of Maritime Security Systems: through our variety of activities from commercial aircraft to complex naval and ground based combat management systems we have acquired a unique know-how in system design and large system integration," said Hervé Guillou, CEO of EADS Defence and Communications Systems.

"The new system allows our border guard to be of greater help to control more efficiently our sea area, to provide assistance to people getting in trouble on sea and to make our seas safer and more secure.

"As the new system allows us to get a comprehensive overview of what is happening on sea, we will be more efficient in supporting our cooperation partners both in Estonia and in our neighbour countries" commented Kalle Laanet, Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Estonia.

The system provides, amongst other features, the monitoring and control of vessel traffic in the Gulf of Finland to prevent and avoid collisions and groundings of vessels. Furthermore it provides the detection and apprehension of smugglers using ships and by that it allows the prevention of illegal transport of migrants to the European Union via the Baltic countries either by vessels or helicopters.

The project started in July 2002 and is now completed. The system represents the largest radar-based coastal surveillance system designed for homeland security purposes.

In addition, Portugal's Instituto Portuário e dos Transportes Marítimos (IPTM) commissioned a Portuguese-German consortium, led by EADS, to build a Vessel Traffic and Control System (VTCS) along the coast of Portugal. With the twofold objective of protecting Europe's outer borders and at the same time improving maritime safety and environmental protection, this system is of strategic importance to the EU.

Will it be possible to have one system to have both air and coastal radar? The RP needs both but we don't have the $ to buy the two.

Even if the answer is no, I was thinking if we get one vendor for both air and coastal radars, we can get a volume discount and integrating both radar systems into one tracking and administration infrastructure including C&C.

We ned to develop first our Radar Installation on the strategic part of the country because it is connected to the efficiency and effectivity of our Air force and Navy.

Two Radar in one that can detect Sea and Air traffic is valuable to the integrated defense network we need to protect the territorial water and airspace of our country

Cheer :armycheers:

ABSOLUTELY!!!!

I CERTAINLY AGREE!!!! :agree:

2 years later...

Philippine Navy To Seal Off Southern Borders

of special interest:

source

I had to read that aloud, like ...as syllables. :armyLol:
I wonder if they'll be new-build IPV's, or if they'll be secondhand...

New US, Aussie aid may boost RP fight vs pirates, militants

By MANNY MOGATO
Reuters

MANILA - The Philippines will tighten its southern maritime borders against pirates, smugglers and Muslim militants this year with financial aid and training from the United States and Australia, a senior defence official said on Tuesday.

Washington and Canberra have agreed to train, equip and help build up the Philippines' maritime security capabilities to fight Islamic militants, who use the remote and isolated islands in the country's south as training bases.

The Sulu and Celebes seas, which separate the Philippines from Malaysia and Indonesia, also contain busy shipping lanes and fishing areas, which are plied by pirates and smugglers.

The Philippine Navy is hoping a new radar system that can track smaller vessels crossing the country's porous borders with Malaysia and Indonesia will be ready by the third quarter.

The Australian defence and customs authorities meanwhile have helped develop a multi-agency coast watch system along the Philippines' southern coastline, which is expected to be running before the end of the year.

"We have an enduring interest in helping fight terrorism in this part of the region," Vic Jones, Australia's defence attache to Manila, told Reuters in an interview.

"The Americans are helping fund the equipment needed to run the border control system that we have helped conceptualise and put into operation," Jones said, adding similar mechanisms were being put up in Malaysia and Indonesia to make it more efficient and effective.

Radios and speed boats

Washington has allocated nearly $80 million in the fiscal year 2007 to help Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia tighten their borders.

Jones said Australia was willing to train and exercise with Philippine troops after Manila ratifies a military treaty signed in 2007 allowing Australian troops to take part in war games and cross-training activities in the Philippines.

"We're expecting to deliver 21 river boats within the next 12 months to expand our counter-terrorism cooperation with Manila," he added.

Australia has allocated nearly $7 million in military aid to the Philippines this year. Canberra also trains nearly 150 Filipino soldiers every year.

