As President Benigno Aquino took office in 2010, the Philippines has only acquired handful ordnance which include two former US coast guard cutters, three landing craft vessels from Australia and South Korea and seven Huey helicopters.
This acquisition indicated that the military can’t really afford full modernization, but a frugal and economical military upgrade only. The goal of updating and modernizing the armed forces is a long and painstaking process that will take a certain amount of time.
Despite a proposal of 25 percent rise of the defense budget, the government must still divide resources between external defense and internal threats such as insurgences and natural disasters.
Recently, the military receives and turnover 2 Combat Helicopter and 8 Combat Utility Helicopter. It also expects delivery of the first two of 12 FA-50 fighter jets earlier ordered from South Korea, but FA-50 was a mere transition aircraft toward more advanced which the Philippines have not yet allocated a budget.
