Philippine Army. Insurance collector. The Philippine army is only capable of repelling guerrillas. Philippine Anti-Terror Rapid Response

5:01 / 25.01.18
Insurance collector. The Philippine army is only capable of repelling guerrillas

Having received official independence from the United States immediately after World War II, the Philippines maintained very close ties with the former mother country, including in the military field. Most of the aircraft's equipment is American-made. Although there were deliveries from Europe, Australia, and Israel. Recently, military-technical cooperation with the Republic of Korea has been actively developing.

In the Philippines there were two of the largest American military bases outside the United States - the airborne Clark Field and the naval Subic Bay, but both were liquidated in the early 90s. The country is one of the most active participants in the dispute over the Spratly Islands and surrounding waters.

The Marine Corps is considered a “branch” of the ground forces and is designed to fight partisans / Photo: armscom.net

Located in Southeast Asia, the Philippines has significant similarities with Latin American countries in a number of ways. We are talking about an unconditional orientation toward the United States, Catholicism as the dominant religion, a very high level of corruption and crime, and a very peculiar structure of the armed forces. The Philippine Armed Forces are large in number, but at the same time they are focused exclusively on counterinsurgency operations and have accumulated good experience in this area.

“The Marine Corps is considered a “branch” of the ground forces and is intended to fight partisans”

At the same time, the army is completely unprepared for a classical war, since it does not have the equipment for this. The Armed Forces do not have main tanks, self-propelled guns, MLRS, full-fledged combat helicopters, ground-based air defense systems, submarines, ships or boats with any missile weapons. The available equipment of other classes, as a rule, is very outdated, its quantity is insignificant.

The ground forces are divided into joint commands - Northern Luzon (5, 7th Infantry Divisions), Southern Luzon (2, 9th Infantry Divisions), Western, Central (3, 8th Infantry Divisions), Western Mindanao (1st infantry division, SOF and Ranger regiments), Eastern Mindanao (4th, 6th, 10th Infantry Divisions). There are 10 infantry divisions and 32 infantry brigades. In addition, the ground forces include a motorized infantry division and five engineering brigades. There is also an Army Reserve Command, which includes 27 infantry divisions.

In service are 45 British Scorpion light tanks, 45 Dutch YPR-765 infantry fighting vehicles and 6 Turkish ACV-300s, more than 500 armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles - American M113 and V-150 (268 and 137 units, respectively), British Simba (133) , Portuguese V-200 (20). Artillery includes up to 300 towed guns - mostly American M101 and Italian M-56, as well as 570 mortars - Serbian M-69B (100), American M-29 and M-30 (400 and 70). Army aviation has up to 11 American light aircraft (3–4 Cessna-172, 1 Cessna-150, 2 Cessna-R206A, up to 2 Cessna-421, up to 2 Cessna-170).

The Air Force has only 12 full-fledged combat vehicles, however, the latest South Korean FA-50 fighters. There are 2 basic patrol aircraft (1 Dutch F-27-200MPA, 1 Australian N-22SL), up to 16 American OV-10 reconnaissance aircraft. Transporters: American C-130 (5), Commander-690A, Cessna-177, Cessna-210 (one each), Dutch F-27 (2) and F-28 (1), the latest Spanish C -295 (3). Training aircraft: Italian S-211 (3) and SF-260 (22), up to 36 American T-41. The S-211 can theoretically be used as light attack aircraft. Multi-purpose and transport helicopters: American AUH-76 (up to 8), S-76 (2), Bell-412 (up to 14), MD-520MG (up to 16), S-70A (1), Bell-205 "(up to 11), UH-1 (up to 110), as well as Italian AW-109E (6) and Polish W-3A (7). AUH-76 and W-3A can be used as drums.

The Navy has 4 old American-built frigates with purely artillery weapons: 1 Raja Humabon (Canon class), 3 Gregorio Pilar (Hamilton class, from the US Coast Guard). But there are a lot of patrol ships and boats: 1 “General Alvarez” (American “Cyclone”), 3 “Emilio Jacinto” (English “Peacock”), 5-6 “Miguel Malvar” (old American minesweepers “Admirable”), 2 “ Rizal" (old American minesweepers "Ok"), 2 "Conrodo Yap" and 6 "Tomaz Batilo" (South Korean "Sea Hawk" and "Chamsuri", respectively), 2 "Kagittingan" (German built), 22 "Jose Andrada", 2 Alberto Navarette (Point type), 29 Swiftship. In addition, the coast guard has more than 20 patrol ships and boats. 2 Tarlac type DVKDs of Indonesian construction, including 15 TDKs - 2 Bacolod types (American Besson landing transports), up to 5 Zamboan del Sur (American LST-1/542), 1 Tabganua and 1 “Manobo” (own construction), 5 “Ivatan” (Australian “Balikpapan”).