In addition to Australian aid, Washington has agreed to provide $15.5 million for a network of high-frequency radio communications equipment and high-speed boats for the southern region of the archipelago.

Since 2003, the United States, Manila's closest security ally, has deployed hundreds of its troops to help train and advise Filipino soldiers to fight Muslim rebels in the south.

During the same period, the United States also provided about $500 million for military assistance and development projects to win over the Muslim minority in the mainly Catholic country.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=125267

Coast Watch South: Guarding Sulu’s Wealth Print E-mail
Written by Criselda Yabes
Tuesday, 16 December 2008

Image At the first sign of daylight, just after the mosque had finished its call to prayers, the patrol gunboat of the Philippine Navy’s Task Force 62 left the pier of Tawi-Tawi.

A crew of 12 Navy men in camouflage shorts and beige t-shirts took their posts in the 78-foot assault craft that didn’t look too menacing if not for the twin 25-millimeter guns aimed at the sky. Later, two marine teams joined the patrol on board. They brought with them the all too familiar dingy rubber boats that have always accompanied the Marines in their tasks.

It was a routine for the Navy men but for a civilian observer, it was picturesque sight. The grayness of the boat appeared like a postcard silhouette against the purple haze of a dawn. The island itself has a spectacular natural formation—a flattened peak with a gaping hole dug out in the middle.

“You think this is beautiful? We see this all the time,” said marine officer Maj. Juan Ismael Villadolid.

Villadolid is the operations officer of the 2nd battalion of the Marine Landing Team. Attached to the Naval Task Force 62, it is tasked to implement the Coast Watch South—a strategic and ambitious master plan to guard and protect the dangerous and ecologically abundant waters of the Sulu and Celebes seas bordering Malaysia and Indonesia.

“I’m the commander here. I have a marine unit, a fleet unit, and the SEALs (the Navy’s special operations unit). They are all suited for the island,” said Capt. Joel de la Cruz.

The Naval Task Force 62 serves as the eyes and the ears of the Philippine Navy, which is the lead agency in the surveillance and the monitoring of the country's southern edge. It is also supported by the Coast Guard, the Philippine National Police Maritime Group, and the Bureau of Fisheries.
A slow day

ImageThe naval gunboat could run really fast when chasing targets. Recently, the Navy arrested 15 pirates on board a boat with a fake seal of the Marina of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). One of them is supposedly involved in the highly publicized kidnapping of foreign tourists in 2000 off Sipadan island in Malaysia.

“If there are targets, we use our fleet asset to conduct surgical operations. It has to be done fast,” said De la Cruz.

But there were no activities that morning in July. Conducting only the regular patrol, the gunboat was running slow at 14 knots per hour. The Marines took the time to nap.

Halfway toward the three-hour sea journey to the famous Sibutu Passage, the marine officers were momentarily entertained by a school of dolphins dancing in the water. After the brief spectacle, the officers went down to the cabin for a breakfast of rice and omelet. On top of the persistent drone of the engine, Captain Cruz shared to them a post-World War II history.

And then, suddenly, the radar’s flat monitor screen showed a tanker on the near horizon. Immediately recognizing it as a commercial tanker, the Marines ignored it. It was nothing to be suspicious about. Other times, the Navy men come across foreign vessels, which would normally hoist a flag as a way of saluting.

The patrol gunboat stirs into action when a vessel could not be immediately identified. It would have to go after the unidentified vessel to establish the legality of its presence. It’s a standard procedure known in the naval parlance as VBS (Visit, Board, and Search).
History of violence

ImageIn this part of the country, the responsibility of the Marines is daunting. The southern edge of the country hosts many types of criminals.

A stone’s throw away from the Malaysian coastline, the breathtaking emerald chain of islands scattered on the sea routes of Sulu is previously known, somewhat pejoratively, as the Philippines’s “backdoor.” It has been a haven for terrorists, pirates, bandits, poachers, human traffickers, smugglers, and just about all the bad people made for an action movie. The increasing incidence of poverty is not helping the situation.

