THE term “moonshot” was originally used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, during the Apollo moon landings in the 1960s. It now extends to ambitious and groundbreaking projects or programs that are highly risky or unlikely to happen, but have enormous benefits if they succeed. They are bold undertakings that push the limits despite all odds, like the first attempt to land a man on the moon.
It is not far different from the Philippines’ quest to modernize its armed forces through a self-reliant defense industry. This bolsters the country’s ability to design, produce, distribute and supply its own defense needs, like firearms, missiles, tanks, jet fighters, all-terrain vehicles and radar technologies. The idea is to minimize the country’s excessive dependence on foreign suppliers. Republic Act 11958, or the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act, is a strategic policy measure to ensure our national security and sovereignty, especially in times of geopolitical tension or supply chain disruption around the world.
The self-reliant defense industry can be started in several ways.
We could focus on industrial activities in the supply chain where we are more competitive and good at, such as shipbuilding and repair, basing facilities and maritime warehousing, logistics and transport. The country has one of the world’s best seafarers and is home to superior mariners.
We could invest in new industries that can strengthen our security, like in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and computer programming. We must also protect our nickel deposits and rare earth minerals from foreign overextraction.
We could adopt dual purposes in our industries for both civilian and military needs. A case in point is the interstate highways in the United States that can be utilized not only for transporting people and cargoes but also as runways for jet fighters and bombers in case of war. In the country, evacuation sites for disasters can be converted into bombing shelters.
We must identify and secure our supply chains of defense equipment and assets from disruptions or hold-outs. If we acquire F-16 fighter jets, we must ensure the availability of post-sale services and maintenance support, such as spare parts, fuel, training and recalibration.
Finally, we must take advantage of how the defense industry can promote upstream and downstream linkages with local businesses, especially small and medium enterprises. Jobs, financial capital and other economic opportunities shall breathe life into local communities and generate massive growth.
An illustrative example is the planned purchase of F-16 jet fighters. Our military officials recently talked to US officials to deliver F-16 for anti-access/area denial (A2/AD). However, it is a moonshot to autonomously design, integrate and mass produce jet fighters due to the absence of an industrial and research-and-development (R&D) ecosystem. But a self-reliant defense extends to the ability to access parts and supplies for maintenance, as well as harness the internal capabilities of our local aviation engineers without depending on foreign firms.
However, the creation of a self-reliant defense industry is not as simple. It is a moonshot that could take generations. The country cannot totally decouple from the global defense supply network. In reality, our country’s lack of raw materials, human skills, R&D and technology makes it impossible to establish and sustain an independent defense industrial base.
The moonshot also reveals harsh realities beyond our control.
The national budget is contracting with huge outlay in social and health subsidies, as well as physical infrastructure. Domestic players like SM, Ayala, San Miguel or Robinsons will take a “wait and see” attitude until initial investments have materialized. Civil society and education sectors might oppose revving up the defense industrial base with resources being diverted to arms manufacturing and military equipment. Finally, building an industrial defense base takes time to feel its benefits, which could sap people’s enthusiasm and energy.
Strong engagement and cooperation with the private sector are important to a self-reliant defense industry. The government must streamline the business processes and provide guarantees to participating investors. The role of academia is also amplified in R&D, pushing technologies into the supply chain and innovating production. Civil society groups play the role of informing different constituencies on the benefits of a self-reliant defense industry.
Meanwhile, all societal actors are now looking at defense, security and finance officials on the roadmap in terms of priorities, deliverables, timelines, outputs and resources. Industry players would want to be consulted to disclose their capacities to the government and align their own growth targets.
As moonshot, a self-reliant defense industry will work in stages. There are no shortcuts unless we pursue reverse engineering of many defense systems abroad, like in India. It requires massive funding, strong private sector engagement, political will and innovative change. But the threat of war or invasion presses upon our government to accelerate a self-reliant defense industry for the nation’s survival.