As was said, the ships and boats of the Philippine Navy do not have any missile weapons, not even short-range air defense systems.

Naval aviation includes up to 13 aircraft (up to 8 British BN-2A, American Cessna-172 and Cessna-421) and up to 14 helicopters (up to 7 German Vo-105, 1 American R-22, 6 Italian AW-109 ).

“Russia should become an additional argument against the United States, Japan should become a counterweight to China”

The Marine Corps consists of four brigades (one is reserve), is considered a “branch” of the ground forces and is intended for counterinsurgency warfare. In addition, the Philippine Navy can only conduct limited amphibious operations within its archipelago. It is armed with 45 American armored personnel carriers (23 LAV-300, 18 V-150, 4 LVTN-6) and 56 towed guns (30 M101, 20 M-56, 6 M-71).

In June 2016, Manila won a case against Beijing in the Hague arbitration over the ownership of a number of islands and reefs in the South China Sea, but the opponent expectedly ignored this decision. On the southern island of Mindanao, the war against Islamic radicals has been going on for many years, who in 2014 swore allegiance to the Islamic State, which is banned in our country. If terrorist bases in Iraq and Syria are completely eliminated, a significant part of the surviving militants will move to Southeast Asia, primarily to Mindanao. The battles against caliphate militants for the city of Marawi, which lasted from May to October 2017, although formally won by the Philippine army, showed the extreme limitations of its potential.

Today, the PLA Navy can organize a large-scale landing in the Philippines without any problems. Paradoxically, this would be much easier for the Chinese than for Taiwan. But its armed forces are much stronger than the Philippine army, and are also initially focused on repelling such aggression.

As the experience of the last decade shows, hopes for a military alliance with the United States have become suicidal for a number of countries and non-state actors (Georgia, Ukraine, the Syrian “opposition”). Apparently, in the near future this ranks will be joined by the Kurds, and then Taiwan, since Washington’s gigantic military power is formal. Opponents of comparable strength are too tough for him. In these cases, he turned out to be unprepared for war with Russia, and also obviously incapable of armed confrontation with China. The United States may deliberately expose its allies to attack without providing them with any real assistance.

Apparently, the new Philippine President Duterte drew certain conclusions from these facts and began a significant diversification of foreign policy. It is worth noting that many modern national leaders are still incapable of such awareness, continuing to believe that the alliance with the United States guarantees them something.

The impossibility of a military confrontation with the PRC and interest in economic cooperation with this country are forcing Duterte to move towards a significant rapprochement with Beijing. At the same time, the Philippine president is not ready for a complete break with the United States due to the presence of too close ties in the economic and military fields, as well as the need to insure against the influence of China. And in order not to be squeezed between two giants, Duterte will strengthen ties with other centers of power. Russia should become an additional argument against the United States, Japan – a counterweight to China.

In general, we can say that Duterte has, to a certain extent, changed the geopolitical situation in Southeast Asia. However, Manila's influence is limited due to its low economic, political and military potential. Coupled with internal instability, this automatically reduces the value of the Philippines as a potential ally for major powers. In particular, for Russia the country will obviously remain on the distant periphery of interests, although in words Moscow will in every possible way welcome rapprochement with Manila. For the United States and for the close neighbors of the Philippines, interest in this country will be somewhat higher, but it will not be in the center of their attention unless a new “Islamic Caliphate” arises on the territory of the Philippines. However, Manila itself hardly needs such an option.

Alexander Khramchikhin, Deputy Director of the Institute for Political and Military Analysis

Philippines Philippines

Philippine Department of National Defense

Armed forces

Philippine Revolution 1896-1898
Philippine-American War 1899-1903
World War II 1941-1945
Korean War
Vietnam War
Gulf War
Iraq War
Internal armed conflict in the Philippines

Lieutenant General Delfin Bangit

Armed Forces of the Philippines(Tagalog: Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) is a military organization of the Philippine Republic designed to protect the freedom, independence and territorial integrity of the state. Consists of ground forces, navy and air forces.

