Indian artillery misrepresented as PH Navy’s

A series of images a YouTube video has claimed showcase the Philippine Navy’s recently acquired anti-warfare capability include three old images of Indian artillery, two of which are more than a decade old.

The Indian materiel was not even used at the actual test-firing drills during the May 19 Philippine Navy Demonstration in Zambales, which YouTube channel Terong Explained highlighted in a video it posted on Dec. 13. 

The video revisited the May event amid China’s growing aggression in the West Philippine Sea. Its title reads:

TANGGAL ANG YABANG NG CHINA! Sobrang Lakas Na Missile Ng Pinas INILABAS NA Sa GITGITAN Sa China (CHINA GETS HUMBLED! Philippines Unveils Strong Missiles During Conflict Against China)!

During the Philippine Navy's demonstration in May, BRP Antonio Luna showcased its defensive capability against hostile missile attacks through the firing of chaffs, which dispense clouds of aluminum fiber or plastic to distract radar-guided missiles. 

An AW-159 helicopter also launched during the drill a South Korean-made torpedo to simulate an attack against an enemy submarine.

Even though they were not used at the event, India’s artillery appeared in a collage of three pictures flashed at the video’s 0:53 mark. 

A Google reverse image search of the top photo shows it to be an Indian Brahmos missile launched by the Indian navy. The photo was published by The Economic Times in its Nov. 25, 2013 article about the supersonic cruise missile and was credited to the Defense Research and Development Organization.

The Philippines’ Department of National Defense on Jan. 28, 2022 entered into a P18.9 billion deal with Brahmos Aerospace to acquire and supply the Navy with cruise missiles. It is awaiting shipment of the missiles.

The photo on the bottom right of the collage was also published by The Economic Times in an April 8, 2015 article about India’s Dhanush artillery gun. The image was credited to the Ministry of Defense of India.

Meanwhile, a side perspective of the Indian fighter jet LCA Tejas is shown in the image on the bottom left. A reverse image search traced it to a 14-year-old gallery in a pro-Indian military website dating back to Feb. 16, 2009. An image verification tool revealed that the picture was taken on Feb. 8, 2007.

The Philippines is one of the four countries that have shown interest in procuring the aircraft, according to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Chairman CB Ananthakrishnan in an interview last Dec. 6.

As of writing, the video by Terong Explained has garnered 108,435 views, 3,175 likes and 372 comments. The channel has over 462,000 subscribers and has been fact-checked by Vera Files for a misleading thumbnail on another video and by FactRakers for a misleading video about Japan’s security assistance aid to the Philippines. (JL)