Newsbreak Dec 10, 2008
Fleet Marine: answer to Mindanao’s troubles?
Written by Criselda Yabes

The Marines has big dreams in protecting the country’s southern territory. It’s proposing to build an amphibious force.

The water village of Sitangkai in Tawi-Tawi province is known as the miniature Venice to those who had the rare opportunity to travel to the remote area.

Its two-kilometer canal is a thriving community of small bazaars, provision stores, and local cafes operating on the banks of perilous wooden planks jutting out of a two-hectare island. It is home to a population of 55,000 Muslims from the Tausug and the Sama tribes. Some of them have made good business in producing agar-agar seaweed for export. There is no running water or electricity.

Located at the tip of the country’s land territory in the south and a stone’s throw away from the Malaysian coast, Sitangkai is also a home to a Marine company detachment.

With Sitangkai’s reputation as a refuge for strange types of criminals, any marine officer’s being stationed there on his first assignment is a baptism of fire. Equipped with only rubber boats and small fast crafts, Marine officers here chase after and exchange bullets with terrorists, bandits, and smugglers.

The military strategy in previous years had so often shifted the deployment between the Army and the Marines. The two rivals are sometimes co-equal in power. Other times, one is superior over the other.
At home in the water

But early this year, three marine line brigades—with the help of a combat service support brigade—was given the job to take over Basilan, Sulu, Tawi Tawi, and Palawan. The Army was moved to the land-locked mainland Mindanao, where it has four divisions under its control. (One-third of the military’s strength is based in Mindanao.)

The Marines wouldn’t have it any other way. They say the Fleet Marine is the answer to the troubles in the southern archipelago because they are at home in the water.

“The Army sees land as a continent, they don’t consider water as a maneuvering space that should be controlled and where you can play around,” said Brig. Gen. Jonathan Martir, deputy commander of the Marines.

On the other hand, Martir said, “The Marines consider this as a playing area.”

The Marines has big dreams in protecting the country’s southern territory. Martir is the proponent of the Fleet Marine concept, which proposed the eventual buildup of an amphibious force.
Changing warfare

The original idea is to improve the country’s counter-insurgency policy by building up a naval service that “will be complete with the Marine brigades under the traditional command and control of the Naval Operating Forces.” This is where the relevance of the Philippine Navy—to which the 9,500-strong Marines belong—is heightened.

The Fleet Marine concept was later reduced into a smaller scale due to the changing nature of warfare. Surgical strikes are becoming more effective. For example, the marine company in Sitangkai can be quickly called to action under the Coast Watch South station.

With its current facilities, the battalion landing teams are “still capable but limited,” said Rear Admiral Ernesto Marayag of the Naval Forces South.

“We need boats and air comptroller. At present all you need is a platform and small boats that can transfer them to the beaches. This is not the same as in the Saving Private Ryan film. We put in one or two teams or one company during the right time, under cover of darkness, because surprise is vital in any special operations,” Marayag added.

Wish list

The battalion landing teams are supposed to be stationed in what they call the “poise,” the vessel that’s also maintained as a camp if they were on land.

They also need the following:

* Landing Ship Tank (LST) that can load about 2,000 men
* Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) like the Roll-on/Roll-off (RORO) ships used in inter-island transport
* Offshore patrol vessel
* Oiler to keep the ships running
* Water tender
* Helicopter gunship

There is none of this excessive force in Sitangkai, a lonely outpost where the marine company is rotated every year. The Marine officers know it would take time before a superior fleet can be assembled.

Given the rivalry between the Army and the Marines, they are also expecting criticisms against the Fleet Marine concept.

The Marines’ battalion landing teams of the brigades have been operating like a territorial force based on the islands—a territory claimed by the Army. The Marines carry out civil military operations as well.
The Marines contend that it could launch surgical strikes at any given location—whether on the mainland or the smaller islands—independently of the Army. They are citing their role in flushing out Muslim separatist rebels from their stronghold during the well known “all-out war” in central Mindanao in 2000. (Newsbreak)

But with no toys to play around with.

I hope he gets to be the next commandant so he can toy with this Fleet Marine concept more forcefully.

Possible naman mangyari yan but kailangan make do muna with what resources is available. For a mother ship kumuha ng 2nd hand na container ship para mabilis. Get the European models kahit mahal para makapal ang bakal. Japanese made ones are manipis. Then modify the internals pati yun mga containers. As container ship siya modular na agad ang concept as bawat container can either be a living quarter or garage, etc. Isipan na lang how to offload equipment or pair it with a local built LST ship. Yun Bo105 naman gamit ng Navy balikan natin yun mga surplus kung mayroon pa. Stick muna with something familiar and kapag nakakuha na ng Cobras ay get some for the Marines too. Para uniformity.