This part of the country has a long history of violence. The Sultanates and colonialism of previous centuries were marked by intense political hostility. The secessionist war between the Philippines and Malaysia in the 1970s did not ease the situation.

It was only in the past decade or so when Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei warmed up to each other and conceived an economic growth area. The efforts to work together as partners to bring back the flourishing trade and commerce of years past continue.

Tawi-Tawi alone is the world’s 11th fish exporter. It is also rich in oil, gas, and minerals. The United States and Australia—two countries involved in the peace efforts in the region—are among the countries that have launched initial explorations.

The Sulu Sea is also a diver’s paradise. It’s an ecological wonder where new marine species are always being discovered. If peace could be attained, ecotourism alone is estimated to bring in an estimated P4.4 billion to the local economy.
Building up

ImageDespite its limited resources, the Marines is hopeful that it could reverse the fate of the southern archipelago through the Coast Watch South.

Malaysia has about 26 radar stations on Borneo, a massive island also shared with Brunei and Indonesia. The Philippines, on the other hand, only has a radar system that could cover three percent of its area of about 123,000 square nautical miles.

Nevertheless, the armed forces have been able to maximize their operations. They have started upgrading it facilities.

“It’s a case of ‘build it and they will come,’ said Rodel Cruz, a former undersecretary of defense who helped oversee the blueprint for the defense reform program.

“The purpose is to establish a sea lane where legitimate business can pass [through],” added Rear Admiral Ernesto Marayag, commander of the Naval Forces of the southern region based in Zamboanga City, where the original nerve center was located.

The Coast Watch station in Zamboanga has been newly constructed inside the base of the Western Mindanao Command. The team was slowly put together and the equipment were later provided.

In Tawi-Tawi, the task force is setting its sight on the mountain peak as prime location for a radar station. They are waiting for the approval from the municipal council to lease out a land area for their use.

A smaller station is also scheduled to be completed in Tawi-Tawi’s Taganak island—which is more popular to tourists as the Turtle Island. It’s so near Malaysia that some of its residents use the ringgit currency. They’re aiming to build more stations in Palawan’s Balabac island and Sarangani’s Tinaka to monitor two other major sea routes. Ideally, each station should have eight personnel rotating on a 12-hour shift.

“The easiest part is to monitor,” said Marayag. “The most difficult is in the analyzing. When the monitoring [team] passes on info to the center [in Zamboanga], we decide whether to send interception by air or sea.”

For this, Marayag said they might soon have four or six interception fast boats that could run at a high speed of 40 knots. These boats could make it from Zamboanga to Sulu in record time of two and a half hours.

The top priority is upgrading the radar system, he added. The current radar system has an effective range of 12 nautical miles. Ideally, it should have a maximum range of 48 nautical miles.

Captain Cruz said there’s a need to upgrade their radar to a thermal-seeking FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared System) to make monitoring of targets easier. He said it's one of the necessary equipment that the Navy is expected to acquire this year.

Marayag said it is clear to the Navy that this is a long-term process starting with what little funding they have.

But they are not discouraged. The interest shown by the Australian government in providing financial backing to the plan makes the Marines optimistic. President Arroyo is expected to sign an executive order that is similar to the agreement among the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore over the Straits of Malacca.

“Instead of the waters dividing borders, waters should bring us together,” said the former defense undersecretary Cruz.
Ultimately, the Navy men dreams to see an additional air fleet of Norwegian-made Islanders and German-made B0105, which have twin engines that are suitable for sea maneuvers. (Newsbreak)

great effort by the fleet marine team but the south sea is vast and there are oly few patrol boats.

we definitely need more boats!

