Philippine Army
From Worldatplay
The Philippine Army (PA) is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. With over 68,000 personnel, it is easily the largest component of the armed forces.
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Functions
The functions of the Philippine Army are to:
- Organize, train and equip Army forces for the conduct of prompt and sustained combat operations on land;
- Prepare such units as may be necessary for the effective prosecution of national defense plans and programs and Armed Forces mission, including the expansion of the peacetime Army component to meet any emergency;
- Develop, in accordance with the other Major Services, tactics, techniques and equipment of interest to the Army on field operations;
- Train, organize and equip all Army reserve units; and
- Perform such functions as the higher authorities may direct.
History
The Philippine Army does not have a strong collective military tradition. In earlier times, Spain and the United States had been ruling the Philippine Islands. Neither allowed the Filipino troops to gain control of responsibility.
The foundation of the Philippine Army dates back to 1892, when Andrés Bonifacio founded the Katipunan organization, which aimed to prepare his band of Filipino rebels for armed revolt against Spanish colonial rule. The Katipunan first formed the nucleus of the Philippine Army.
Almost a year after the outbreak of hostilities between the Katipuneros and the Spanish Army, the Philippine Revolutionary Government and its Army were born on March 22, 1897 at Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon in Cavite. General Artemio Ricarte was named Captain General of the Ejercito en la Republica de las Islas Filipinas or the revolutionary Philippine Army. This date marks the founding day of the modern day Philippine Army.
On June 12, 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo declared Philippine Independence from Spain and formed the first Philippine Republic, in which he sat as its President. The Filipino troops were to enjoy only a brief respite from combat when American forces came in to establish rule in the islands by virtue of the Treaty of Paris, which Spain co-signed with the United States on December 10, 1898. The treaty ceded the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States.
On February 4, 1899, the Philippine-American War erupted due to Filipino political struggle against U.S. annexation of the Islands. The Filipinos fell from one position to another until they were forced to disband. Even after the official cessation of hostilities and as the Americans have established government in 1901, the Filipino revolutionaries continued their struggle for independence. Between that time until 1935, the revolutionary army lost many of its cohorts in sporadic engagements with U.S. troops, but never lost its cause.
With the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth on November 15, 1935, President Manuel L. Quezon sought the services of General Douglas MacArthur to evolve a national defense plan. Accordingly, Commonwealth Act No.1, popularly known as the National Defense Act was enacted into law, which paved the way to the birth of the new Philippine Army, which was only to be under the coat of the US Army. With an annual appropriation of 16 million pesos, it trained new Filipino members in defending the nation and protecting its people.
When World War II broke out in 1941, two regular and ten reserve divisions of the Philippine Army undertook the defense of the Philippines. These divisions were incorporated into the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. The equipment of these units included: Canon de 155mm GPF; Ordnance QF 18 pounder; 2.95 inch QF Mountain gun; Stokes Mortar; Brandt Mle 27/31; M2 Browning machine gun; M1917 Browning machine gun; M1919 Browning machine gun; M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle; M1917 Enfield rifle; M1903 Springfield rifle; Thompson submachine gun; M1 Garand; M3 Carbine; and the M1911 pistol.
After the war, four military areas were activated to take the place of military districts. The Armed Forces was reorganized which gave birth to the four major services of the Armed Forces.
Headquarters National Defense Forces was renamed General Headquarters Armed Forces of the Philippines.
In the early fifties and the mid-sixties, the Philippine government extended a helping hand to war-torn countries as part of its commitment as member of the United Nations. The army spared five battalions which comprised the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) to fulfill its pledge to uphold the struggle for democracy. The Philippine Civic Action Group to Vietnam (PhilCAGV) was sent to South Vietnam on a mission of peace, where army engineers helped build communities and army doctors and nurses provided medical services to the people.
Under the leadership of Brigadier General Leoncio S. Tan the Philippine Army established its separate headquarters on July 10, 1957. The onset of the sixties ushered an expansion of the army's roles, which include participation in the socio-economic programs of the country, among others.
To achieve greater flexibility and effectiveness, infantry divisions took the place of the military areas in the seventies. During the decade, military operations supported by civic action blocked the escalation of insurgency.
