Philipines Navy to purchase an aircraft carrier?

Via ThinkDefence: http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1059

Thanks Grey Havoc!!

I note that the Philipines is being linked with this purchase.....since their diplomatic spat with China they have been linked with just about every Naval sale! However, apart from the Hamilton Class Cutters nothing much has happened.
C

Honestly I doubt the Phillipines could really make use of a carrier without a lot of (very expensive) work on tehir military and they'd still have one carrier.

If they're concerned about China, they need to invest in a robust submarine force because they need to think sea denial rather than sea control.

I was quite sure this ship wouldn't go to the scrapyard. That there would be buyers sometime in the future

Bgray said:

Honestly I doubt the Phillipines could really make use of a carrier without a lot of (very expensive) work on tehir military and they'd still have one carrier.

If they're concerned about China, they need to invest in a robust submarine force because they need to think sea denial rather than sea control.

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For a country like the Philippines, they aren't going to need to maintain a constant sea presence, so one carrier should be enough. After all, Spain only has one now. It's actually not a classic carrier, but more like one of our LHDs with a ski-jump. Thailand has one, which every so often actually leaves port.

If they want to operate more than helos from her, I'm not sure from where they'd get the fixed wings. There are no Harriers to spare anywhere, and somehow I can't see them buying the F-35.

Of course, if they're buying a Spanish aircraft carrier that has no planes, maybe they can get a package deal and buy one of their new submarines that can't surface!. ;D

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,19656.msg190228/topicseen.html#msg190228

Slightly OT - weren't the Hamilton class fitted with Harpoon at one point (thus making them more powerful than many small navies' capital ships)? Or am I thinking of a slightly different Coast Guard ship?


Why can't I see this as more than a prestige thing?

I doubt my country could purchase one. Couldn't even afford to buy a decent fighter squadron at the moment. Not to mention the in-fighting in the senate on how to deal with Chinese presence.

Bgray said:

Honestly I doubt the Phillipines could really make use of a carrier without a lot of (very expensive) work on tehir military and they'd still have one carrier.

If they're concerned about China, they need to invest in a robust submarine force because they need to think sea denial rather than sea control.

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Agree! If the Thai's could not sustain a SCS, then I can't see the Philippines doing it!!

Regards
Pioneer

pathology_doc said:

Slightly OT - weren't the Hamilton class fitted with Harpoon at one point (thus making them more powerful than many small navies' capital ships)? Or am I thinking of a slightly different Coast Guard ship?

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One was fitted with Harpoon - and an ASW suite, for that matter.