• 1. History
• 2 General information
• 3 Composition of the armed forces
  • 3.1 Ground forces
  • 3.2 Naval forces
  • 3.3 Air force
• 4 Notes
• 5 Links

Story

After the revolution of 1896, the Philippines began an armed struggle against Spanish colonial rule. At a meeting in the city of Tejeros, the revolutionary government, led by Emilio Aguinaldo (Tagalog Emilio Aguinaldo), announced the creation of the Philippine Army, the basis of which was the Philippine revolutionary forces, which took up arms against the Spanish troops on August 30, 1896. The war with the Spanish continued until December 10, 1898, when, under the Treaty of Paris, Spain renounced all rights to the Philippines to the United States.

Because the United States refused to recognize the independence of the Philippines, the Philippine Republic declared war on the United States in 1899, which officially lasted until September 25, 1903, when the last Filipino troops, under the command of General Simeon Ola, surrendered to the Americans.

After the Philippine-American War, the Philippines became a territory dependent on the United States, and only in 1935, with the granting of greater autonomy, the formation of a new Philippine Army began, which also included the Coast Guard and the Army Air Corps.

Another armed force was the Philippine Constabulary, subordinate to the Department of the Interior.

On September 7, 1950, the Philippine government decided to send the Philippine Expeditionary Force to South Korea to help repel aggression from the North. The Philippines sent five battalions of infantry, totaling 7,420 soldiers.

On December 23, 1950, the Philippine Army received its modern name - the Armed Forces of the Philippines. They originally consisted of four main components: the Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the Police Force. The territory of the country was initially divided into four military districts, however, in the early 80s of the 20th century, the aggravation of the situation in the country forced the national armed forces to be reorganized again. Instead of 4 military districts, 12 regional commands were created.

General information

Composition of the armed forces

Ground troops

Naval forces

Air Force

Notes

1. Leadership
2. National Defense Act.
3. History of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
4. Military of the Philippines, CIA - The World Factbook
5. According to data for 2010.
6. Based on data for 2007.
7. Philippines

Links

• Official page of the Philippine Department of National Defense (English)
• Official page of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (English)

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Philippine generals ask to increase the size of the army by another 20 thousand people

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, at the insistence of the generals, asked Congress for consent to increase the size of the army by another 20 thousand people to combat the growing resistance of Muslim rebels in the south of the country. As a RIA Novosti correspondent reports, there are currently 68 thousand people serving in the Philippine army and an increase in its strength by another 20 thousand will lead to an increase in budget expenditures for the maintenance of the armed forces by almost 30 percent. According to the army leadership, Muslim armed rebel groups now number at least 25 thousand militants, of which 23 thousand belong to the formations of the Muslim Moro movement. This, according to the generals, explains the fact that until now government troops in the south of the country, consisting of 5 thousand people, have not been able to suppress the resistance of the rebels. Military experts believe that in order to successfully end the war in the southern provinces, it is necessary to send up to 40 additional...

KUALA LUMPUR, December 3. /Corr. RIA Novosti Konstantin Slyusarenko/. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, at the insistence of the generals, asked Congress for consent to increase the size of the army by another 20 thousand people to combat the growing resistance of Muslim rebels in the south of the country.

As a RIA Novosti correspondent reports, there are currently 68 thousand people serving in the Philippine army and an increase in its strength by another 20 thousand will lead to an increase in budget expenditures for the maintenance of the armed forces by almost 30 percent.

According to the army leadership, Muslim armed rebel groups now number at least 25 thousand militants, of which 23 thousand belong to the formations of the Muslim Moro movement.

This, according to the generals, explains the fact that until now government troops in the south of the country, consisting of 5 thousand people, have not been able to suppress the resistance of the rebels. Military experts believe that in order to successfully end the war in the southern provinces, it is necessary to send up to 40 additional battalions there.

The Philippines is called the "land of seven thousand islands." The former Spanish colony, which managed to be under US control in the first half of the 20th century, is a populous and multinational state. More than 105 million people live here. The Philippines ranks twelfth in the world in terms of population. The country's inhabitants belong to dozens of different nationalities, the most numerous of which are the Tagalogs, who make up more than a quarter of the country's population (28.1%). Like many other states in Southeast Asia, the Philippines is faced with a number of internal contradictions - primarily on political and ethno-confessional grounds.

