PDGS
Partnership for Democratic Governance and Security

B. AFP MILITARY OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIC CONCEPTS

To attain national defense objectives, the AFP follows three spectra of employment: peacetime, crisis periods and wartime. During time of peace, the military objective is to deter hostile armed provocation and establish an atmosphere conducive to national prosperity. During crisis periods, the objective is to assist in the immediate resolution of the crisis in coordination with other concerned government agencies, in time of war, the military objective is to immediately defeat the enemy forces on the air, sea and land.

To achieve military objectives in time of war, the Armed Forces of the Philippines follows a strategy of total defense, active defense and defense in depth. In total defense, it is envisioned that when the country goes to war in which the stake is national survival or territorial integrity, the entire Nation and its resources, not just Armed Forces and defense industries, are involved. Active defense envisions the engagement of the threat forces as far out of the national boundary as possible, counter-attacking of interdicting enemy forces while enroute from their bases of projection. Defense in depth envisions concentric zones of defense. The outermost zone is the realm of foreign intelligence and is waged in close collaboration with allies. As threat forces move inward, coordinated air and naval operations will be employed. As the enemy approaches the coastal and land areas, coordinated air, sea and land forces will be used to destroy the incoming enemy forces upon lodgement, the ground forces, assisted by Air and Naval Forces and using a combination of conventional and unconventional operations will be the principal element in defeating the enemy and bringing about victory.

In the absence of actual conflict, the Armed Forces will maintain early warning and surveillance systems to assess possible threats to National Security and to detect intrusions or incoming enemy forces. (See figure 1)

In case of hostile provocations, the Armed Forces will support concerned government and non-government agencies in the peaceful resolution of the dispute. Strategic psychological operations aimed at creating international support for the Philippines will be conducted.

In case of invasion, the Air Force will be the first line of defense. Long-range fighters from strategically located forward bases will interdict incoming enemy forces. Enemy aircraft able to penetrate closer to our shores will be engaged by strategically deployed air defense missiles (see figure 2). The air force will also conduct deep strikes against enemy command, control and communication centers and supporting rear elements when it becomes necessary. In case of deep, surgical enemy operations, the Army will engage airborne enemy troops on the ground once they land and the Navy, seaborne enemy forces.

If the enemy penetrates the first line of defense and thence, move inside our territory by sea, combined Air and Naval Forces will engage to destroy them. (See figure 3). At the same time, ground forces will engage enemy ships that slip through identified chokepoints and those that attempt landfall for initial amphibious landing operations.

If the enemy is still able to continue his offensive and move on to establish a beachhead, ground forces, supported by remaining Air and Naval assets, will engage and destroy enemy Landed Forces. (See figure 4)

If, in the worst-case scenario, the enemy is able to occupy our territory, our ground forces, assisted by remaining Air and Naval Forces, will conduct conventional counter-offensive operations to frustrate the enemy offensive. The Army will only shift to resistance warfare or conduct unconventional operations when the enemy force has destroyed our defenses. The above-described broad military strategy are supported by Air, Naval and ground defense strategies.