Best known in the USA as a former colony and exotic tourist location, the Republic of the Philippines has seen civil unrest, insurgencies and separatism movements ever since independence in 1946. Endemic corruption, human rights violations, ethnic strife and a shaky economy have fueled wars that have been raging on and off for almost 70 years. Against this backdrop the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have been increasingly underfunded, and have to make do with obsolete planes, ships, light armored vehicles, and artillery dating back to World War II. Since the end of the Cold War, the...