Almost since the end of World War II, there has been a low-intensity civil war in the country. The Philippine government has two main opponents who prefer to talk to the authorities in the language of guerrilla warfare. Firstly, these are communist guerrillas - armed forces of the Maoist and Trotskyist persuasion, fighting for the creation of a communist state in the Philippines. The largest such formation is the New Philippine People's Army (NPA). Secondly, these are nationalist and religious armed organizations of the so-called “Moros” (“Moors”) - Filipino Muslims living compactly in the south of the country and advocating autonomy, or even complete independence from the central government.

The long civil war waged by communists, separatists and Islamists against the central government has created many problems for the Philippine leadership. To begin with, it does not control a number of interior areas on some islands where so-called “liberated territories” exist. Secondly, the presence of thousands of armed opposition in the country is always a very serious threat to the existing political system. That is why the Philippine authorities have always paid the most serious attention to the organization, training and arming of army and police units designed to resist a dangerous internal enemy - guerrilla groups.

Background

In fact, the prototype of the Philippine special forces appeared more than a hundred years ago. As you know, at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. The people of the Philippines fought first against the Spanish colonialists and then against the Americans. The power superiority of the American army forced the Philippine revolutionary command to reconsider the basic tactics of its units and create units focused on the guerrilla type of warfare. At the origins of these units was General Antonio Luna de San Pedro (1866-1899), a pharmacist by profession, who nevertheless became famous as a talented military leader and organizer of the armed forces. He was also the founder of the first Philippine National Military Academy. General Antonio Luna created the “Arrows of the Moon” unit, the backbone of which was made up of former Filipino soldiers who served in the Spanish army and went over to the side of the revolution. They were more trained than the fighters of other revolutionary units. On February 11, 1899, eight infantrymen who had previously served in the Spanish army were accepted into service in the Philippine army. Later the detachment grew in number. The Moon Shooters were renowned for their bravery and combat proficiency during numerous battles of the Philippine-American War. During the Battle of Paye on December 18, 1899, it was they who killed the American General Henry Lawton.

There was another similar unit in the Philippine revolutionary army - the detachment of Rosendo Simon de Pajarillo. It was created from ten volunteers who enlisted in the Philippine Army. Later, the number of the detachment increased to 50 people and it switched to guerrilla operations in the territory occupied by American troops. Finally, we cannot fail to mention the Black Watch squad, commanded by Lieutenant Garcia. This partisan sabotage formation of 25 people was also created on the initiative of Luna. The tasks of the “Black Watch” included carrying out sabotage raids behind enemy lines. Despite the fact that Luna repeatedly offered to increase the size and power of the detachment, Lieutenant Garcia refused, preferring to work with the personnel he was familiar with.

Scout Rangers - "Men in Black"

After the declaration of independence of the Philippines, the first units of Philippine special operations forces began to be formed in the mid-twentieth century specifically to fight rebels in the jungles of the “seven thousand islands.” They were created as part of the Philippine Army (ground forces). Anti-guerrilla warfare has become the main profile of the Philippine “commandos”, their calling card, since over almost seven decades of continuous confrontation with communist and then Islamic guerrillas, Filipino soldiers and officers have acquired serious experience in this matter. The First Ranger Scout Regiment is considered one of the best anti-partisan units in the world. It was founded on November 25, 1950, under the command of Rafael M. Ileto (1920-2003). The name of the regiment was adopted in honor of the American Rangers and Filipino Scouts who were in American service. The regiment's mission was to confront the People's Anti-Japanese Army (Hukbalahap), a guerrilla armed formation controlled by the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Rafael M. Ileto, the first commander of the Philippine Rangers, after graduating from high school, entered the University of the Philippines to major in engineering, but after two years he transferred to the Philippine Military Academy, and then to the United States Military Academy at West Point under the foreign cadet program. In 1943, Ileto completed an accelerated training course and was assigned to the 1st Philippine Infantry Regiment, stationed in California, with the rank of second lieutenant. The regiment was later transferred to the jungles of New Guinea, where Ileto continued to serve in the ranks of the famous Alamo Scouts. He participated in numerous battles in New Guinea and the Philippine Islands. In 1947 he was transferred to Okinawa, but soon retired.

In 1950, Ileto was reinstated in the Philippine Army. An educated officer with considerable combat experience was tasked with creating and leading the 1st Ranger Scout Regiment. Captain Ileto served as unit commander until 1955, and later made a rapid military career. Ileto served as a staff officer, chief of operations for the National Intelligence Coordination Agency, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, deputy chief of staff and vice chief of staff, and undersecretary of defense of the Philippines.

