Pitz Defense Analysis

07/06/2026

New on Pitz Defense Analysis website:

As Japan relaxes its restrictions relating to arms exports, the Philippine military expresses interest into securing the export of Type 88 surface to ship missiles, which was proven its success in sinking a former World War 2 era corvette during the Sinking Exercise phase of the Joint Exercise Balikatan 2026.

This development comes as the security ties between Manila and Tokyo has upgraded recently into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, one that will likely benefit the militaries of both nations, which it has the ratified Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) as one of its primary foundations.

With the interest into getting the Type 88 surface to ships now in the table, it aims to improve the anti-access/area denial strategy of the Philippine territory against external threats, augmenting existing defense units that the country has such as the BrahMos missile from India.

For more details regarding the development, kindly check on the link below.

The Philippine military now expressed interest in getting the capabilities introduced in Balikatan 2026, and it goes beyond the usual US-made ones.

06/06/2026

In preparation for its proper commissioning ceremony next week, Philippine Navy's newest Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessel BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS21) is seen mooring near the Philippine Navy headquarters in Naval Station Jose Andrada, Roxas Boulevard.

As previously reported, the commissioning ceremony will be attended by President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, where it should have been taking place on May 29, 2026 when it took postponement due to the president's busy schedule, as he is the Guest of Honor and Speaker (GOHAS) of this event.

To recall, the ship took its christening ceremony on May 26, 2026, as part of the Philippine Navy's tradition ahead of the commissioning ceremony as now scheduled accordingly, and will take place in the Philippine Navy headquarters instead of its homeport in Naval Operating Base Subic.



(c) Keen Sentinel, X (formerly Twitter).

04/06/2026

The Philippine contingent will be sending two (2) ships in this year's Rim Of The Pacific Exercise 2026 or RIMPAC 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The contingent will be composing of the Philippine Navy's BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG6) Guided Missile Frigate, and Philippine Coast Guard's BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) offshore patrol vessel.

The Philippine Coast Guard's participation serves as a the first for the maritime law enforcement agency to take part in this multilateral naval exercise, and also the first one for RIMPAC to invite a foreign coast guard to take part with the multilateral operations, likely aiming for interoperability with their counterparts in the United States Coast Guard.

Since the Philippine Navy's entry in this year's RIMPAC, it is worth remembering that it deployed the Del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessels (then patrol frigates), a Tarlac-class Landing Platform Dock, and Jose Rizal-class guided missile frigates in the exercise.

The contingent in this iteration will be the first since the deployment of BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-42, then FF-17) and BRP Davao del Sur (LD-602) in 2018 that the Philippine contigent sent at least two ships to take part in the largest naval exercise in the region.

The Philippine Coast Guard sends off BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) on June 4, 2026, as it prepares for its first participation in the Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac) 2026 exercise in Honolulu, Hawaii.

01/06/2026

The Philippine government, through the Department of Economic Planning and Development or DEPDev (formerly NEDA), clearly mentions that the country will face challenges in fulfilling the plea of the United States government for an increase in defense spending to at least 3.5% in Gross Domestic Product.

Based on the figures provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Gross Domestic Product of the Philippines in 2026 is at US$512.22 Billion, which is approximately Php 30.22 Trillion, converted into the current exchange rate of approximately US$1.00 - Php 58.99 pesos.

This means that, upon calculating the figures provided, the Philippine government needs to shoulder at least Php 1.057 Trillion pesos to reach the desirable spending required by the United States government, which means that it is even greater than the budget allotted to the Department of Education under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, which is currently at Php 958 Billion.

Given how equally important is in providing the budget into other sectors that the government seems fit, it is clear that the desirable allotment of at least 3.5% Gross Domestic Product is unattainable, although it is worth mentioning that the United States recognizes the effort that the Philippines have in burden-sharing.

Moving forward, this fully highlights the country's need to improve its economic performance, notably its manufacturing industries, where opportunities like the Luzon Economic Corridor and the Pax Silica initiatives of the United States and Japan might help the Philippines improve its cash flow.

Doing so will eventually achieving the needed defense spending which corresponds into addressing its ongoing capability improvement and added facilities that will accommodate its newly-purchased military hardware, all of which are the efforts pushed in modernizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines.



https://globalnation.inquirer.net/325672/ph-struggles-to-meet-us-call-for-3-5-gdp-defense-spending

Images provided from DVIDS.

30/05/2026

The Philippine Navy confirmed that the actual commissioning ceremony for the future BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS21) was moved to a later date from the initial May 29, 2026 date of activity, citing conflict of schedule with President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr as the Guest of Honor and Speaker of the event that coincides with the Philippine Navy's 128th Founding Anniversary.

For context, the President took several days for his state visit to Japan, discussing the highlights of the 75th anniversary of the restoration of ties between the Philippines and Japan, coupled with renewed economic opportunities and upgraded defense cooperation through the new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between two nations.

The President's visit to Japan also gives an affirmative for the Philippine Navy to secure the Abuluma-class destroyer es**rts as a way to muliply its fleet composition amidst the increasing challenges in security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

MANILA – The Philippine Navy (PN) on Thursday said it has formally christened the country's second offshore patrol vessel, BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS-21), during simple ceremonies held at the Naval Operating Base–Subic in Zambales last May 26. PN public affairs office chief Captain Marie Angelica.....

30/05/2026

During the state visit of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr in Japan, he met with the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding into the matters relative to both countries, which includes national security concerns.

One of the affirmative information that came out from the meeting is the confirmed transfer of a Abukuma-class destroyer es**rt, although there are no final numbers as to how many will the Philippine Navy will get. Previously, the service branch confirms that they will get at least a minimum of three (3) such vessels, although getting all six (6) is also a possibility of itself.

Pushing through, this will be the first export of lethal weapons by Japan under its revised policy for military arms exports, which got relaxed on the previous month. This development is a testament of the growing bilateral security ties of both Japan and the Philippines, which was now counted as a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' as coined by both governments during the president's visit.

Read more about the Abukuma-class destroyer es**rt and its transfer to the Philippines in an article below.

The Abukuma-class destroyer es**rts have served the JMSDF for most of their service lives. Now it will serve the Philippine Navy's own fleet.

30/05/2026

For the first time: United States Coast Guard now joins the Philippine Coast Guard in patrolling and challenging the claims imposed by China in the Panatag Shoal. This showcases the growing and strengthening ties among the alliance.

As reported by SeaLight , the USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757) joins BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702) in conducting joint patrols near Panatag Shoal, where the China Coast Guard (CCG), the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and Maritime Militia are always deployed in a show of force.

This development signals a stronger and growing security ties within the alliance, as both the Philippines and the United States are now directly challenging illegal Chinese loitering within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.



First image from United States Coast Guard, Second Image from SeaLight.

28/05/2026

Images: Last May 26, 2026, the Philippine Navy christens the BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS21), prior to its actual commissioning into active duty in the Philippine fleet by May 29, 2026.

The ship is the second Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessel that will be commissioning in service by May 29 during the 128th Philippine Navy anniversary, out of six (6) ships of this class ordered by the Philippine Navy from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, South Korea. The attendance in the said ceremony will be attended by the Commander-In-Chief Ferdinand R Marcos himself, as reported by the Philippine News Agency.

Based on HDP-2200+ design, the Rajah Sulayman-class OPV serve as a force multiplying presence platform that enforces maritime domain awareness alongside the Philippine Coast Guard vessels in the country's territorial and EEZ waters.



Image (c) Philippine Navy

27/05/2026

In the part of ensuring credible territorial defense, getting the Type 88 surface to ship missile system from Japan in significant numbers will help the Philippine Armed Forces improve its coastal defense capabilities, especially in an event that any adversary warship threatens to inflict terror in the country's mainland in an event of the conflict.

Going further, securing the numbers needed for territorial defense means that the Philippine Armed Forces efficiently improve that needed firepower dynamics, as the current fleet composition of the Philippine Navy is not sufficient to face a large armada of the People's Liberation Army Navy vessels, head-on. Instead, getting this Japanese-made missile, along with sufficient ground-based air defense solutions, enable the country to achieve an effective anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy through this approach.

Ultimately, this will both benefit the Philippines and Japan in a greater scheme of things, especially that this bolsters the military security dynamic of the first island chain, giving a regional power like China added obstacles on its desires not only for retaking the island country of Taiwan that lies between both said countries, but also to provide an effective deterrence on both the West Philippine Sea and the area of water surrounding the Senkaku islands.

A Japanese Type 88 surface-to-ship missile system fires for the first time in the maritime strike phase of the Balikatan conducted off Ilocos Norte on May 6, 2026. The Japanese weapon has a range of

25/05/2026

New on the Pitz Defense Analysis website:

The Philippine Army, through the 2025-2 Procurement Monitoring Report of the Department of National Defense, has opened a bid relating to its interest in adding 155mm self-propelled howitzers (PGM ready) as part of its push under the Revised AFP Modernization Program.

With the Israel-made products now out of the picture due to the logistics constraint brought by the country against the conflict in the region, coupled with the Philippine government's streamlining resource chains by preferring procurement of military hardware from countries that support the Philippine's stance on the West Philippine Sea, the tender is now open with two (2) units now shortlisted as the likely platform that the Philippine Army will get in this project.

This article provides specific details into what comprises relative to this acquisition project of the Philippine Army. Additional details found in the article below.

In the 2025 Procurement Monitoring Review, the report shows the Philippine Army's interest in getting more self-propelled howitzers for its own use.