General:
The title of the post is somewhat grandiose; the Philippine Army has little if any experience in the use of armored vehicles in combat, and the current regulations on the use of armored vehicles is derived from studies of other armies, adapted to the Philippine milieu. Nevertheless, the Philippines has established a number of mechanized units, equipped with a variety of vehicles, to perform what it sees as the most important roles for armored forces in defense of the nation.
The principal strategic threat foreseen by the Philippine Army is an amphibious assault launched against the main island of Luzon; the Chinese Empire is seen as the most likely actor in such a scenario. While the Philippine Navy is expected to exert all efforts to prevent such a landing through fleet action at sea, and fixed coast defenses are to inflict as much damage as possible, should such an assault attain a lodgment it is the role of the Philippine Army to contain and crush the landing force before it can break out of its beachhead. This assessment has led to the concentration of much of the Philippine Army, and its entire armored strength, in northern Luzon. Attacks on any beachhead are to be immediate, sustained and supported by all available resources. In this role the armored units of the Philippine Army are expected to play their part.
Units:
The Philippine Army presently has, or is establishing, three different classes of armored units:
The Mechanized Brigade (of which three are in existence)
The Armored Regiment (of which one is presently in existence)
The Tank Battalion (of which three are in the process of creation in the 21st Tank Brigade)
The Mechanized Brigade is an all-arms formation with the traditional roles of screening, fixing and striking at the foe. Its tank element - the Char 6D Bruyere - is intended to confront lightly-armed amphibious-borne forces in conjunction with the truck-borne infantry, which would dismount when confronting the enemy. It would operate alongside infantry formations to stabilize lines of resistance and conduct counterattacks when the opportunity avails itself.
The Armored Regiment is also an all-arms formation, all of whose elements are mechanized. It is intended to exploit any penetration of the enemy's defenses brought about by conventional infantry attack or by the mechanized brigade in its attacking role. The regiment's squadron of Char 8A Montbrun medium tanks is intended to spearhead such penetrations, with the lighter Char 6D Bruyere operating on the flanks of the advance.
The Tank Battalion is intended to provide direct support to the infantry in advance against defended positions. It is organized and trained to accompany infantry during the attack and to engage strongpoints, heavy weapons positions and troop concentrations with direct fire. It lacks organic infantry to conduct pursuit, which is the role of the Mechanized Brigade or the Armored Regiment.
Equipment:
The equipment chosen by the Philippine Army to equip its armored units is reflective both of its doctrine and of the availability of equipment.
The Char 6D Bruyere light tank is the most numerous of the tanks to be operated by the Philippine Army. Its light weight and cross-country mobility make it very useful operating on the plains of central Luzon, and its main gun is considered capable of standing up to any probable opponent. The Philippine Army is aware of its limitations - the autoloading feature of the Bruyere limits it to no more than twelve rounds of ammunition before it must retire from combat to rearm. It is therefore standard doctrine of the armored force to allow an opponent to expend his armored vehicles in the attack against successive positions held by groups of Char 6D tanks, with a riposte by fresh troops when the energy of the enemy attack is wasted.
The Char 8A Montbrun medium tank has been acquired by the Philippine Army in small numbers. It does not suffer from the ammunition limitations of the Char 6D. It is probable that the Char 8 will be acquired in larger numbers, and adoption of the 90mm L/54 gun has been mooted by the chief of the Philippine Armored Troops.
The American M4 Sherman was adopted to fulfill the needs of the infantry-support tank battalions. The decision to acquire this particular vehicle was impelled at least as much for its availability as for its intrinsic merits. It does offer good mobility over ground, though its heavy weight (compared with the Char 6D) will limit its movement over certain roads and bridges. The Philippine Army plans to modify the vehicles received from the United States to standardize armament and upgrade the vehicles' engine. One of the principal attractions of the Sherman for the Philippine Army is the excellent communications with accompanying infantry made possible through the external telephone located at the rear of the vehicle.
Quoted
Originally posted by BruceDuncan
Friday, April 19th 2024, 7:44am
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