The first commander of the Scout Rangers, Captain Ileto, was given the task of selecting the best and most suitable soldiers and officers of the Philippine Army to serve in the special forces. They underwent accelerated training according to American commando programs and under the guidance of American instructors. The battalion commanded by Ileto was divided into two divisions. The first began to study the methods of action of the enemy - the communist partisans, and the second - performed reconnaissance functions for army units. Each Ranger Scout team had an officer or sergeant leader, a medical officer, a guide, a radio operator, and a gunner. The scout rangers monitored the locations and movements of the partisans, after which they transmitted the information they received to the army command.

The Rangers later switched to sabotage tactics against guerrilla movements. They used guerrilla tactics in the fight against partisans and it brought some results. The “five” rangers worked in isolation from the main base and acted at their own peril and risk. Its tasks included reconnaissance and surveillance of partisans, attacks on partisan patrols, and seizure of ammunition. However, such an activity seemed too risky - the rangers began to suffer serious losses and commander Ileto decided to transfer them exclusively to reconnaissance missions.

An important activity of rangers in the 1950s. was the implementation of reconnaissance and sabotage operations under the guise of the partisans themselves. The saboteurs operated in uniforms used by communist partisans and infiltrated partisan units. Since the partisans in those years had a poor communication system, there was virtually no communication between individual formations at all, and it was not difficult to impersonate retreating rebels from other units. The rangers skillfully took advantage of this and, under the guise of partisans, carried out operations to collect intelligence data and kidnap prominent partisan commanders.

However, the Ranger Scout Regiment was later disbanded, fueled by suspicions that some of the regiment's officers and soldiers were preparing for a military coup. The regiment was disbanded, and the soldiers and officers were transferred to the special warfare brigade. In the 1960s - 1970s. It was this unit that performed the main functions of the Philippine Army Special Forces. The traditions of Scout Rangers as first-class scouts and saboteurs were practically lost. Meanwhile, the internal military-political situation in the country has seriously deteriorated. First, the Hukbalakhap was replaced by the New People's Army, which was gaining popularity among the peasant population and fueled by the "urban appeal" of students sympathetic to Maoism. Secondly, in the mid-1970s, a new serious enemy became active - the Islamic national liberation movement, which advocated the creation of a sovereign state of the Moro - Filipino Muslims. In connection with these trends in the political life of the country, the Philippine military command increasingly began to turn to the idea of ​​​​recreating the Scout Ranger Regiment, which had effectively proven itself in the 1950s. In 1983, it was decided to re-establish the 1st Ranger Scout Regiment. Almost immediately it entered into active confrontation with the militants of the New People's Army, but was no longer used as a reconnaissance and sabotage unit, but as an air assault regiment. However, there was a gradual return to the old proven tactics of reconnaissance and sabotage operations. However, in 1989, officers of the regiment again participated in the preparation of another military coup. The conspirators were arrested, among them was the then regimental commander, Daniel Lima. But this time the regiment was not disbanded, although serious purges of the command staff were carried out.

Currently, the Scout Ranger Regiment is one of the elite units of the Philippine Army. It is part of the Special Operations Command. The regiment's structure includes a headquarters and four three-company battalions. In addition, the regiment includes twenty separate companies. Each individual company is subordinate to the regional command of the area, but may also be attached to a battalion of Scout Rangers. The company, in turn, is divided into teams of five soldiers - a commander (officer or sergeant), medic, radio operator, tracker and scout. The total number of scout rangers reaches 5 thousand soldiers and officers.

The Scout Ranger Regiment is recruited through the recruitment of willing candidates from among the conscripts or members of the Philippine Army. Candidates must meet the requirements for health, psychological and physical readiness to serve in special forces. A significant portion of those interested are eliminated at the initial stage of selection and preparation. The first part of the training is devoted to physical training and the study of actions with weapons, followed by a course of fire training, medical knowledge, topography, and orienteering in the jungle. The training of a fighter-ranger lasts six months. At the final stage, something like an internship and an exam in a combat situation occurs at the same time. Recruits are deployed into the jungle, into areas of real activity of partisan groups and take part in hostilities. Thus, they are tested and show commanders what they are capable of in real combat. After successful completion of the six-month course, the candidates who complete it receive the military specialty of light diver, artillery spotter, aircraft controller, and human intelligence specialist. Recruits who pass all tests and are enrolled in the regiment are awarded a black ranger beret. The camp where Scout Rangers are trained is located in Tecson in San Miguel in the province of Bulacan. The regiment's current commander is Brigadier General Eduardo Davalan.

