Thursday, July 08, 2010

Philippine-made Rockets


A few years ago a cousin of mine told me about the supposedly top-secret project of then President Ferdinand Marcos to develop a rocket or missile indigenously. The name of the rocket is Bongbong 1. I was incredulous when I heard about it (until today) when I remembered the story and did some googling.



What I unearthed is that there is actually a program, called Santa Barbara Project, and the launching pad of the missiles/rockets was the Caballo Island, which is near Corregidor.





There's a thread at timawa.net that has some pictures of the launching of the rockets/missiles (pics above). One version of the rocket can be launched by a mobile truck-mounted launcher, and there is also a submerged launcher, like from a submarine probably.


To quote:


"Since 1972 a series of 37 dynamic tests were conducted on the 180-mm rocket. All tests were performed at Caballo Island except for four firings in Fort Magsaysay. Different versions...were used: short version, with fixed fins, long version with fixed fins, long version with folding fins, and the pressure-assisted takeoff type...The launchers were Fixed Open Frame (short), Fixed Open Frame (long), truck-mounted tube launcher, truck-mounted open frame and submerged launcher for underwater firing"

this is Caballo Island, as seen from Corregidor (taken by me last January 2010):



updated Jan. 18, 2012 to add the quotes and to increase the image sizes.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice one! I, for one, was saddened when I heard it from Timawa. Sayang talaga. If those projects has been pursue, we never know where we are right now. Probably exporting or sending Space craft to outer space. Hope the blueprints still there and our Men in uniform will wake up one day and start digging those files. Its not too late. Malaysia had just making their test fire on their rocket missiles.

Glenn said...

hi admin, can I reblog your post? I will definitely include your address in my site as a source. :)

-glenn

Kin Enriquez said...

Hi Glenn. Sure, just acknowledge me as source and link back to this post. thanks!

boomslang said...

Project Santa Barbara was not only for weapons development. it's also into alternative energy research.

PinoyFinancialLiteracy said...

I was poorly no knowledge about this santa barbara project and right now is a bit enlighted of how capable the filipinos are...nkkpanghinayang lng bkit d natuloy.sna we dont need to send foreign worker abroad dhil every nation will eyed philippines as their military source of weaponry,sna we're still on top here in southeast asia or next to japan or china....sna ma-revive p ung project.sna manumbalik ung desiplina kng aning meron ang pinoy during WW2.

"Give me 10,000 filipino soldiers and I will conquer the world" -Gen.Mc Arthur-

PinoyFinancialLiteracy said...

Admin can i repost this.

Kin Enriquez said...

Sure. Just link back and cite this as the source. Thanks!

JOhn said...

i was astounded when i learned that there was a project like this before,sayang tlga if this project pushed through during cory's term,may missile system na sna tau and proudly philippine made pa,kudos to president marcos for initiating this program.sayang lng tlga hindi natuloy...

Unknown said...

Admin, would like to repost this also in FB? I'll just provide the link to your site.

By the way, do you have any old news articles regarding this?

Kin Enriquez said...

Hi, go ahead and repost (pls link back).

Thanks!

I will post if I get more info on this

arnold emocling said...

if this went into fruition,China wouldn't be bullying us right now.

Anonymous said...

This is a threat to national security

Anonymous said...

para kay Anonymous na nag sabing yan ay banta sa national security, ang masasabi ko sayo ulol ka, gago, isaka sigurong ulopong sa hanay ng pamahalaan, isaka sigurong anay sa gobyerno, at marahil isa karin sa nagpunta sa edsa para lang patilsikin ang nag iisang presidente na gustong palakasin ang hukbong sandatahan ng pilipinas, at siya lang din ang presidenteng gustong bawiin na sakop ng pinas na nakuha ng ibang bansa, kong hinde mo alam yon, mag research ka, ang bahaging iyon ng pinas ay ipinaglalaban parin ng mga muslim sa mindanao. sa pangunguna ng sultanate of sulo. kong nagtagumpay ang lahat ng plano ni marcos may laban sana tayo laban sa pang bu-bully ng china satin sa teritoryong sakop ng ating bansa pero pilit inaagaw ng china.

Anonymous said...

Isang malaking tama..:), kung natuloy to,, Philippines will be still one of the strongest country in Southeast Asia untill now, in terms of military power..bkit kc pinatangal pa si Idol Pres Marcos..hindi ko mn naabutan yun, kahit mahigpit sya, ikumpara ang ekonomiya ngayon at nung time of Marcos regime.., if i am not wrong.. $1 is Php.1.50..pa nun.., dba..ngayon ,,ano?

Anonymous said...

hi, i was on tearswhen i read this and saw the pictures during the rocket launching. Everything came back to my memory that day, I was one of the only two young women who was part of the team. The other one is Maya a young chemist and me, I was the 19 years and did not realize the most important event in the Philippine history. Thanx for posting this.

Anonymous said...

kahit anong sabihin nila kay marcos pero advanced talagang syang mag-isip.

Anonymous said...

Sana bigyan tyo ng kahit isang bagsak lang na missile ng putang inang china pra maramadaman ng mga nagdaang pangulo ng pinas at ang nagpa plano pang maging presidenti ng Pilipinas na wala silang mga bayag at burat ky Marcos putang ina nyong lahat...wala na kyong ginawa kundi magnakaw...hoy ..! Mga ungas na nasa na opisyal sa katangahan..! Gamitin nyo ang kagalingan nyo sa pagnanakaw na maipagpatuloy ang mga hangarin ni Marcos kc sya lang ang may utak sa inyo....sana anv mga missiles ng china sa mga bunbunan ng mga tangang pilipino bumagsak...matutuwa pa ako... Puro lang kyo " More funs in the Philipines..nkkahiya kyo!!! Bina bully na tyo ng ibang lahi...patuloy din nyong hinahayaan itapon at ipaalipin ang mga genius na pinoy sa ibang bansa... ! Sana bombahin na tyo ng china pra sa sapilitang paggising sa mga natutulog sa nakaw na yaman!

Anonymous said...

No info from 1972 to 1986. This project most probably failed and the government kept quiet about it.