The demands of national security

Media

Part of Philippine Armed Forces Journal

Title: The demands of national security
Language: English
Source: Philippine Armed Forces Journal Volume IX (No. 4) February 1956
Year: 1956
Rights
Fulltext: K E:;~~:b~::d~f0:~efi:n:::::~:~=~ ~~~~~v~th;~:;n;i:~:. defense h&d bc~n Gcn~ral Maxw~ll D. Taylor, U.S. A fact to illustrate it is the North Army chief of staff, has been 1·epor· Korean aggression in 1950, for which ted as proposing an increase in the the U.S. was considered ill-prepared, armed forces build-up of the U.S. by major emphasis of her postwar de· several divisions. The ability of the fense being on preparation for an U.S. to muster the required number atomic fight. U.S. unpre]laredness of divisions cannot be denied, Ameri· was no more obvious than by the fact , can resources, economic and others, that in the week the North Koreans being va!;t. The Americans are in a attacked, the last of America's' 14 position to achieve the necessary force large carrrier air groups was bemg buiJd.up within reasonable time li· decommissioned. The 24th Division rnits. The nation's capability in any· alone was available for immediate forts and setting up riorities on all defense contracts, including the powers to "dole out matel'ials as he thought necessary:' and to fine and imprison hoarders. 1 There is, however, a lesson for other free nations gleaned !1-om the reported proposal of General Taylot·. It is that even a highly capable nation is in need of stepping up her defense forces right now. It is because the people in the Kremlin and those threatening to "liberate" Taiwan, are ceaselessly and assidiously reinforcing thei1· arms and fighting forces. No free nation, desirous of remaining free, can rightfully neglect to keep in stride. P.I. and U.S. Compared As a global powe1·, the U.S. is directly and actively concerned with the peace of the whole world. She is with both NATO fo1· the security of free Europe and neighbors, and SEATO for the safety of free Southeast Asia and neighbors. The responsibility of a world power is global. Her preparations to carry out such responsibility are necessal'ily ,!tigantic in proportions. defense action. Against Russian- The Philippines, linked with the built T-34 tanks used by the North U.S. by ties of friendship, a mutual Koreans, only the 3 . .5 inches Bazooka defense treaty, and the SEATO, is was effective. But pressed by neces- theoretically concel'lled with, aside sit~·. the U.S. displayed remarkable from her own security, that of the ,speed in mobilizing her manpower U.S. and SEATO member nations. and material. The American con Her task, compared with that of gress not only approved readily a the U.S., is small; but she request to extend for one year the is a small nation, and draft but also passed, in what has liO the work is as onerous. Lacking sin'ce been considered J'ecord time, the a heavy industry capable of p.-oduc Defense Production Bill that ,!tave the ing arms, the Philippines, like any U.S. President extraordinary powers other small SEATO member, looks or expanding the industnal war ef· up to the U.S. and Jlowerful allies PHILIPPINii:S ARMED •"ORCES JOURNAL for supplies and t-quipment and could tee of the Chinese People's Political at most contribuk qualified manpow- Consultative Confe1·ence that Oct- • el' to th(> collective defense work. ober, Premier Chou En-lai said th4! It would SCecil assistance enough Chinese Red Army must struggle to the U.S. if the Philippines, or any "for the establishment and building other free Southeast Asia nation, is up of a strong and modernized naable to contribut~;: such manpower tiona] defense force. Production in and reasonably take car·e of her own our country must serve the purpose internal peace. It would seem, in of stre.~gthening our national defense other words, that the U.S. does not forces. ask for more. Thus it is that the The Chinese Reds label their forces P.l. is to be gr·eatly concerned with as for national defense. However, it thf' security of free Southeast Asia, is a fact that such forces are greatly upon which her own secu1ity imme· in excess of what are needed to dt'diately depends. While the U.S. can fend Red China. A fact to illustrate contribute men and matel'ials for these surplus forces .is the sending $<Uch secunty, as illustrated concrete- of "volunteers" to Korea during the lr in the recent SEATO exercises, war there. When Chou urged addithe Philippines has to help herself, tiona\ build-up of Red China's forces, too. She ha$< to build up her fo1·ces, the Chinese Communist army was especially her reserve force, from publicly announced to have already which the bulk of manpower contri- a strength of 5,000,000 men. It was bution i.s to be drawn. And she has already backed by a militia from to undertake t~is defense build-up Chinese towns, villages and countrycommensurate w1th her economy and side numbering 12,800,000 men, yet adequately enough for meeting hastened by 7,500 militia training • the challenge or threat of the proxi- courses operating throughout Red mate potential aggressor. China. Chou called the militia "an Red Threal in St:A important force for consolidating the It is obvious from where on this people's democratic dictatorship and side of the globe