Phl Navy Modernization Update – January 28, 2021

A Shaldag Mk V Vessel, Photo from Wikimedia Commons

The Philippine Navy (PN) gave an update about their Modernization Program to the One News/The Philippine Star Publication recently, and below are some of the most important points:

* The PN plans to retire a total of 26 Vessels this Year (2021), which will include the World War 2 Era Malvar class Vessels and the Tomas Batilo class Vessels which were donated by South Korea starting in the 1990s. 

Phl Navy building new Hangars, acquiring more Aircraft

An Example of a C-12 Huron, this one is a TC-12 of the United States Navy. Photo from Wikimedia Commons

The Philippine Navy (PN) broke ground for the construction of a 700 m^2 size, Php 12 million Hangar at Sangley Point in Cavite recently that can accommodate up to 6 Aircraft.

Two more similar Hangars are planned to be built this Year (2021). This is in preparation for the acquisition of more Aircraft like the 8 C-12 Huron from the United States (US) to be acquired within 2021. 

PN Modernization Projects delayed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic

Some sad news, the Philippine Navy (PN) said that a number of their Modernization Projects have been delayed due to the ongoing Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Pandemic. The delays are as follows: 

* Instead of October of this year (2020), the delivery of the BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) Frigate has been pushed out to the First Quarter of 2021. 

Shaldag Mk V, Anti-Air and Anti-Ship Missiles for the Philippine Navy

Image taken from the PN 2020 Calendar

The Philippine Navy (PN) showed a number of items they intend to acquire for their modernization in their 2020 Calendar, and among these are the Submarine, Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) and the Fast Attack and Interdiction Craft (FAIC) which they had extensively discussed before in public.

The PN had announced in previous news reports that they intend to get the Shaldag vessels from Israel for their FAIC, the picture from the Calendar says it will be the latest version, the Shaldag Mk V.

The PN though showed in the Calendar two items they had not discussed much about before, the Shore-based Anti-Ship Missile (AShM) System and the Shore-based Anti-Air Missile System.

Featured in the image for the Shore-based AShM is the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) made by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace while for the Shore-based Anti-Air Missile System they showed the Sky Sabre made by the European company MBDA.

Since the PN has not talked much about these two Projects, we are not sure if these are what they really intend to buy, hopefully they will be discussing these more like they did with the Submarine, OPV and FAIC.

By the way, the picture used for the Submarine in the Calendar is for the Lada class Submarine, an improved version of the Kilo class Submarine made by Russia.

The PN did say before that they considered Submarines from Russia, but the last year or so had stated preference for the Scorpene class Submarines from France.

And the OPV picture is of course the one that Austal is proposing to build for the PN.

SOURCE: Philipine Navy 2020 Calendar

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The Philippine Navy's plans as of May 2020

An anonymous official of the Philippine Navy (PN) laid out its current acquisition plans to the legitimate news organization One News. To summarize some of the points of the article:

* PN plan is to spend Php 75 billion to build a 50 Ship Maritime Force

* Php 100 billion is needed for 100 more Support Vessels and 34 Fixed and Rotary Wing
Aircraft

* 4 additional Frigates are planned for acquisition until 2028

* 2 Corvettes for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) worth Php 28 billion will be acquired until 2023 from a South Korean Shipyard (likely Hyundai Heavy Industries or HHI as per previous news reports), plus an additional 10 more.

* 6 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) will be acquired for Php 30 billion from an Australian Shipyard (likely to be Austal as per previous news reports) until 2023. Another 6 more OPVs are planned for acquisition by 2028, and yet another 6 more after that.

* 8 Attack Fast Interdiction Craft (FAIC) will be bought for Php 8 billion from Israel until 2023. An additional 40 more are planned to be bought until 2028.

