China versus The Philippines: A Military Strength Comparison

The Philippine government has proposed taking the Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) issue to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, but the Chinese government has rejected this, insisting on bilateral discussions [1].

Now, taken into consideration the grave possibility that two countries fight past the current standoff, this blog made a comparative analysis of the Philippine Armed Forces’ capability vis-à-vis that of China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA).

My detailed tabular presentation was patterned after that of the GlobalFirePower website. (http://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-comparison-detail.asp):

                                                                        China                                      Philippines

Total Population                                  1,336,718,015 (#1)                  101,833,938 (#12)

Square Land Area                               9,596,961 km                          300,000 km

The Chinese Red Army.

The Philippine Army

Defense Budget                                  $100,000,000,000                 $2,439,510,000

Military Manpower Available             749,610,775                            50,649,196

Fit for Military Service                        618,588,627                            41,570,732

Reaching Military Age Yearly             19,538,534                              2,081,388

Active Military Personnel                    2,285,000                                120,000

Active Military Reserves                     800,000                                   130,000

Basic Military Salary [2]                      6,000 yuan (952.87 USD)      18,000 Pesos (422.94 USD)

Total Land-Based Weapons                  47,575                                     2,379

Towed Artillery                                    25,000                                     309

Infantry Vehicles                                 7,700                                       559

Tanks                                                9,200                                       126

Anti-Tank Guided Weapons             1250                                       400

Navy Ships                                       972                                          120

Anti-Aircraft Weapons                       750                                          200           

Multi-Launch Rocket System             2,600                                       0

 

Total Naval Units                                972                                          120

Merchant Marine Strength                  2,012                                       428

Major Ports and Terminals                 8                                              6

Major Serviceable Airports                 502                                          254

Aircraft Carriers                                  1                                              0

Destroyers [3]                                      55                                            1

Frigates [ibid.]                                      47                                            2

Submarines                                         63                                            0

 

Total Aircraft                                       5,176                                       289

Patrol Coastal Aircraft                        870                                          128

Fighter Planes                                     5,845                                       289

Attack Helicopters                              632                                          159

Mine Warfare Craft                             52                                            0

Amphibious Operations Craft             233                                          10

Foreign Reserves                               $2,876,000,000,000                $62,370,000,000

Purchasing Power                              $10,090,000,000,000              $351,400,000,000

Oil Production (in bbl*)                        4,273,000 bbl                          9,671 bbl

Oil Consumption                                 9,189,000 bbl                          307,200 bbl

Proven Oil Reserves                          20,350,000,000 bbl                 168,000,000 bbl

Total Labor Force                               815,300,000                            38,900,000

Roadway Coverage                            3,860,800 km                          213,151 km

Railway Coverage                              86,000 km                               995 km

Waterway Coverage                           110,000 km                             3,219 km

Coastline Coverage                            14,500 km                               36,289 km

*bbl = Barrel of Oil (1 bbl = 42 US Gallons or 159 litres)

The website GlobalFirePower notes that China has the world's largest army. It is ranked 3^rd for overall global firepower while the Philippines ranked 23^rd overall.

The Philippines’ sole destroyer named, “BRP Gregorio del Pilar” was a gift from the Americans in boosting our naval control. Unfortunately, it has no Harpoon anti-ship missiles, no surface to air missile capability, no anti-submarine warfare capability, or Phalanx electric Gatling gun.

One should also take note of China’s brawny submarines (composed of 53 conventional and 10 nuclear). According to GlobalFirePower website [4], “both the diesel-powered and nuclear-powered submarines used by China are clearly designed for more than protecting China’s coast”. The Chinese submarines could, in fact, pose a threat to American aircraft carriers.

In October 2006 a Chinese submarine “stalked” a U.S. aircraft carrier and approached within firing range without being detected. In January 2008, a Chinese submarine followed the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk in the Taiwan Strait but was detected and monitored with antisubmarine aircraft. Analysts say that in the future China could be able to approach an aircraft carrier and possibly sink it with a missile.

Although in comparison to the US, China is a relatively small player in the weapons export business, selling about $380 million of weapons a year, compared to $7 billion by the United States. Apparently, the Chinese Navy is relatively weak compared to the United States. It has one aircraft carrier, compared to 24 out of the world’s 36 possessed by the United States, and has 263,064 tons of naval vessels compared to 2.86 million tons possessed by the United States (the world’s total is 4.04 million tons).

Obviously the Philippines Armed Forces has to be modeled after the Prussian-Germanic on Tanks, Russian for its choppers and US on the logistics-air force supply. Concerning reservists (that of Israel’s) and active duty (that of the French or the Yankees).Only through that kind of Philippine Armed Forces would Red China think twice.

To learn more on how we can be involved in the fight for our territories, you can visit http://www.usp4gg.org.
You can also visit their Facebook fan page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/US-Pinoys-For-Good-Governance-USP4GG/192313164151191.

References:

[1] "China deploys gunboat". Philippine Daily Inquirer. April 20, 2012. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/34021/china-deploys-gunboat

[2] http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=293&catid=8

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_of_the_Philippine_Navy

[4] http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=293&catid=8

Picture Credits:

http://mynavystar.blogspot.com/2011/01/israel-deploys-aps-equipped-merkavas-to.html

http://www.wallpaperpimper.com/wallpaper/download-wallpaper-Naval_War-size-800x600-id-107251.htm

http://www.etan.org/news/2012/03helicop.htm

http://www.military-today.com/navy/nimitz_class.htm

http://discuss.itacumens.com/index.php?topic=14832.0

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_081018-N-4236E-185_A_landing_craft_air_cushion_(LCAC)_assigned_to_Assault_Craft_Unit_(ACU)_4_conducts_amphibious_operations_from_the_multi-purpose_amphibious_assault_ship_USS_Iwo_Jima_(LHD_7).jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48426646@N03/4495804923/

http://www.risingpowersinitiative.org/chinas-military-budget-increase-draws-responses-from-asian-powers/

http://defense-studies.blogspot.com/2010/09/philippines-allocate-fy2011-defense.html