GMA should "request" Singapore for the retired sea wolves.
:ssalute:

THESE COAST WATCH STATION IN THE SOUTH NEEDS THE FOLLOWING EQUIPMENT:

1. SEVERAL RADAR UNITS (MOBILE AND STATIONARY) WITH A RANGE OF MORE THAN 48nm;
2. BETTER COMMUNICATION AND RADIO EQUIPMENT;
3. FAST PATROL BOATS / CRAFTS
4. LIGHT MARITIME PATROL AIRCRAFTS;
5. LIGHT HELICOPTERS;
6. OTHER SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT COAST-WATCH ACTIVITIES;
7. BETTER WEAPONS FOR MARINES
8. A CENTRAL COMMAND CENTER / HQ FOR COAST WATCH SOUTH

Guarding the Philippines Coastline

Friday, 15 May 2009 Asian Sentinel

One recent evening in the protected zone of the Philippines' Turtle Island, visitors from the US and Philippine Navies waited for the turtles to come ashore in the dark to lay their endangered ping pong-sized eggs. It was a rare occasion for the officers, both Filipinos and Americans, to camp out on one of the country's remotest islands.

The two military units, however, were on Turtle Island not to murmur in awe at the turtles but to take part in a long-running and long-stalled program by the Philippine Navy to spend up to P17 billion (US$357 million) to establish 17 Coast Watch stations to guard the country's vast archipelago of islands against terror groups and international criminals, encircling the southern portion of the country from Palawan to Davao.

The Coast Watch system was designed to be part of a border management program funded by the European Union under the Philippines' anti-terrorist law, but an executive order giving all agencies involved to work behind it has yet to be signed by the president. This unfortunately gives foreign aid donors, notably the United States and Australia, the signal that it does not count the south among its top priorities.

The southern fringes of the Philippines have always had the allure of adventure and danger, a paradox to its pristine, undeveloped beauty that the central government in Manila has ignored and neglected for years. The inhabitants of these islands, in fact, are geographically closer to Malaysia on northern Borneo and the trade that binds them.

Isolation, religion and poverty have separated most of the area from the more prosperous north throughout history despite a terrain that, thanks to a tropical sun and copious rain, can grow almost anything. In 2008, the National Statistical Coordination Board put poverty incidence in Mindanao at 38.8 percent, almost double that of Luzon.

Since the eruption of a Muslim rebellion in Sulu in the 1970s, the south has had a difficult time coming out of an economic and social pit despite vast amounts of development aid and peace negotiations. Manila has in the last few years agreed to the presence of visiting US forces, ostensibly to curb terrorism in Sulu and other parts of mainland Mindanao.

The clear blue sky and sea belie a long history of violence. This backward littoral could easily be transformed into ecotourism sites or an economic zone trading in abundant marine products. But security has always been fragile, and there are hardly any passenger routes for easy access, leaving this area into the hands of local officials largely confined to a feudal structure of governance. The sultanates and colonialism of previous centuries were marked by intense political hostility, but it was also a thriving sea lane connecting the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia for trade and commerce – which is somewhat a continuing practice amongst the people living there on a lesser quasi-legal scale.

Apart from attempting to chase off pirates, bandits, and terrorists, the Philippine Navy, although in dire need of modernization, is seeking to revive the importance of what used to be pejoratively called the "backdoor" of the Philippines. And one way of doing that is through the coast watch system.

"We're a maritime country that fell in love with a land-based culture because of circumstances," said Rear Admiral Alexander Pama, commander of the Naval Forces in the south based in Zamboanga City, from where the naval patrol ship took about 21 hours of sailing more than 200 nautical miles to reach the smaller islands.

He was referring to the country's colonial past with America and Spain – which centralized power in Manila in the north. "Evidently we did not value this place, we became land-centric," he added. "We are missing a lot in creating development because we looked at the south as a problem. We have overlooked the fundamental issue, which is honest-to-goodness cultural assimilation, and this can be done."

Even in the armed forces, much of whose budget is concentrated on the army's territorial forces, the bulk of which are deployed in Mindanao on a campaign to end four decades of conflict with Muslim secessionists, largely ineffectively chasing around the Abu Sayyaf jihadi corps. The Navy and Air Force are left on the sidelines, limiting capability for external defense.

