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Philippines Military Profile

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Military branchesArmed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2021)

note: the Philippine Coast Guard is an armed and uniformed service under the Department of Transportation; it would be attached to the AFP in wartime; the Philippine National Police Force (PNP) falls under the Ministry of Interior and Local Government
Military service age and obligation18-23 years of age (officers 21-29) for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP1% of GDP (2020 est.)

1% of GDP (2019)

0.9% of GDP (2018)

1.2% of GDP (2017)

1.4% of GDP (2016)
Military and security service personnel strengthsthe Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have approximately 130,000 active duty personnel (90,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 8,000 marines; 17,000 Air Force) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitionsthe AFP is equipped with a mix of imported weapons systems, particularly second-hand equipment from the US; since 2014, its top weapons suppliers are Indonesia, South Korea, and the US (2021)
Maritime threats

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of littoral states and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; an emerging threat area lies in the Celebes and Sulu Seas between the Philippines and Malaysia where three ships were attacked in 2020; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargoes stolen

Military - noteas of late 2020, the AFP's primary operational focus was on internal security duties, particularly in the south, where several insurgent and terrorist groups operated and up to 60% of the armed forces were deployed; additional combat operations were being conducted against the Communist Peoples Party/New People’s Army, which is active mostly on Luzon, the Visayas, and areas of Mindanao

the Philippines National Police (PNP) also has an active role in counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism operations alongside the AFP, particularly the Special Action Force, a PNP commando unit that specializes in counter-terrorism operations

Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021