Philippine Army Special Forces Regiment

Philippine Army Special Operations Forces Requirements in the 1960s. led to the creation of another elite unit of the ground forces, which, unlike the rangers, was initially focused not only on anti-guerrilla warfare, but also on conducting reconnaissance and sabotage operations behind the lines of a potential enemy, and carrying out other operations within the framework of unconventional warfare. On June 25, 1962, the Special Purpose Regiment was created, at the origins of which was Captain Fidel Ramos.

The first commander of the special forces regiment, Captain Fidel Ramos (born 1928), became one of those special forces soldiers who were lucky enough not only to have a serious career in the army, but also to have an absolutely breathtaking career in civilian life - from 1992 to 1998. Fidel Ramos served as President of the Philippines. In principle, this is not surprising, since Ramos came from a noble and influential Filipino family - his father was a lawyer, a member of the House of Representatives, and later the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines. Fidel Ramos graduated in 1950 from the United States Military Academy at West Point and, among other graduates, was assigned to the 20th Philippine Battalion. As part of it, he participated in the Korean War, where he established himself as a brave and talented officer. It was he who was decided to be made responsible for the creation of the Philippine Army Special Forces and the first commander of a special forces regiment. Ramos later commanded the 3rd Army Division in Cebu City. From 1980 to 1986 Fidel Ramos was the Chief of the Philippine Constables (Police) from 1986 to 1988. - Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces, 1988-1991. - Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines, and in 1992-1998. - the president of the country.

The regiment was trained by American instructors from Green Beret units. The special forces regiment was also assigned responsibilities for conducting anti-partisan warfare. Before joining the special forces staff, candidates must complete an airborne training course. Then begins eight months of training in the basics of special forces tactics and unconventional warfare. During this period, candidates are trained in methods of conducting psychological operations, mining and demining, river operations, combat dives, ensuring the safety of government-level persons (special forces take part in protecting government officials during important events). Special forces soldiers acquire the military specialties of parachutist, light diver, mountaineer, signalman, sniper, weapons specialist, and miner.

The special forces regiment includes a regimental headquarters, a special forces school, four special forces battalions and 20 separate special forces companies. The regiment's team does not consist of five fighters, like the Scout Rangers, but of 12 fighters - this is reflected in the specifics of the activities of this special unit. The regiment's current commander is Colonel Ronnie Evangelista. Like the Scout Rangers, the Special Forces Regiment takes part in counterinsurgency operations against the New People's Army, the Moro National Liberation Movement and Islamic radical organizations. In addition, members of the regiment participated in the Vietnam War on the side of the United States and the South Vietnamese army. The special forces regiment operates both independently and in conjunction with infantry units. In the latter case, special forces carry out reconnaissance operations, following ahead of the main forces of the Philippine infantry. The distinctive sign of the special forces regiment is the green beret.

Philippine Anti-Terror Rapid Response

The youngest known regimental level unit of the Philippine Army Special Forces is the Rapid Reaction Regiment. It was created on February 1, 2004 as the anti-terrorist unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A grant from the US State Department in the amount of $25 million was allocated for the creation of this unit. Initially, the Philippine Army had a rapid reaction company subordinate to the Special Operations Forces Command. In 2001, the company was transformed into a battalion, and in 2004, the battalion was enlarged and raised to regimental status.

The Rapid Reaction Regiment began in 2000, when a group of sergeants from the Scout Ranger Regiment and the Special Forces Regiment were selected for subsequent training under the guidance of American military advisers. The main task of the rapid reaction company, formed in 2000, was the fight against the Islamic group Abu Sayyaf, which operated on the island of Mindanao and was involved in kidnapping foreign citizens. From the first days of its existence, the new army unit was focused on finding terrorists and freeing hostages. The fight against Islamic groups in Mindanao became its main focus, which led to significant financial, logistical and technical support from the United States of America, and the participation of American instructors in the training of the regiment's military personnel. The unit also participates in the suppression of mass popular protests, including in the capital of the country, Manila. At the same time, the specialization of the regiment involves its use for anti-terrorist actions in rural areas - according to the Philippine military command, special law enforcement units with a slightly different profile of special training are better suited for urban conditions. The current regiment commander is Colonel Danilio Pamonag.

