As the Balikatan 2025 Exercise approaches, the Philippine Navy has announced that this year's drills will include "Live-Fire Exercises" featuring several of its missile arsenals. These exercises will involve the SSM-700K C-Star surface-to-surface missile, the Spike NLOS (Non-Line of Sight) surface-to-surface missile, and the Mistral 3 short-range surface-to-air missile system.
Last year, during Balikatan’s Maritime Strike Exercises, the Philippine Navy successfully demonstrated live-fire drills using the C-Star missile, launched from the BRP Jose Rizal, and the Spike NLOS, fired from an Acero-class Fast Attack Missile Boat, the Brp Herminigildo Yurong (PG-906).
Both missiles hit the intended target precisely, the former Brp Lake Caliraya.
If all goes according to plan, this year’s Balikatan will mark the first live-fire demonstration of the Simbad RC system, equipped with Mistral missiles. A similar demonstration was scheduled to last May 2023, but due to issues with aerial drone targets, the exercise was not carried out.
While these live-fire drills highlight the AFPs progress under its modernization program, there is one critical issue that defense planners must consider: the available inventory of these advanced missiles.
Do we have enough of these missiles to expend them annually?
This concern was raised by Bons Cue Ph. after the latest Naval News video featuring the BRP Jose Rizal. Notably, the spent missile canister from last year’s Maritime Strike Exercise appears to have yet to be replaced.
Naval News Video on BRP Jose Rizal (March 24, 2025):
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https://youtu.be/iJaLHeXmSQA?si=yVpJK_DfvNk_22zVMoreover, these frigates continue to conduct patrol missions despite lacking their full complement of systems, such as Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS), Vertical Launch Systems (VLS), and Towed Array Sonar. There is also concern about whether they are adequately stocked with crucial munitions, particularly cruise missiles like the C-Star.
In the coming months, two additional Malvar-class ships will be inducted into the Philippine Navy. Ideally, these vessels should already come equipped with their designated anti-ship missiles upon their commissioning. The last thing we want is for the government to delay procurement until after delivery, which could leave these ships underarmed for extended periods.
Bons Cue PH believes, that Missile procurement should have begun at the start of the ship construction phase in the 2023-2024 period. Manufacturing and acquiring these weapon systems take time, and in the event of an actual conflict, a shortage of missiles could critically impact those ships' operational readiness.
There is no issue if the Philippine Navy continues to use these munitions annually for demonstrations, but, it must ensure the readily available replacements will be there. There’s nothing wrong with showcasing our advanced weaponry, as long as we have the inventory to sustain it.
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