The Future of the Philippine Army and SOF

The Army of the future will reengineer itself to carry out its primary function of external defense. Thus the PA will be restructured by reducing the eight (8) Infantry Divisions to three (3) as Rapid Deployment Forces (RDF); organizing eight (8) Infantry Brigades (Separate) as forward deployed forces and which will also serves as the nuclei of eight (8) Reserve divisions; merging the Special Forces Regiment, the First Scout Ranger Regiment and PsyOps Group into a Special Operations Command; reorganizing the Light Armor Brigade into an Armor Brigade; organizing an Artillery Regiment, an Aviation Battalion, an Air Defense Artillery Battalion; a Reserve Command and a Training and Doctrines Command. The five (5) Engineer Brigades will be reduced to three (3), and PA Service Units will be reduced from six (6) to five (5). The staff of Headquarters PA will be maintained at nine (9) coordinating staffs, and the number of special, technical, and personal staff will be reduced from nineteen (19) to twelve (12). The reorganization will be undertaken over a period of five (5) years. Significantly, the restructuring will result in the reduction of about 27% of the PA troop strength from the present level in ten (10) years. The Separate Brigades will be in Abra, Isabela, Ft Bonifacio, Camarines Norte, Samar, Butuan, Zamboanga Del Sur, and Maguindanao.

http://www.specialoperations.com/Foreign/Philippines/

Are they serious? :armyeek:

This is very old and was part of past "modernization" efforts. This plan was for reducing the PA strength and emphasized highly trained, well equipped, highly mobile, rapid deployment units, not the territorial nature of the army. Like many "planned" modernizations, this has been shelved. But with the explosion of separatist and insurrections in the late 90s, the PA actually is being expanded to 9 infantry divisions, from the past 8. As to if this plan will be reevaluated in the future, who knows? Shows that the PA, whole AFP, is overstretched somehow.

It seems that the PA, and most likely the entire AFP and PNP is practicing quantity over quality, instead of the other way around. :headbang:

which means the end of the platoon-size detachments?

Military changes combat tactics against communist rebels

THE MILITARY is changing tactics in fighting a resilient communist insurgency to prevent more rebel attacks against small and isolated units, the new Philippine Army chief said Wednesday.

Esperon acknowledged that in the past, army units had been spread too thinly, with smaller units falling prey to NPA guerrillas which mass fighters against a specific target and then disperse swiftly.

He said 61 battalions (around 500 soldiers each) have been assigned as "full maneuver units" that can "strike at the enemy anytime, anywhere," leaving just 16 battalions to defend specific areas.

"In other words, the 61 are not supposed to be spread thinly all over," Esperon added. :snipemo:

http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?in...&story_id=47213

Military changes combat tactics against communist rebels
First posted 04:47pm (Mla time) Aug 17, 2005
By
Agence France-Presse


THE MILITARY is changing tactics in fighting a resilient communist insurgency to prevent more rebel attacks against small and isolated units, the new Philippine Army chief said Wednesday.
The focus reverted to military operations against the 36 year-old rebellion after the insurgents unilaterally backed out of protracted peace negotiations.

In the latest clash three rebels and a soldier were killed in the northern Philippines, the military said in a report.

The casualties came after a military and police team attacked an "elite New People's Army (NPA) unit" near the town of San Antonio, in Nueva Ecija province Tuesday following a tip-off from residents, it said.

The changes should improve maneuverability, improve combat readiness, and enhance "survivability" against enemy fire, Major-General Hermogenes Esperon told reporters.

The main task of the 75,000-member infantry and related land-based units is to fight the 8,000-member NPA.

Last year the army began revising the deployment of its infantry battalions.

Esperon acknowledged that in the past, army units had been spread too thinly, with smaller units falling prey to NPA guerrillas which mass fighters against a specific target and then disperse swiftly.

He said 61 battalions (around 500 soldiers each) have been assigned as "full maneuver units" that can "strike at the enemy anytime, anywhere," leaving just 16 battalions to defend specific areas.