The onset of the eighties saw the birth of the Special Operations Team (SOT) strategy which is aimed to isolate the insurgents from the civilian population, and dismantle the communist political organizations, neutralizing and denying them control of barangays all over the country.
Aside from counterinsurgency campaigns, the SOT plays an additional role in national development. Together with local government officials, SOT identifies problems and helps provide assistance in areas that lack needed vital facilities and service like roads, bridges, schools, health and sanitation, livelihood, etc. Because of its effectiveness in quelling insurgency, this strategy is being adopted not only by the Army but by the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Organization
- 8 Light Infantry Divisions
- 1 Light Armored Brigade
- 8 Artillery Battalions
- 3 Engineer Brigades
- 1 Construction Battalion
- 1 Scout Ranger Regiment
Support units include a service support brigade, a training command, a signal group, an intelligence and security group, a civil-military operations battalion, and a finance center.
Equipment
Individual weapons
Pistols
- M9 9x19mm semi-automatic pistol
- M11 9x19mm semi-automatic pistol
- MK23 Mod 0 .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol
Shotguns
- M1014 12 gauge combat shotgun
- Mossberg 590 20 gauge combat shotgun
Submachine guns/carbines
- MP5 9x19mm submachine gun
- M4A1 5.56x45mm carbine
Rifles
- M16A4 5.56x45mm assault rifle
- M14 7.62x51mm automatic rifle
- M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle
- M24 Sniper Weapon System
- M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System
Machine guns
- M2 Browning .50 cal heavy machine gun
- M240B 7.62x51mm machine gun
- M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
Grenade launchers/assault weapons
- M203 40mm grenade launcher
- M79 40mm grenade launcher
- FGM-172 SRAW
- M72 LAW
- M40 105mm recoilless rifle
Artillery
- Soltam M68 155mm medium gun
- M114 155mm howitzer
- OTO Melara Mod 56 105mm howitzer
- M101 105mm howitzer
- M29 81mm mortar
- M2 60mm mortar
- M30 107mm mortar
Vehicles
Armored vehicles
- Stingray Light Tank
- M41 Walker Bulldog Light Tank
- M42 Duster Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun
- M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
- Advanced Infantry Fighting Vehicle
- M113 Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle
- M58 Wolf Smoke Generator Carrier
- M106 Armored Self-propelled Mortar (107mm)
- M1059 Lynx Smoke Generator Carrier
- M125 Armored Self-propelled Mortar (81mm)
- M132 Armored Flamethrower
- M163 Vulcan Air Defense System
- M548 Tracked Cargo Carrier
- M577 Tracked Command Post Carrier
- M579 Fitter
- M901 Improved TOW Vehicle (ITV)
- M981 Fire Support Team Vehicle (FIST-V)
- M1015 Tracked Electronic Warfare Carrier
- M1064 Armored Self-propelled Mortar (120mm)
- M1068 Standard Integrated Command Post System
- XM696 Armored Recovery Vehicle
- XM1108 Universal Carrier
- Simba Armored Personnel Carrier
- Chaimite Armored Personnel Carrier
- V-200 Armored Personnel Carrier
- V-300 Heavy Fire Support Vehicle
- V-400 Light Fire Support Vehicle
- V-500 Anti-Tank Missile Launcher
- V-600 Mortar Carrier
- V-700 Ambulance
- V-800 Communications and Command Vehicle
- V-900 Armored Recovery Vehicle
- V-1000 Riot Control Vehicle
- Cadillac Gage Commando Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier
- V-100
- V-150
- V-200
- V-300
- V-600
- Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)
- FV101 Scorpion Light Tank
- FV102 Striker Anti-Tank Guided Missile Carrier
- FV103 Spartan Armored Personnel Carrier
- FV104 Samaritan Armored Ambulance
- FV105 Sultan Command and Control Vehicle
- FV106 Samson Armored Recovery Vehicle
- FV107 Scimitar Light Tank
