Thought exercise: How to stop unauthorized passage through Sibutu strait

[adroth]

Administrator's note: See also the following threads:

Companion thread on the forum's FB extension

AFP hits 'deception' in China warships' passage

Coast Watch South

Developing a long-range retaliatory strike capability


=====


In light of the following report, and the social media uproar in its wake, it makes sense to talk about how the AFP could have stopped such questionable actions from being taken in the first place.

5 more Chinese warships spotted in Philippine waters in July, August

The military says this is in addition to the passage of 4 Chinese vessels earlier this year, all without permission from the Philippine government
JC Gotinga
Published 7:28 PM, August 14, 2019
Updated 1:33 AM, August 15, 2019

https://www.rappler.com/nation/237764-more-chinese-warships-spotted-philippine-waters-july-august-2019

MANILA, Philippines – Five more Chinese warships were recently spotted venturing into the country’s southernmost territorial waters, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command (AFP Westmincom).

Coastal patrols monitored the passage of 2 Chinese naval vessels in July and 3 this month, said Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, AFP Westmincom Commander, on Wednesday, August 14.

The warships were seen passing through Sibutu Strait, considered an international sea lane where foreign ships have the right of innocent passage. However, customary maritime law requires warships to notify the government of the coastal state beforehand.

< Edited >

Below are photos of the vessels, released by the AFP-Westmincom:

Here is the strait / passage in question.

[adroth]

This originally started out as a fun . . . "mechanical" . . . exercise of figuring out where the straight was on Google Earth, working out the width of the strait and compiling a list of resources that could be employed should the decision be made to block passage.

Army to activate Aviation Regiment within this year
By Priam Nepomuceno August 14, 2019, 2:24 pm

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1077765

< Edited >

He added that that the multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) acquired from South Korea will undergo its second visual inspection anytime soon.

"May pinag-usapan sa (there are talks on what to use as) transport system (for the MLRS)," Manuel said.

He said the South Korean-acquired MLRS, the "Kooryung," has a range of 48 kilometers to 80 kilometers and that it is composed of four batteries with one going to the Philippine Marine Corps.

A battery consists of six launcher tubes or artillery pieces. Manuel said the MLRS can be used for internal and territorial or external defense.

< Edited >

=====

http://www.military-today.com/artillery/kooryong_images.htm

While working on the details . . . and pulling the view back from the immediate vicinity . . . it became clear that operationalization of any results of this exercise also requires a broader view.

Being in Sulu, it is located in a historically volatile region of the country. Any assets deployed there must be protected AND that will require buy-in from the local population. Otherwise, a hostile population could very well be leveraged by Chinese agents for their ends.

This, therefore, is an example of how local development and pacification are actually national defense concerns. Concerns that not only need a DND response, but a WHOLE NATION approach involving other departments.

[mamiyapis]

Posting a small squadron of Navy and PCG ships should be enough. The distances involved are barely 40km and will be easy for any ship to patrol and monitor.

Kinetic options can be anything from guided artillery shells to lightweight AShMs like the Marte ER coastal defense battery, which has an indicated range of 30-100km.


https://www.mbda-systems.com/product/marte-mobile-coastal/

[dr demented]

The concept of defending/closing strategic waterways and channels within Philippine internal waters is not an entirely new one. 

http://corregidor.org/chs_bogart/bogart3.htm

In the early 1940s, the USAFFE developed the "Inland Seas Defense Project".  The whole idea was to emplace mobile artillery (a combination of 8 inch M1888 and 155mm GFP guns) to cover strategic channels which led into the interior waters of the Sibuyan and Visayan Seas.  The object was to secure those interior sea lines of communication in order to allow USAFFE forces in Luzon (where the expected decisive battles with the Japanese were expected to take place) to be reinforced by units from the Visayas and Mindanano.

The following locations were pre-surveyed by USAFFE engineers and determined to be the most strategic sites to cover key channels.  Panama mounts for the guns were to be constructed, along with observation stations, fire control stations, and barracks.

The following locations were selected:
1.  Cape Santiago, Batangas (to cover the Verde Island Passage across from Mindoro)
2.  Mananao, Mindoro (also covering the Verde Island Passage)
3.  Southern tip of Mindoro
4.  Seminara Island (between Mindoro and Panay)
5.  Caluya Island (also between Mindoro and Panay)
6.  Pucio Point, Panay
7.  Nampulugan Island (in the Guimaras Strait between Guimaras Island and Negros)
8.  Santander (on the southern tip of Cebu across the Tanon Strait from Dumaguete)
9.  Panglao Island (off the coast of Bohol)
10.  Maasin, Leyte (to cover the Canigao Channel between Leyte and Bohol)
11.  Allen, Samar (to cover the San Bernardino Strait between Leyte and Samar)
12.  Southern tip of Luzon (also to cover the San Bernardino Strait).

