| Military branches | Armed 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 obligation | 18-23 years of age (officers 21-29) for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1% 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 strengths | the 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 acquisitions | the 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 - note | as 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