arises the danger safeguarding the fruits of the emanto peace. Not once but many times dpation." The mi~itia is, in fact, has Red China announced her inten- the force from wh1ch resl"':Ves are drawn. tion to invade Formosa, which is a springboard for a thrust into the Philippines. Preparations for such an action have been made obvious by the Chinese Reds since October, 1951, when the industrial development of Red China was postponed in favor of building up a heavy industrial war Military training age is lower in Red China. Recruited for training for the Red Chinese Army are youths of 16 "and under:' Seventeen-year- , old youths are trained in school~ of the air force, army, and navy, and, if a few months below 17 but "tall, machine. healthy and strong;• they are trainAddressing the National Commit- ed just the same. As for the Chinese Red navy and nese Red air force was conservative· 'air force, there is also a continuous ly estimated to have a strength of build-up. The navy was created in 1,000 aircraft, 500 of which were the !!Ummer of 1949 and composed ~IG-15's .. Man~ ~f trese MIG'f;, d:s· then of a hundred tor1ledo boats and pite their pnvileged Manchurian escort destroyers, •·or mixed U.S., sanctuary, were shot down by U.S. Japanese and Russian types, and a planes during the Korean \Var. But few U.S. and Japanese landing craft, it is to be believed that they not some armed trawlers and thousands only have been replaced but reinof motor-driven junks with reinforced forced in quantity, if not quality, decks to take artillery." The present from Soviet production plants. Ourstrength of the Chinese Red navy is ing the Korean War, Russian ins· unknown, but since the force was tructors were training Red Chinese created "the Soviet Union has been air force personnel at schools in training men of the Chinese Navy Manchuria. Today, it is to be exand many of the Soviet Navy ships pected that they are doing so in and submarines to be seen in Chinese schools throughout the Chinese main· ports have probably been handed land. ,over or lent for training. Nor are reinforced motor-driven junks to be !he. reason for this vast war rnadespised. They are almost unassail- chme IS gleaned from the statements able by gunfire; and they proved of Chou as early as that October of th~ir worth in the taking of eeveral 1951. He said the Chinese people sn.all North Korean islands in Dec- have "determined to liberate Formaember 1950, in the face of opposition sa from the grip of the American from the guns of the British Navy." aggressors and will never relax until Early in the Korean War, the Chi- they have achieved that end." Sronding Ioree ol rhe l'hilippone• '' p~blicly known IO hoYe •ome $~,000 olli<er< ond m•n, .01,000 ol .. hom or• clouili•d grovnd lroops P.l. Situation pines to take care of national defense The danger to the Philippines through ·self-help; and, 1n the second posed by the Chinese Reds needs no place, both treaties will demand de~ , . elucidation. What needs elucidation fense contributions, likely manpowis what the endangered nation is do- er, from the Philippines. ing to insure maintenance of her na- It is publicly known that the pretia;~~ s~~~~·il~~h Fleet is patrolling sent standing force of the Philippines the Formosa strait. Although the :;:c:r:t::nt:eo:. mo;~i:r n~:b!,~·~~~ ~~~:,g\~ ~~ ti~~o;i~:~F~::t ~~eun;~~~; dudes the personnel of all the major pines to pin all her hopes on it. The ~~::a~!: ar~h~:;;;:v:r;:~~s~~:opos~. Philippines, as mentioned earlier, has a treaty with the U.S. for mu- Six thousand are service personnel. tual defense and with the U.S. again Four thousand are navy personnel. and some free South and Southwest- Three thousand are air force perern Pacific nations for collective de- sonnel, and 7,000 are personnel of ~IJe· fense. Again, it is improper to bank Philippine Constabulary which has on these treaties alone. In the first recently been made independent from place, there is need for the Philip- the Armed Forces. There arc said to be 300,000 gra- second reserve. These, together with ' duates of the six-month trainee other mobilizable personnel, will have course, 15,000 graduates of the Re- provided a force of more or less 1,serve Officers Training Corps, and 000,000 officers and men. some 300,000 war ''eterans, guerril- The Navy is kno\\ll to have more las and others, who can all be consi- or less 100 craft. In 1948, 50 major dered as reserves. However, as there vessels were turned over by the U.S. have been many changes in the mili- naval authorities at Subic Bay, tary art since the last war, due to Olongapo. Eight others were added new weapons and technological ad- later. There are more or less 30 vances, and many of these men have patrol craft, increased 1·ecently by either aged, undergone no retraining, more or less four. A couple of mine Ol' become otherwise incapacitated, it sweepers will be turned over by the is questionable whether the consider- U.S. in the near future, together with ed figU1·es would stand. It is said two gunboats. However, it is to be that should a war break out, the Phi- expected that not all of the vessels lippines can mobilize 500,000 officers of the PN are sea-worthy by now. and men. Had World War II not There have also been many technolointel'l'Upted