The Scout Ranger Regiment, the Special Forces Regiment, and the Quick Reaction Regiment together constitute the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. This structure was created in 1995, but has its origins in the creation of the Special Warfare Brigade in 1978, which was formed by combining Special Forces and Rangers. The command's tasks include coordinating the actions of the three special forces of the Philippine Army, organizing their training and logistics. The current commander of Special Operations is Major General Donato San Juan.

Knife fight

The “calling card” of the Philippine special forces is their mastery of knife fighting techniques. It is known that although the Philippine special forces are trained by American military instructors, when it comes to knife fighting techniques, it is the Americans, as well as representatives of special forces from other countries of the world, who take lessons from the Filipinos. Historically, several martial arts have developed in the Philippines, which are, first of all, techniques of using edged weapons, and, only secondly, hand-to-hand combat techniques. This is explained by the fact that, according to the Filipinos, being left without a knife or stick is already half the way to defeat. The most famous system is “arnis”, or “escrima”, consisting of two stages. At the first, a fighter learns to wield a stick and a knife, at the second, he studies hand-to-hand combat techniques. The known style of knife fighting is “pekiti-tirsia kali”, which appeared in the West Philippine provinces of Panay and Negros and was systematized by Norberto Tortal, then by his grandson Conrado Tortal in the 1930s. and currently being developed by living members of the Tortal clan. The law enforcement agencies of the Philippines and a number of other countries are studying “combatant arnis”, developed by master Ernesto Amador Presas and combining components of traditional martial arts of the Philippines with techniques of judo, jujutsu, and karate. Currently, this style is widely in demand due to its great practical effectiveness.

Combat swimmers and elite marines

The Scout Rangers, Army Special Forces, are by far the most prominent elite special forces unit of the Philippine Armed Forces. However, we should not forget that the Philippines is still a “country of seven thousand islands”. An important role here is traditionally played by the navy, which has not only sailing personnel, but also airborne assault and reconnaissance units of the marine corps, as well as its own “marine special forces”.

The Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG) is the smallest-manned but best-trained branch of the Philippine Armed Forces. It is subordinate to the Philippine Navy Command and specializes in sea, air and land operations in support of overall naval operations. The group's competence includes conducting naval reconnaissance, psychological and unconventional warfare, sabotage, underwater operations, and anti-terrorism activities. The unit's history also dates back to the early years of Philippine independence. On November 5, 1956, the Submarine Operations Group was created - a special force of the Philippine Navy, modeled after American and Italian combat swimmers. The unit was tasked with carrying out mine clearance, rescue and search operations on and under water. In 1959, the unit was expanded and renamed the Submarine Task Force. Later, a Naval Special Warfare Group was created on its basis, whose tasks were expanded to conduct all types of unconventional warfare in the sea and on rivers.

The unit has its headquarters in Sangley Point and eight units deployed throughout the Philippines - from the seaport of San Vicente in the north of the country to the Zamboanga naval base in the southern Philippines. Each unit is attached to a naval unit and includes from 3 to 6 commands. The team consists of eight people and consists of a commander in the rank of officer and seven fighters - paratroopers, demolitionists, divers. The unit is recruited through the selection of “the best of the best,” but even in this case, only a minimum number of candidates can pass all entrance tests.

The training of the Philippine naval special forces is carried out according to training programs of similar special forces of the US Navy. Joint training of American and Philippine naval special forces is constantly taking place. As for real operations, the special forces also demonstrate a high level of skills acquired during training. Naval special forces are used for reconnaissance and sabotage operations against Islamic and Maoist radical groups. In this case, the unit attacks “from the sea”, landing from rubber boats on small islands used by partisan groups as their bases, after which they kidnap or destroy the leaders of partisan organizations and collect information.

Another elite unit of the Philippine Navy is the Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalion. It is used for sea, air and land operations. From the very beginning of the creation of the country's armed forces, the Philippine military command paid great attention to the formation and training of marine units, since it took the American armed forces as the basis for the organizational development of the country's armed forces, where the marine corps has always played one of the most important roles. Back in the early 1950s. A raid reconnaissance platoon was created as part of the weapons company of the Marine battalion. In 1954, the unit's fighters completed an airborne training course, then officers of the Marine battalion began to be trained at American Marine Corps bases. The raid reconnaissance platoon became the predecessor of the Marine reconnaissance battalion. In 1972, a reconnaissance company was created on the basis of the platoon, commanded by Edgaro Espinoza, the future commander of the Marine Corps of the Philippine Navy. From the first days of its existence, the Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalion took an active part in countering Maoist and Islamist guerrillas on the islands of the Southern Philippines.

