Multi-national companies expert in military weapons, set to invest in PHL

FILE PHOTO (Glock 30) | By Rita Salonga via RH News

MANILA - Some multi-national companies expert in making military weapons and hardwares are willing to invest in our country.

According to Carl Erik Leek, SAAB Group Executive Vice-President in the Asia Pacific, a Swedish Aerospace and Defense Company, their office will open this coming November.

In line with this, the Swedish government will also open its Embassy here in Manila to support the growing bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.

Leek said that they aim to sell the JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Aircraft to the Philippine Airforce under the Flight Plan 2028 program.

“SAAB can fulfill the PAF requirement for an affordable fighter aircraft.  We think we are a strong contender.  The PAF offer will be a whole system including ground infrastructure, an integrated command-and-control system, sensors, and datalinks,” said Leek.

Aside from the SAAB company, the RAFAEL Advance Defense Systems and Thales Company target to extend their business in air and naval defense requirement in the Philippines.

“About one and a half million glock pistols in 2016.  We are going to increase that next year.  And certainly so if we can provide more to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.  All our pistols are mass produce and we make as many as we can sell.  We continuously expanding our production in Australia-Slovakia and the US,” added Desolteff.

Meanwhile, Desolteff said that they are still working on acquiring the contract from the Duterte administration regarding mass production of glock 30.

“Not yet but we are working on actual orders. We don’t have a contract so far yet, but that’s in the work.”(with Florante Rosales)