Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the Philippines will rely on substitute capabilities in the absence of a submarine to patrol its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), although he acknowledged that the country would eventually need one as its naval operations expand.
“At the present time, I believe, in the area of operations that we have in our EEZ, perhaps alternate or substitute capabilities will do,” Teodoro said in a podcast interview with maritime expert Ray Powell released Tuesday.
He noted, however, that the need for submarines will grow as the Philippine Navy evolves to secure the country’s supply chains and assume a more expeditionary role.
“Naturally, with submarines, I believe that there will come a time, perhaps we will be needing them when we have to secure our supply chains and the Philippine Navy evolves into an expeditionary securing force for Philippine vessels,” he said.
Teodoro also emphasized the importance of hybrid and unmanned systems such as drones and unmanned surface vessels (USVs). The Philippine Navy currently operates four T-12 Manta USVs, according to Marine Capt. Joshua Estrada, a liaison officer at the US Embassy in Manila. The US is expected to provide additional units under its $500 million foreign military financing program.
Powell, who heads Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, said the T-12s offer limited submersible capabilities and may serve as a starting point for undersea defense, but stressed the need for a more robust submarine force.
“They would be a start, as they do have some limited submersible capabilities,” he said. “But the military will need to develop a much more robust undersea force if it is going to credibly detect, monitor, and hold at risk China’s substantial manned and unmanned subsurface forces.”
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad earlier said that several submersibles recovered in Philippine waters are likely of Chinese origin, used for underwater mapping and intelligence gathering.
Trinidad has previously said the Philippine Navy needs at least three submarines to protect the country’s maritime domain.
In 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced plans to acquire a submarine, noting that countries such as France had offered to manufacture them. The Philippines remains one of the few coastal states in Asia without a submarine fleet.