Note:  Sibutu Strait was not one of the passages covered by the Inland Seas Defense Project

[dr demented]

Another concept which dates from the defense of the Philippines during WW2 is the use of minefields.  During the invasion of 1941-1942, these were employed in the defense of Manila and Subic Bays.  Contact mines were planted off Fort Wint (Grande Island) at the entrance of Subic Bay.  They were also planted by the US Navy between Corregidor and Fort Frank (Carabao Island) and between the navy base at Mariveles and La Monja Island.

The army planted controlled mines between Corregidor and Bataan.  Rather than exploding on contact, the mines were set off electrically from a mine casemate on the northside of Corregidor.

The problem with such a concept for Sibutu Channel is that the channel is too wide at 40km to completely close with mines.  However, mines can be strategically placed in order to "funnel" the movements of enemy warships into certain areas.  This would force enemy warships to have to move into areas where they would be exposed to maximum fire from shore-based positions, or even fire from our warships deployed in a classic "crossing the T" formation.

[salbahis]

what would PLAN do if a small Philippine coast guard or Navy vessel approach them?

[adroth]

what would PLAN do if a small Philippine coast guard or Navy vessel approach them?

Having a PCG vessel shadow the ships as they pass through shouldn’t pose issues. Such an activity could be pre-arranged as a Passage Exercise (PASSEX)

If we are to shadow them as they transit our waters to keep them honest, we’d need to know that they were on the way long before the actual passage. Even as early as when they enter the EEZ. That way we can plot their course and position assets appropriately

http://defenseph.net/drp/index.php?topic=1369.0

[adroth]

A model to follow

https://navaltoday.com/2019/08/05/royal-navy-frigate-escorts-chinese-type-052c-destroyer-through-english-channel/

August 5, 2019

Fresh from a five-month patrol with NATO in the waters of northern Europe, Portsmouth-based HMS Westminster was activated to monitor the progress of the destroyer Xian.

The destroyer transited the English Channel into the Baltic Sea three weeks earlier and was shadowed by Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans during that transit.

Photo: Royal Navy

[adroth]

Guidelines to implement PRRD order on foreign ships needed
By Priam Nepomuceno  August 22, 2019, 4:43 pm

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1078463

MANILA -- The Department of National Defense (DND) on Thursday said it will first coordinate with the military on how to carry out President Rodrigo R. Duterte's instructions requiring all foreign ships to secure clearance before entering the country's territorial waters.

"We will have to carefully work this out with the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), particularly the commands whose area of operations these fall under. There needs to be SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) that clearly define our responses in compliance with existing Philippine and international laws," said Undersecretary Cardozo M. Luna, acting DND spokesperson.

He made this statement in response to questions on how the DND will operationalize the Chief Executive's order, especially on the enforcement part.

The President's order came in wake of repeated passing of foreign vessels, particularly Chinese warships, in Philippine waters without notifying the Philippine government.

Also on Thursday, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed Manila filed a diplomatic protest against Beijing over the matter.

The Western Mindanao Command earlier reported that five Chinese naval vessels passed through Sibutu Strait in the waters of Tawi-Tawi -- four were recorded in July and the last on August 4. (PNA)

[Ayoshi]

^^

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1078989

Navy to 'shadow' foreign ships intruding in PH waters

This procedure will be implemented, especially if the foreign ship is found out to have failed to seek permission before entering the Philippine waters, PN flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad told reporters Wednesday.

If the vessel is still not responding to radio calls or communication challenges, and have shut off its automatic identification systems, the next step will be the deployment of aircraft to take pictures of the ship and "shadow" or escort it out of Philippine waters, he added.

If there is still no response from the foreign ship, the next option is to have the "shadowing" ship to "cross the bow" of the intruding vessel but not in a provocative manner, Empedrad said.

This term means having a government ship cut or maneuver near the intruding ship's bow.

He also said that the crew of the Navy ship will not be in "general quarters" while doing this maneuver.

"General quarters" is defined as a signal to all hands aboard that they must be able to go to "battle station" as quickly as possible.

"We will not be doing that (placing ship in 'general quarters'), we (will be just) maneuvering to tell them that they are passing through our territorial waters (without permission) especially if their passage is not (done in a) expeditious (manner)," the PN chief said.

He said that they are still finalizing the protocol as of this time.