The idea of starting a coastal watch initially met with resistance from the local population who had got used to their own kind of commerce with the Malaysians, which is more profitable for them than dealing with small Filipino enterprises on the mainland that would cost them double. But the Navy has worked out an informal arrangement with other local maritime agencies whereby protecting key routes could be economically viable as well.

The islands of Sulu alone are a major fish exporter. They are rich in oil, gas, and minerals. It is also a diver's paradise, an ecological wonder where new marine species are always being discovered. If peace could be attained, ecotourism alone could bring in millions of pesos to the local economy.

"People on the ground are working hard to put it together. What's lacking is the strategic level," said one former government official who had helped draft a defense reform program. "Up to now it is still within reach. I don't see why people upstairs are not thinking of it."

So far the effort of connecting bridges with other littoral states took form in setting up EAGA, the East Asean Growth Area, about 10 years ago when the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei warmed up to each other and conceived a general framework of economic cooperation. This also helped ease tension between the Malaysia and the Philippines, which has territorial claims over Sabah Muslim migrants have sought refuge from the outbreak of hostilities.

Malaysia has 26 radar stations on Borneo; the Philippines on the other hand has a radar system that could cover three percent of its area of about 123,000 square nautical miles. This and other radar to be installed were from military funding from the Americans as part of the visiting forces agreement.

The Coast Watch station in Zamboanga has been newly constructed inside the base command. A smaller station on Turtle Island is scheduled to be completed after the Navy delivered a radar facility in late April, also taking the chance to see what the island is famous for. Here the cell phone signals are from Malaysian satellites and the residents use the ringgit as currency.

They are aiming to build more stations on Palawan's Balabac Island and Sarangani's Tinaka to monitor two other major sea routes, ideally having eight permanent personnel to operate the station on a 12-hour shift. The Coast Watch, even for its humble start, could be a boon to EAGA, according to Pama, for which the Sulu Sea could once again claim its stake as it did in the old days. "We should and go at it alone," he said.

On a clear day, one could see the shore of Sabah, whose people from years past had deep historical ties with the Muslim seafaring tribes of the Sulu archipelago, now an area known to be a playground for outlaws and a haven for terrorists.

That was not so evident when children played by the jetty, welcoming the Americans came ashore on dinghies from their assault craft for a civil-military operation in tandem with the Philippine Navy help put in place a coast watch radar station. And on the beach, the local folks prepared a meal of fresh seafood and fruits.

what is stopping president Arroyo from signing the executive order ?? hmmmm

Lessons from shabu-smuggling incident: Modern surveillance system to heighten
Written by Henry Empeño / Correspondent
Sunday, 17 May 2009 business mirror

SUBIC BAY FREE PORT—With last year’s Subic drug-smuggling case under investigation for possible administrative lapses by law enforcers and other concerned parties, authorities in this free port allayed fears of more smuggling attempts and said remedies are now in the offing.

In particular, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will be relying on modern surveillance equipment like radars and closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems to build a virtual security cloak around Subic’s 14 piers and docks, said SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza.

“Whatever administrative lapses may have been in the shabu smuggling case, these are being addressed already,” Arreza said in a media interview on Friday.

“Even policies, like those on the classification of cargoes, are being looked into,” he added.

The SBMA executive said the close monitoring of Subic’s port “is basically our key requirement.” “That’s why we want a modern maritime surveillance setup,” he explained, adding that the SBMA would like to acquire a complete system of monitoring equipment as mandated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Arreza disclosed the SBMA’s initiative to upgrade security in Subic’s maritime port as an independent investigating panel created by President Arroyo began last week, looking into the foiled attempt to smuggle some P5 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, into the Subic Bay Free Port in May.

The suspected mastermind, a business locator in Subic named Anthony Ang, managed to escape after promising to secure documents for his yet-undocumented cargo that later turned out to be shabu.

Arreza said a similar scenario is unlikely in Subic today as the SBMA begins streamlining the maritime traffic-management system in this free port and subjecting its seaport personnel to an exhaustive training in port operations.