Kung standard military vessel naman lang kukunin ay mahihirapan as malapit na ang elections. At least kung modular pwede palabasin na capable of disaster relief and civic missions rin.

like i said before Marines make do,no matter what obstacles are. :salute: :ssalute:

Gen Martir is responsible for rehabbing old materiels in to servisable fighting equiptments,hence the marine ready forces equiptnts.He is the right man for these endeavour....Yes we are all conmfy by air,sea or land....

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/...-response-fleet

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Navy will inaugurate on Thursday a new fleet whose mission is to respond immediately to any threat to national security in any part of the country, a spokesman Wednesday.

Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo said the Fleet-Marine Ready Force (FMRF) is the Navy’s contribution to efforts of the Armed Forces to combat lawless elements like the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Abu Sayyaf and New People’s Army (NPA).

“Recent atrocities & lawlessness by rogue MILF groups, NPA insurgents, and the ASG bring to the fore the organization and launching of the FMRF,” Arevalo said.

He added that the FMRF will have its command and control base in Metro Manila but the FMRF’s first commanding officer, Captain Jose Miguel Rodriguez, will have access to various pre-positioned units of the Navy and Marines nationwide to allow for rapid response in case any immediate threat to national security needs to be addressed.

“The FMRF is designed to be the country’s maritime force-in-readiness, capable of rapid deployment anywhere in the country,” Arevalo said.

He added that the FMRF shall have access to sea, air and land assets, and to both personnel and materiel resources of the Navy, to ensure rapid deployment of troops.

Units attached to the FMRF are the Navy’s Philippine fleet and Civil Disturbance Management Team, and the Combat Service Support Brigade of the Philippine Marines, Arevalo said.

THIS IS REALLY THE BEST CONCEPT THAT IS APT WITH OUR MARINES! THIS IS THEIR ORIGINAL JOB IN THE FIRST PLACE...

AS PER COMRADE CITY HUNTER, THEY CAN REFURBISH OLD CONTAINER SHIPS AS LOGISTIC SHIPS FOR THE NAVY AND MARINE, LIKE WHAT THE BRITISH DID TO THEIR CIVILIAN CARGO AND BULK SHIPS DURING THE FALKLAND WAR; ALSO THEY MUST USE THE Bo105 FOR CHOPPER SUPPORT (FROM CARRYING / LANDING MARINE RECON TEAMS TO COMBAT AIR SUPPORT BY INSTALLING SIDE WEAPONS LIKE 50cal GUN PODS AND ROCKET PODS).

THE REFURBISHED CONTAINER SHIPS WILL BE THE LOGISTICS SUPPORT AND COMMAND SHIP (LIKE A SMALL LPD OR LHD) AND SMALL FAST ATTACK CRAFTS AND LCMs CAN DOCK BESIDE THIS SHIP.

INCLUDE ALSO THE FRANK BESSON TYPE OF LSV AND BE USED AS TENDER FOR BOTH LCMs AND FAST CRAFTS AND ALSO CAN BE CONVERTED TO ACCOMODATE ADDITIONAL HELI PADS FOR ADDITIONAL HELI-SUPPORT.

:specool:
PMRF-PN

Before the creation of Fleet-Marine Ready Force (FMRF), the Ready Force was provisionally organized on 16 November 1964 under the operational and administrative control of the naval operating force and its headquarters located at port area, manila. The following year, it was officially activated as a unit of the AFP, with CAPT ALCARAZ PN designated as its 1 st commander. In the closing years of the 60’s, the 1 st SEATO exercise was conducted and awarded with commendation by no less than the CSAFP with CAPT PASTOR VIADO PN at the helm. Headquarters Ready Force then transferred to manila naval station with CAPT DIOSCORO PAPA PN in command. HRF was again transferred to Fort Santiago Manila in June 1971.

Two years later; it was re-designated as a special unit of the Philippine Navy and renamed Fleet Readiness Command. After the term of RADM OGBINAR AFP as FOIC PN, Ready Force was eventually deactivated. However, on 06 april 1990, Ready Force was again activated as a unit of the Philippine Fleet and subsequently became a force of the fleet with its home base at Fort Santiago, Manila with CAPT PABLO P PEREZ PN as commander. Then, Hqs Ready Force was transferred to Naval Base Cavite in May 1996 and the helm of command was handed over to several senior officers.

On August 01, 2001, Ready Force was re-designated as the new ready force under the operational control of the FOIC, PN with COMMO MARIO SONTILLANOSA AFP as its commander.

:banana: PHILIPPINE NAVY

:fire:
The PMRF must be deployed in SULU to handle the ABU SAYYAF
terrorists.The training and discipline of the PHILIPPINE MARINE
READY FORCE(PMRF) is to be enforced in Sulu.