lhe training program, gical changes in naval craft. These there would be today 400,000 men in vessels are of the World War II th" first re:<ervc and 200,000 in the types. With regard to the air force, there are said to be more or less 200 planes, including four T-33 trainer jet craft received recently. Most of the singleengine planes a\e of the Mustan~t type, depleted tremendously by cons· tant crashes due to engine failure. Some civilians reasonably call them flying coffins now. It is as clear as daylight that men as well as materials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines are inadequate. And it is heartening to learn that U.S. Senator Mansfield has urged recently his nation to send the Philippines and South Vietnam aid "in quantities and of a kind they can use eflectively to meet a genuine military threat." Pressing Necessity Unlike the U. S., the Philippines cannot put herself in a sufficient war footing upon short notice. She has no sizable industrial war efforts to expand. Under the circumstances, she has to depend on the U.S. Cot· equipment and supplies. One thing, however, she can do now - bolster the strength of her reserve force, officers and men of which will be needed to make use of equipment and supplies from the U.S. The Philippine standing and reserve forces are clear])' small. The nation cannot afford to shoulder fin ancially a big standing force in peace time. However, there is no reason, if there is as much of the needed financial backing for the reserve training program, why the necessary number of 20-year-old youths cannot be trainer! every year. Last year onl)' 3,000 20-year-olds were trained. This year, the 3rd Infantry Training Division originally planned to train 7,200 trainees, but because of lack of funds, revised its plan and deC1ded to train, instead of two regiments, only one. The military training of the , necessary numbe1· of young people is a pressing necessity. It is indispensable, as attested by the nation's tragic lessons in World War II. It ca"?:-' not be by-passed without sabota~in~t future nntional security. Other Needs The Philippines also needs ade· quate air and naval power. Thue is a need for jet planes to replace tht! propeller-driven craft, and for pow· edul ship.s like cruisers and destroy ers. These powerful ships and planes ,are necessary, but a fair number of them would be found hard to maintain by the Philippines, should the nation ~et no maintenance support. T!]e cost of maintainir.g one destroyer is two million pesos a year. Th" immediate need of the PhiliJ>· pines is for really powerful and mo· dl"rn planes and ships, one or a few of each kind, for training purposes, as a proper step to ha\•ing Filipino officers and men know how to mann them should a war, break out and great numbers of these craft are turned over to the nation for use. The Philippines also needs further insurance that such equipment would be present the moment the need for them arises. With one or a few of each type of modern plane and ship in peace time, the AFP can arrange its training program in such a way that officers and men can learn, in shifts or rotations, how to operate these craft. Arrangements are necessary whereby officers and men of the AFP can undergo, individually or in groups, practical training aboard U.S. craft in actual operations. Some officers and men can get practical training, by arrangements, aboard ships of the 7th Fleet, in submarines, and other craft. These officers and men can later on be instructors to train other officers and men of the AFP. It is a fact that the ail· force is now following a program of transi· tion to the jet stage. A number of officers have undergone training in U.S. air bases and are now able to fly the T-33 jet trainers. These cf. fleers are in turn intended to be util· ind in the training of other officers. Sueh training, and others, are urgently necessary. Conclusion Big and strong, the U.S. loses no time in building up her forces for national defense. The necessity of such build-up is applicable as well to the Philippines. Great finaneial support is needed for the expansion and ful weapons and craft, like the motraining of the Philippine reserve dern jet planes and naval vessels, inforce, from which the bulk of man- eluding, if possible, submarines, dc5- • power is to be <\!'awn in the event of troycrs, and other major craft. a showdown. More than that, a There is, in other words, a need standing force, small but well-roun- for strengthening and consolidating ded on all aspects of modern war, is national defense forces and resourdemanded by current developments, ces, fot· studying and mastering new as a fulcl'um force around which the tE'Chniques and skill on the coordlnreserve forces shall revolve. To ated use of modern arms, for raising achie\·e this, there is need for mo~;ct::: at:: ~;;;:si:J~ ~:a~ll m:!~t:~ dcrn training equipment, facilities, of present-day warfarl;', and for the and arrangements whereby well-se- build-up of adequately strong and lected officers and men are to be en- really modernized defense foi-ces. abled to learn operations of power- -ACS Nolion't rlftr~• lorn rhor nnd• ~~ltn•i~• uponJion ;, not mo~ing dtJ.rtd heodwor btcou" of dtodh of rroining lund1 e!<ptriennd onnuolly by lht Armed fo•n•