"In other words, the 61 are not supposed to be spread thinly all over," Esperon added.

Next year, the army would be further streamlined "into three readily deployable infantry divisions, the Special Operations command, the Armored Brigade and 13 separate or territorial brigades," he added.

The army's nine infantry divisions are currently assigned to specific areas of the archipelago.

Three divisions are tied down in the southern island of Mindanao, with one division battling communist guerrillas and two others fighting a Muslim separatist insurgency and Islamic militants.

http://news.inq7.net/common/print.php?inde...7213&site_id=39

http://pdff.sytes.net/index.php?showtopic=1736
you should have posted it here dude :armycheers:

wardog, hope you don't mind if I post the last few paragraphs of the article, which also signal an interesting development....

----
Next year, the army would be further streamlined "into three readily deployable infantry divisions, the Special Operations command, the Armored Brigade and 13 separate or territorial brigades," he added.

The army's nine infantry divisions are currently assigned to specific areas of the archipelago.

Three divisions are tied down in the southern island of Mindanao, with one division battling communist guerrillas and two others fighting a Muslim separatist insurgency and Islamic militants.

Hmm, similar thread as the separate one on that most recent article...
But good point out, looks like they're reviving the original plan, only with more territorial brigades.

Like a PMC MBLT, Army version? :dunno:

the beginning... :rifle:

Philippine new army chief orders stronger deployment in Mindanao

MANILA, Aug. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The Armed Forces of Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Generoso Senga has ordered an intensified fight against terrorists in Mindanao, even as the Navy has deployed a battalion of fresh Marines there to crush the Abu Sayyaf group, military sources told Xinhua on Wednesday.

"We'll adjust accordingly (to the terrorist threat). We'll try to improve more our capabilities, our readiness, our support system and the like," said Senga, who assumed the top AFP post on Aug. 16.

Senga said he was briefed by members of the military joint staff last Saturday and he decided to adopt necessary adjustments to cope with the prevailing threat in the south of the country, especially Mindanao.



more

The Future of the Philippine Army and SOF:

The Army of the future will reengineer itself to carry out its primary function of external defense. Thus the PA will be restructured by reducing the eight (8)
Infantry Divisions to three (3) as Rapid Deployment Forces (RDF); organizing eight (8) Infantry Brigades (Separate) as forward deployed forces and which will
also serves as the nuclei of eight (8) Reserve divisions; merging the Special Forces Regiment, the First Scout Ranger Regiment and PsyOps Group into a
Special Operations Command; reorganizing the Light Armor Brigade into an Armor Brigade; organizing an Artillery Regiment, an Aviation Battalion, an Air
Defense Artillery Battalion; a Reserve Command and a Training and Doctrines Command. The five (5) Engineer Brigades will be reduced to three (3), and PA Service Units will be reduced from six (6) to five (5). The staff of Headquarters PA will be maintained at nine (9) coordinating staffs, and the number of special,
technical, and personal staff will be reduced from nineteen (19) to twelve (12). The reorganization will be undertaken over a period of five (5) years.

Significantly, the restructuring will result in the reduction of about 27% of the PA troop strength from the present level in ten (10) years. The Separate
Brigades will be in Abra, Isabela, Ft Bonifacio, Camarines Norte, Samar, Butuan, Zamboanga Del Sur, and
Maguindanao.


Your opinions?
:patrioticpinoy:

Ok, closer to my recommendation for an air asault regiment :thumb:

When will this be implemented, this year?

See here

http://pdff.sytes.net/index.php?showtopic=1736
-This was thought out ever since late 90s. When the Abu/MILF/NPA explosion of attacks, the PA knowing they were overstretched, instead of reducing their size, actually began to recruit more to swell their ranks, the PA is making a new 9th divisio for example.

And see this one

http://pdff.sytes.net/index.php?showtopic=2004
---Sort of like the plan above but with new things added on. 13 Brigades instead of 8? :armyeek: