The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), particularly the Philippine Navy (PN), has received a huge boost to defend against aerial threats, with the delivery of the Mistral 3 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) of its two new frigates.
The Mistral 3 was delivered at the Subic Bay International Airport in Bataan on 8th October 2021. Procurement and delivery of the Mistral 3 SAMs is part of the PN Frigate Acquisition Project Lot 2B which had been awarded to the MBDA Missile Systems based in France.
The Mistral 3 is the first ever SAM procured by the AFP that would bolster the military’s capability to defend the country’s territory. According to the AFP, the Mistral 3 SAMs will be fitted on BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) and will give the PN a much-needed defensive capability against hostile air targets.
Surface-to-air missiles are among the primary weapons of FF-150 and FF-151 that bolsters the PN’s anti-air warfare capability. The arrival of these missiles will greatly capacitate the JRC (Jose Rizal-Class) frigates in the conduct of their maritime operations, said Navy spokesperson, Commander Benjo Negranza.
The BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna are modern warships capable of surface, sub-surface, air, and electronic warfare using state-of-the-art electronic sensors, long-range missiles, acoustic guided torpedoes, and an embarked anti-submarine helicopter.
With the Republic Act 10349, or the Revised AFP Modernization Program signed in 2012, the AFP was able to acquire new assets. The procurement of missile systems, according to the Navy spokesperson, is a cost-effective and reliable addition to a layered defense system, capable of denying enemy intrusion and deterring future attacks by external threats.
(Source: Philippine News Agency)