The primary objective, he added, is to prevent the undetected entry or exit of small watercraft like yachts, rubber boats and bancas that could be used in smuggling activities.

“Unlike ships, tankers and other vessels which are equipped with an automatic identification system that registers their presence in port control stations, small vessels are harder to monitor since they only appear as small dots on radar screens,” said Arreza.

Arreza explained that once a vessel is suspected to have departed without notice, the protocol is to immediately contact the SBMA Harbor Patrol or the Philippine Coast Guard to intercept the boat.

“When all else fails and the craft escapes interception, our safety net is we can go after the ship’s agent,” he added.

Arreza said, however, that the projected installation of modern radars and CCTV systems would make the port of Subic safer and less prone to smuggling attempts.

“Once the closed-circuit cameras are installed, all vessels berthed in Subic Bay Free Port’s 14 piers and wharves can be monitored 24/7 in one control room,” Arreza said.

Arreza said the upgrading of Subic’s port security system was actually contained in the $215-million Subic port-modernization program that includes the construction in two phases of Subic’s new container terminal.

Excerpt from 'Naval mishap occurred in international waters'
By Jaime Laude Updated June 17, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines -
Arevalo said that while the Navy is not yet capable of detecting submarine
operations within the country's territorial waters, it is continuously
upgrading its limited surface monitoring capabilities.

"We have the radars and have a recent addition of patrol ships also equipped
with modern monitoring equipment like radars and sensors as well as our
islander planes that are also conducting routine patrols over our
territorial waters," Arevalo said.

He said an incident that big occurring in the South China Sea could not have
escaped the monitoring of the Navy if it indeed happened within the
country's 12-mile territorial waters.

Arevalo said that even reports surrounding the incident that Navy
investigators obtained from the United States embassy in Manila were hazy,
as they did not specify where and when it happened.

"The US embassy reported only that their ship is damaged. So we could only
surmise that Subic was only used as a point of reference of the mishap,"
Arevalo said.

He pointed out that foreign vessels are guaranteed free passage within the
country's 200-nautical Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., meanwhile, said the incident, without
giving an exact date, occurred 125 miles from Subic.

"So it's beyond the territorial waters of the Philippines," Teodoro said,
adding that he, too, was not sure if the mishap occurred near the highly
contested Scarborough Shoal off Zambales.

He said there is the right to passage for all international ocean-going
vessels within the EEZ.

As to the presence of a Chinese submarine in the area, Teodoro said other
countries in the world, there is no guarantee that we can monitor the
presence of a submarine in our EEZ.

The Navy said that it has established a Coast Watch center in Zamboanga City
to effectively monitor all surface activities within the country's
territorial waters.

Coast Watch South is a joint undertaking of the government with active
support from the US and the Australian governments, to monitor all surface
sealane activities in Southern Philippines and its borders with Malaysia and
Indonesia.

Arevalo said Coast Watch South would be replicated first in Luzon and then
in the entire country.

"After we have put up Coast Watch Luzon then we will go for Coast Watch
Philippines that will monitor all the country's territorial waters from
Mindanao to Batanes," Arevalo said.

Re-establishing a submarine detection capability:

The PN can give a research grant to Mapua or some philippines university to develop a cheap rudimentary sonar for use either as a portable towed version or in a fixed undersea station then see if it comes out cheaper as compared to purchasing a foreign sonar system with similar rudimentary capabilities. Here's some background reading to get started:

The PN has some rudimentary sub detection capability through the following:

1.) The philippine navy reserve units such as those large fishing companies operate their own Fish sonars. When the PAF C-130 crashed off Davao, the PN borrowed the fish sonar of from a reserve unit and attached it to a PN patrol craft which assisted in locating the aircraft wreckage.

2.) The NAMRIA, BFAR and other government rsearch ships have their own sonar. These ships have PN personnel onboard

3.) The Cyclone class has its own WESMAR navigational sonar primarily for avoiding submerged objects in shallow waters.

4.) eyeball detection hehehe - seriously, Filipino fishermen have in the past reported sightings of surfacing submarines to authorities.

