#block70_72

[rhk111sblog]

The Italian Company "Fincantieri SpA" and the Germany Company "ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems" announced recently that they are entering a Strategic Partnership to support the Horizon III Military Modernization Program of the Philippine Navy (PN).

Their Agreement will focus on the supply of U212 Near Future Submarines (NFS). In addition to Submarine Delivery, their Partnership will include Training, Logistics and Doctrinal Assistance from the Italian Navy.

MY NOTES: Although they didn’t say it directly, I think based on their above Statements it is very clear that they offering the Type 212 NFS Submarine to the PN, which planning to acquire one for their Modernization. So this is the Reason for all these recent Activities of the PN with the Italian Navy, it looks like they are willing to help the PN in various Ways if the PN gets the Type 212 Sub.

The Type 212 Sub is a more advanced and a more recent Version than the Submarines that South Korea (SK) is offering, which is based on the Type 209, a very successful Model for Germany, by the Way. Of course SK has vastly improved and modernized the Type 209, but it is like the F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter Aircraft Argument where the basic Design is from the 1970s even with their new Block 70/72 Version.

The difference between the F-16 and the Type 209 though is that Submarines are naturally stealthy, whether they are the older Type 209 or newer Type 212. The same can’t be said of the F-16, it is far cry from the F-35 Lightning II Stealth Fighter Aircraft.

European Products though are notorious also for being more expensive, so I think it will boil down to whether they can at least offer the same Features on their Subs for the same Price Point? Like for Example, if their Competitors offer Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) Technology with their Subs, can Fincantieri and ThyssenKrupp offer the same also?

One Thing unique about these Type 212s are their non-Magnetic Hulls, which makes Magnetic Mines ineffective against them because, of course, they won’t activate when near their Hulls. But the last time I read about this, they were only offering it to the German Navy and not to Export Customers.

It would certainly be a plus if they change their Policy and include that Feature in their Offer, but only as an additional Feature and not as a Compromise, like say, their Subs won’t have AIP but it will have a non-Magnetic Hull instead. No, that won’t do for me.

Another relatively unique Feature of these Type 212 Subs is its ability to fire Surface to Air Missiles (SAM), and it’s not just any Missile, it is the excellent “Infra-Red Imaging System-Tail/Thrust vector-controlled (IRIS-T)”. There are even plans to put a 30 mm cannon on the Type 212, but I don’t know if those SAMs and Cannon will be an important consideration for the PN.

The only Thing that sorts of bothers me about the Type 212 is there is no clear reference on what Anti-Ship or Land-Attack Missiles it can use. There are References that said it can fire those, but nothing Specific has been mentioned.

But again, not sure if the PN will also want that as an important Point for the Subs they intend to acquire. Overall, I like the Type 212, it is an outstanding Submarine, particularly its Sonar System which includes Towed, Flank and Circular Arrays.

But in the End I feel it remains to be seen if they can compete with the same or more Features with other Competitors like SK for the same or at least similar Price. Good luck to them though, I hope they make it also.

Here is the Link to the Article at the “Defense Industry Europe” Website: https://defence-industry.eu/fincantieri-and-thyssenkrupp-marine-systems-partner-to-support-philippine-navy-modernisation/

SOURCE: Fincantieri and Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems Partner to support Philippine Navy Modernisation {Archived Link}

[rhk111sblog]

The United States' (US) State Department thru their Defense Security Cooperation Agreement (DSCA) Website recently approved the possible sale of an undisclosed number of TH-73A Helicopters to the Philippines worth Usd 120 million.

The Sale includes at least one Training Simulator and several other related Equipment. The Aircraft itself will be used for Training Purposes.

MY NOTES: So, this is just another potential buy by the Administration of Bong Bong Marcos (BBM) from the US, aside from F-16C/D Fighting Falcon Block 70/72 Fighter Aircraft, Typhon Mid Range Capability (MRC) Missile System, etc.

The Bangag is really going all out with the US now. Not sure which Service in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) this will go to, but these are bigger than the Robinson R22 and R44 Helicopters than the AFP are using right now.

I guess it makes sense since the Helicopters that the AFP now has like the AW159 Wildcat of the Philippine Navy (PN) and the T129B ATAK Helicopter of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) are bigger and more sophisticated Aircraft, hence they probably felt the need for a more capable Trainer Aircraft also.

The Bad News is that these TH-73A Helicopters also have higher Operating Costs than the R22 or R44 because of their bigger Size and Sophistication. The TH-73A by the Way is based on the AW119 Helicopter and can seat a total of 5 Passengers and Crew.

It is used by the United States Navy (USN) for their Training and is Code Named the “Thrasher” in their Service.

You can see the DSCA Article at their Website here: https://www.dsca.mil/Congressional-Notification-Archive/Article/4155316/philippines-th-73a-training-helicopters-and-support

SOURCE: Philippines – TH-73A Training Helicopters and Support {Archived Link}

[rhk111sblog]

I was looking at the Videos and Pictures of the F-16V Block 70/72 Cockpit Demonstrator of the Lockheed Martin Corporation when I realized that they are better seen in Portrait Mode Format, hence I decided to make this Video also

[rhk111sblog]

The "South East Asia Statistics (SEAsia Stats)" Website recently published the Length of the Railway Lines of each of the Countries in South East Asia (SEA) that has them based on their own Research taken from Data from various Sources, and as we can see the Philippines has among the LEAST Railway Line Length in the Region, despite the Fact that it has one of the largest Population Sizes in SEA.