In 1985, the reconnaissance company was transformed into the 61st reconnaissance company, consisting of three platoons. In the 1980s it was used in battles against the New People's Army in Basilan Province. Marines also took part in the release of hostages in Central Mindanao. In 1995, a Marine Special Forces reconnaissance battalion was created. It includes a battalion headquarters and three Marine special forces companies. Each company is divided into platoons, and the platoon, in turn, is divided into teams of 4-6 fighters. The unit's responsibilities also include collecting information about militants, conducting rapid raids on bases of partisan organizations, and freeing hostages.

Police special forces

In addition to the special units subordinate to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the country also has “law enforcement special forces”. These are the elite units of the Philippine National Police and intelligence agencies. In the first half of 1983, the Philippine police were led by Fidel Ramos, a famous military and political figure in the country, the creator of a special forces army regiment. Naturally, he decided to apply his special forces experience and create a similar unit within the national police. This is how the Special Action Forces (SAF) were created - the Philippine police special forces. Their official creation date is considered to be May 12, 1983. Under the leadership of Fidel Ramos and Renato de Villa, the formation of the group began. Its direct organization was entrusted to General Sonny Razon and Colonel Rosendo Ferrer. 149 Philippine Police operatives were selected to undergo specialized training in special forces programs. Thus began the history of the police unit, which is currently the most famous formation of the Philippine police special forces.

Initially, the police special forces were focused on the war with the New People's Army and the Moro separatists from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, but in the 1990s. The tasks of the police special forces were expanded and their competence included the fight against organized crime, terrorist activities in cities and assisting the police in maintaining public order. The training of police special forces is carried out using the methods of the British Special Air Service (SAS). Special Forces officers select trainees or police officers who initially undergo several military training courses, including parachute training, underwater operations and internal security.

Currently, the official functions of the Philippine police special forces are: organizing and training personnel, conducting counter-terrorism operations in urban and rural areas, conducting unconventional warfare with minimal supervision, conducting search and rescue operations and disaster relief, suppressing riots and civil disobedience, supporting other units of the police and armed forces to carry out their assigned tasks, ensuring law and order on national highways and other transport routes. The unit's commander is Superintendent Noli Talino.

The Philippine police special forces have their own helicopter squad. With the help of helicopters, not only special forces are transported, but also reconnaissance operations are carried out. In addition, the special forces use Land Rover Defender jeeps, equipped with a machine gun in the first passenger seat and a machine gun in the rear. Armored vehicles are used for movement and suppression of riots in urban areas.

However, despite the high level of training, police special forces suffer heavy losses in clashes with partisan organizations operating in the country. Thus, on May 27, 2013, 8 special forces soldiers were killed and 7 were injured when they encountered an ambush by New People's Army guerrillas in Cagayan. On January 25, 2015, 44 commandos were killed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in what is considered one of the worst casualties of Philippine government forces during peacetime special operations. These losses forced the Philippine command to think about further improving the training of special forces, as well as strengthening ongoing reconnaissance operations that precede special forces operations.

Finally, speaking of the Philippine “law enforcement special forces”, one cannot fail to mention the Special Response Group, which is part of the Security Group of the President of the Philippines. The Special Response Team was created by Philippine National Police Deputy Director Alan Purisima to provide security to the President and Government of the Philippines. Given the numerous attempts to carry out military coups in the country, its creation was of great relevance for the Philippine state. The training of this special unit is at an extremely high level; the most capable fighters are selected here from other police and army special forces.

However, although all the Philippine special forces discussed above are well trained, are trained under the guidance of American instructors and are considered one of the best in the Asia-Pacific region, for many decades they have not been able to defeat the rebel groups operating in the country. Currently, radical organizations operating in the country are the main internal enemy of the Philippine special forces. It should be noted that the guerrilla forces are also well trained, and most importantly, they enjoy some support from the peasant population, which is caused by numerous mistakes in the socio-economic and national policies of the Philippine government. Maoist and Islamist guerrillas control entire areas in the southern Philippines, and reconnaissance and sabotage raids of the Philippine special forces, as well as military operations of the ground forces and marines, do not cause them damage at a level that would entail a cessation or significant reduction in the scale of activity .

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