Since anti-sub patrols use up a lot of fuel,manpower, and other logistical stuff, in other words very expensive, an alternative is to install sonar at coastal chokepoints. About 60%(my memory is not sure on this) of philippine waters is shallow water so ships(and submarines) pass through deeper shipping lanes also known as chokepoints because this is where the navy would concentrate their interdiction in wartime.In a conversation with a PN officer, he mentioned that Philippine inland seas are not conducive to submarines due to their shallow depth. however, he mentioned that deeper coastal chokepoints definitely have to be well-guarded.

There are also portable sonar that can be towed similar but cheaper than the one on that american destroyer.. Here are examples:

** Low frequency portable lightweight sonar systems and their method of deployment for greatly increasing the efficiency of submarine surveillance over large areas
Abstract:
A novel configuration of a low-frequency lightweight sonar system is described comprising a coaxial assembly of a transmitting transducer and a directional receiving array contained within a cigar-shaped streamlined cylindrical housing less than 1 ft. diameter which operates in the 3 to 4 kHz frequency region and achieves submarine target detection ranges in the order of 20,000 meters with a bearing accuracy within 2°. The small cylindrical streamlined structural assembly results in a very great reduction in drag resistance while it is being towed underwater at high speeds as compared to conventional sonar domes which must be an order of magnitude larger in diameter to accommodate the larger conventional scanning sonar transducers which are several wavelengths in diameter at the operating frequency. The enormous reduction in drag resistance and the novel method of deployment permits the described low-frequency lightweight sonar system assembly to be pulled through the water at very high speeds by small patrol craft or helicopters to achieve very effective long-range low-cost high-speed sonar surveillance of very large areas of the sea.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4641290.html

http://www.yachtingmagazine.com/article.jsp?ID=21014286

challenges , ideas and developments in submarine dection:
http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_491.shtml

http://www.vision-systems.com/display_arti...TECT-SUBMARINES

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all...&isnumber=28616

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article....lite-deep-siren

http://mae.pennnet.com/articles/article_di...navigation&p=32

http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord...ifier=ADD007207

http://www.alaska.net/~scifish/Proposals/LongRangeTuna.html

Navy still needs P300 million for Coast Watch program
Updated June 21, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Navy’s monitoring capability needs another P300 million to be able to modernize and fully supervise significant occurrences within the country’s territorial waters and beyond.

But Navy chief Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez said the military and political leaderships are continuously addressing these security shortcomings.

Golez said a long-range plan to put up 30 more naval stations to monitor the country’s sea lanes is being mapped out through an inter-agency project, Coast Watch Philippines.

He said that at present, there are only a number of naval monitoring stations, including one that has been put up in Mindoro to detect the entry of all types of ocean vessels going into Manila Bay.

“Under Coast Watch Philippines, we intend to put up 30 more naval monitoring stations on all key points of the country,” Golez said, adding that the success of the program cannot be achieved overnight and that it is heavily dependent on the country’s economy.

For one naval station to be fully operational and capable of monitoring all surface activities in our territorial waters, this would cost the government P10 million, he said.

“Maybe in 15 to 20 years, we will have these 30 monitoring stations,” he added.

Coast Watch Philippines or CWP would be patterned after the Coast Watch South, an undertaking by the Philippine Navy with the active support of the US and Australian governments in monitoring all surface activities of Mindanao’s porous sea borders with Malaysia and Indonesia.

With its nerve center now based at the Naval Forces West in Zamboanga City, Coast Watch South has been effective in monitoring and blocking terrorists’ cross-border activities in the waters of Mindanao. – Jaime Laude

After reading the "Near our waters" thread and all, i suggest improving our monitoring by complementing the Coast Watch program with installing fixed sonar stations across the archipelago.

One guy already mentioned this somewhere here but i forgot where it is.

In one application, this fixed sonar stations will monitor the entrance of our maritime routes like the mouth of Manila Bay and Subic.

Then the other stations will monitor the whole perimeter for intrusions by the Chicom subs and as well as the other navies.