Note that two Countries, Laos and Cambodia have more Railway the Lines than the Philippines despite them having much lower Population Sizes than the Philippines at only 8 to 18 million People, compared to the 120 million in the Philippines.

The only Country that the Philippines has more Railway Lines is Singapore, which everybody knows is a pretty small Country, with a Population Size of only 6 million People in a Land Area that is only one-third that of the size of Davao City.

Singapore is, of course a very Progressive City-State and their Railway Lines are among the best in the World, which the same can't be said about the Philippines. All of the other major SEA Countries like Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia have 5 to 20 times the Railway Length compared to the Philippines.

And yet despite this, the current Administration insists on buying such expensive F-16C/D Fighting Falcon Block 70/72 Aircraft from the United States (US) instead of spending it on Infrastructure so we can at least catch up a bit more with our SEA Neighbors.

Here is the Link to the original Post of SEAsia Stats on their Facebook Page: https://web.facebook.com/seastats/posts/pfbid02EPb5SrRtnkbuvBKaZP2tNX4mgEVsfs1ketaEFeMwzvGCQECiScRGgXduh3G2EXVhl

SOURCE: SEAsia Stats Facebook Page Post, 04/06/25 – 1241H {Archived Link}

[rhk111sblog]

A six-second Video of the Prototype of one of China's new sixth Generation Stealth Fighter Aircraft, the J-36 was posted on Social Media recently, it was seen crossing above a Highway as it was making its Landing Run. You can watch the original Video on the Xiaohongshu Social Media Platform here: http://xhslink.com/a/4yrwzeacViN9

MY NOTES: The Aircraft is beautiful, it almost looks like a “Flying Saucer” to me because of the lack of any large Vertical Surfaces on it. So while the United States (US) is now just still talking about their own sixth Generation Aircraft, China is already flying their Prototypes.

And China doesn’t have just one, but TWO Prototypes of different Designs. And this is the China that the Philippines wants to “deter” or intimidate with twenty, extremely expensive F-16C/D Fighting Falcon Block 70/72 Fighter Aircraft, whose original Design was made in the 1970s? So very funny, LOL.

As I wrote before, if we are going to pay such an expensive Price for Fighter Aircraft, then we might as well get the F-35 Lightning II Stealth Fighter Aircraft of the US, because then it will be at least more credible as a “deterrent”.

There are already 3D Printed Scale Models of the J-36 being sold online by the Way, and they are not expensive at all, so I might get one soon.

SOURCE: Samuel Wang Xiaohongshu Post, 04/08/25 - 1052H {Archived Link}

[rhk111sblog]

The Philippines' Ambassador to the United States (US), Jose Manuel Romualdez said recently during a Radio Interview that the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon Block 70/72 Fighter Aircraft that the US is offering to the Philippines for Usd 5.56 billion will be delivered in Batches, and the first Batch could be delivered as early as next Year of 2026. He gave no other new Details about the proposed Deal.

MY NOTES: This relatively fast delivery of the Aircraft seems to be one of the Incentives given the US to the Philippines. I think Rigoberto Tiglao and Rod Kapunan are right in their recent Columns, it seems that this F-16 Deal seems to be one of the main Reasons for US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to the Philippines, to push for it.

With Hegseth pushing for it and that early delivery incentive, it looks like this is an almost done Deal, whether the Filipino People approves of it or not. The Pinoy Doggies of the US are now desperately trying to defend the Deal, saying that it will be a “Deterrent” to China.

How can 20 F-16s be a “Deterrent” to China who now has over a hundred J-20 Mighty Dragon Stealth Fighter Aircraft in Service, not to mention their upcoming sixth Generation Fighter Aircraft of which Prototypes are already flying?

China, who also has around 200 to 300 Flanker-class Aircraft will be “deterred” by twenty F-16s? Really? Remember that these are the same Pinoy Doggie Id**ts who kept saying that the nine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) Bases will be a “Deterrent” to “China”.

Does China look “deterred” now that those Bases are here, when they are complaining every single Day about China doing this, or China doing that. Now I’m not saying we shouldn’t buy Multi-Role Fighter (MRF) Aircraft, just not at the Price that is more expensive than the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge.

Or anywhere near the cost of that Bridge. Or, if it really is going to be that expensive, then it should at least be twenty brand new F-35 Lightning II Stealth Fighter Aircraft with Missiles and NOT just F-16s. That then would be a LOT more convincing as a “Deterrent” to China.

Here is the Link to the Article at the “GMA News” Website: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/941805/us-fighter-jets-may-be-delivered-to-ph-by-2026-or-2027-amb-romualdez/story/

SOURCE: US Fighter Jets may be delivered to PH by 2026 or 2027 —Amb. Romualdez {Archived Link}