FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija -- Low- ranking soldiers from the Light Reaction Regiment (LRR) of the Special Operations Command and 7th Infantry Battalion of the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) have expressed satisfaction over the phase of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization program.
This as AFP chief of staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang led the distribution of newly acquired M4 assault rifles to “frontliners” in ceremonies held at the firing range of the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division here Thursday.
Pvt. Kevin Amarillo, who personally received an M-4 and bullet proof gear from Catapang, said he realized that the AFP does not take for granted lowly soldiers like them.
”We are so happy as we felt the concern of the Army to us,”
Some 500 soldiers received the firearms.
Catapang said the firearms were part of the 50,000 M-4 assault rifles purchased by the government for the AFP modernization program.
He said the government can buy more firearms because of the huge savings generated in purchasing the supplies under President Benigno S. Aquino III’s “straight path policy.”
The government, he said, has allocated Php 68,000 for each unit but “straight path policy” had bought it for only “Php 38,000 plus.”
“We were able to buy quality firearms at lesser cost,” he added.
The AFP has acquired Php 1.9-billion worth of brand-new assault rifles from a United States-based company to beef up its forces as part of its modernization program.
Catapang said the new rifles, involving 5.56mm M4 rifles, form part of the joint Philippine Army-Philippine Marine Corps Assault Rifles Acquisition Project (PAPMPCARAP) of the government.
He was assisted by the 7th Infantry Division chief, Brig. Gen. Glorioso Miranda, during the turnover of the initial 100 units at the firing range here to troops from the Light Reaction Regiment (LRR) of the Special Operation Command (Socom) and 7th Infantry Battalion under 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) who have undergone the Battalion of Excellence (BOC) training.
Catapang said the Army is set to receive a total of 44,186 units while another branch, the Philippine Navy, will get 6,443 units.
The funds for the weapons were sourced from the AFP Capability Upgrade Program of 2012. The US-based Remington Outdoor Company won the public bidding in October last year.
“This weapons program will contribute significantly to the transformation of the AFP into a multimission-oriented force capable of confronting both internal and external threats,” Catapang said.
The heavy-barreled, full automatic, wear-resistant rifles will replace the old, worn-out M16A2 assault rifles.
Comparatively, the M4 Carbine rifle is lighter, shorter, more cost-efficient and can reach a target up to 600 meters. In contrast, the M16-A1 rifle’s maximum effective range is only up to 460 meters.
Catapang said they chose to give these new rifles to field soldiers because they are the front liners and “so we must assure that they are fully equipped in every encounter.”
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=680797
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