- Sabre Light Tank
- Shielder Minelayer
- Streaker High Mobility Carrier
- M551 Sheridan Airborne Reconnaissance Vehicle
- Ferret Armored Car
Support vehicles
- M998 HMMWV
- M56 Coyote Smoke Generator
- M707 HMMWV
- M966 HMMWV TOW (armored)
- M996 Mini-Ambulance (armored)
- M997 Maxi-Ambulance (armored)
- M998 Cargo Carrier
- M998 HMMWV Avenger
- M1025 Armament Carrier (armored)
- M1026 Armament Carrier (armored)
- M1035 Ambulance
- M1036 TOW (armored)
- M1037 S-250 Shelter Carrier
- M1038 Cargo Carrier
- M1042 S-250 Shelter Carrier
- M1043 Armament Carrier (armored)
- M1044 Armament Carrier (armored)
- M1045 TOW (armored)
- M1046 TOW (armored
- M1069 Tractor
- M1097 Heavy
- M1097 Heavy HMMWV Avenger
- M1109 Armament Carrier (armored)
- HLONS
- M1114 Armament Carrier (armored)
- M1116 HMMWV (armored)
- M1123 Heavy
- M1121 TOW (armored)
- M1145 HMMWV
- M1151 HMMWV (armored)
- M1152 HMMWV (armored)
- Packhorse - Attachment to convert an M1097 to tractor version for semi-trailers
- Scorpion - Version fitted with Vasliyek 82mm automatic mortar
- M151 MUTT
- M718A1 Ambulance
- M151A2 Fast Assault Vehicle
- M151A2 TOW
- M825 106mm Recoilless Rifle Carrier
- M151A1D NBC Reconnaissance Vehicle
- MRC108 Forward Air Control vehicle
- M35 2-1/2 ton Cargo Truck
- Heavy Equipment Transport System
- M911/M746/M747
- M1070/M1000
- Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck
- M977 and M985
- M978
- M983
- M984
- Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles
- M1078 Standard Cargo Truck
- M1079 Shop Van Configuration
- M1081 standard Cargo LVAD
- M1083 Standard Cargo Truck
- M1084 Standard Cargo Truck
- M1085 Long Wheel Base Truck
- M1086 Long Wheel Base Truck
- M1087 Expandable Van
- M1088 Tractor Truck
- M1089 Wrecker
- M1090 Dump Truck
- M1091 Fuel/Water Tanker
- M1093 Standard Cargo Truck, LVAD
- M1094 Dump Truck, LVAD
- M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System
- Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement
- MK23 Cargo
- MK25 Cargo
- MK27 Cargo
- MK28 Cargo
- MK29 Dump
- MK30 Dump
- MK31 Tractor
- MK36 Wrecker
- MK37 HIMARS Resupply Vehicle
- Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle
- M1009 Utility Vehicle
- M1010 Ambulance
- M1010 Command Post Vehicle
- M1010 Ordnance Repair Truck
- M1028: Shelter Carrier
- M1028FF: Firefighting Vehicle
- M1028A1: Shelter Carrier
- Logistics Vehicle System (LVS)
- LVS MK48
- LVS MK48A1
- LVS MK14 Flatbed
- LVS MK15 Recovery Vehicle
- LVS MK16 Fifth-Wheel
- LVS MK17 Material Handling Crane
- LVS MK18/18A1 Self-Loader
- M1075 Palletized Load System
- M3 Amphibious Rig
- Caterpillar D9 Armored Bulldozer
Aircraft
Fixed-wing
- Beechcraft 80 Queen Air Utility Aircraft
- Britten-Norman Islander Light Utility/Cargo Aircraft
- Cessna O-2 Skymaster Observation Aircraft
- Cessna 421 Golden Eagle Utility Aircraft
- Cessna 206 Stationair Utility Aircraft
- Cessna 172 Skywagon Utility Aircraft
- Lockheed C-130H Hercules Tactical Transport
Helicopters
- Bell UH-1H Iroquois Multipurpose Utility Helicopter
- Bell 412 Multipurpose Utility Helicopter
- Sikorsky S-76 Search and Rescue/Utility Helicopter
Training
The army operates a variety of schools for its arms and branches. The Army Training Command is located at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, north of Manila. The training command provides basic training for enlisted personnel and officers and advanced training in some specialties such as infantry and artillery. Specialized training in other areas, such as armor, intelligence, and engineering, is the responsibility of service extension schools operated by the commanders of those army units. Many soldiers, however, never attend centralized military schools, but instead are trained by army divisions at basic training centers throughout the country.
