New PN chief cites need for more 'firepower'

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 10): New PN chief cites need for more 'firepower'

To ensure that the Philippine Navy will be able to carry out its mandate of protecting the country's maritime sovereignty, newly-appointed PN flag officer-in-command Rear Admiral Caesar Taccad has stressed the need for the acquisition of more modern and potent naval equipment.

"The mission of the PN and the Armed Forces is to protect our sovereignty and with our limited resources, we need to cover and patrol an intensive coastline in order to ensure or impose that we have sovereignty over (those) seas," he said in Filipino.

The Philippines coastline is estimated at over 35,000 square kilometers and is considered one of the largest in the world.

To patrol such a vast area, the PN only has 100 ships of various sizes and vintages and 15 aircraft to employ for that vital mission.

To ensure that Filipino sovereignty over those waters remains uncontested, Taccad said there is a need to acquire much-needed firepower in terms of more modern naval vessels and aircraft.

"Once we acquire that firepower, we will be able, more or less, to deter any naval force that would try to stop us from ensuring or employing our assets to assert sovereignty over our waters," the new PN chief stressed.

 http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=791786