MANILA, Philippines — A column of navy vessels, with aircraft hovering above, steamed past the BRP Tarlac (LD-601) off the coast of Morong, Bataan, on Wednesday to showcase a Philippine armed forces that is continuously building itself.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and senior military officers aboard the BRP Tarlac witnessed a rare parade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) new and old aircraft and naval vessels facing the West Philippine Sea.
A total of 63 major military assets were put on display, including its new acquisitions this year—the BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), the Navy’s most potent warship to date, and the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) Super Tucano light attack aircraft and Black Hawk combat utility helicopters. The procurement for these newly-delivered assets was made in recent years and before…