* 42 more Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) are planned for acquisition

* 2 more Landing Docks (LD) worth Php 5.5 billion are planned for acquisition until 2023 from an Indonesian supplier (likely to be PT Pal as per previous news reports)

* Shore based Anti-Ship Missiles (AShM) and Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) are also planned for acquisition

* 2 to 4 Submarines has been pushed out to possibly after 2028

SOURCE: Navy plans 50-Ship Maritime Force to strengthen claims on disputed Seas; BRP Jose Rizal arrives

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New PN FOIC on the retirement of old Vessels

The new Philippine Navy (PN) Flag Officer In Command (FOIC) Rear Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo discussed some points about the retirement of the old “Legacy” Vessels, and among these were:

* In terms of capability, three old Diesel Fast Attack Craft may not necessarily equate to one Shaldag missile capable vessel in terms of capability

* The old legacy vessels now are able to do 10-12 knots at most and can no longer stay out at Sea for 10 days.

SOURCE: New Navy Chief allays shortage of Naval Assets

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The PN is set to decommission 22 more Ships in 2020

The Philippine Navy (PN) is set to decommission 22 more Ships this year (2020) to save on Maintenance Costs and to make way for new Assets.

Among the Ships scheduled to be decommissioned are the BRP Quezon (PS-70), BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19), BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20), BRP Pangasinan (PS-31), BRP Laguna (LS-501), BRP Benguet (LS-507) and BRP Mangyan (AC-71).

As per previous news reports, the PN is planning to acquire several new vessels, which include 2 Corvettes (possibly from Hyundai Heavy Industries or HHI), 6 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), 8 Fast Attack and Interdiction Crafts (FAIC), 2 Landing Docks (LD) and 2 Submarines.

So that means a total of 20 brand new vessels are planned for acquisition. However, none of these planned acquisitions have their Contracts signed yet, and even if most of the Contracts for these are signed this year, it will take several years for the Ships to be built so there will be a couple of years where the PN will have less vessels in its fleet.

This means that for a couple of years, the PN will be leaner but with newer and more capable vessels. With so many vessels being retired, I think it is important that the Contracts for most if not all of the newer acquisitions be signed within this year to shorten as much as possible the period where we will have less ships.

SOURCE:  Philippine Navy to decommission 22 Vessels in 2020

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PN Missile Armed Vessels as of 2019

Original photo courtesy of the Shipbucket website

Just posting the Missile armed Vessels of the Philippine Navy (PN) as of last year, 2019. These are the three Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (Mk 3) with Hull numbers BA-488, BA-489 and BA-491 armed with Spike ER missiles in Spike MLS ER Launchers.

Although the number and size of the missiles and ships are very modest compared to other navies, this will drastically change by the end of this year (2020) when an additional three MPACs are equipped with missiles and the expected delivery of the missile armed Jose Rizal class Frigates.

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PN Vessels Launched and Commissioned in 2019

Original images taken from the Shipbucket website

A banner year for the Philippine Navy (PN) as it launched its very first Missile armed Frigates ever, the BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151). Both vessels are scheduled for delivery next year (2020).

It also commissioned into service its first Pohang class vessel acquired from South Korea, the BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39) Corvette, regaining its vessel based Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability it had previously lost.

The BRP Yap has the fastest firing modern automated guns in the PN with its Twin Fast Forty guns, and are the most capable warship in the PN until the arrival of the Jose Rizal class Frigates.

The PN also commissioned into service three Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) Mk 4 (BA-492, BA-493, BA-494) crafts which are scheduled to acquire missile capability in 2020.

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Additional Php 16 billion Budget for the Philippine Navy

In the news article below, just ignore the other bullsh@& from Carlos Zarate and the legal front of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), the “Makabaya(ra)n”, just focus on the two paragraphs wherein it is mentioned that Php 16 billion in funds were reportedly inserted into the budget of the Philippine Navy (PN).

No mention though yet on for what this additional budget will be spent for by the Navy, but the PN has been vocal recently about acquiring items like Submarines, Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), Fast Attack Interdiction Craft (FAIC), etc.

SOURCE: DPWH Budget swells by P51B; Makabayan hits scant details

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Philippine Navy Modernization Updates – 11/12/19

Another windfall of updates from the Philippine Navy (PN) who always makes it a point nowadays to provide regular updates about their Modernization Projects. So let me go thru them one by one:

* The new Corvettes they want Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) to build will have Close In Weapons Systems (CIWS) and “Defense Missiles” which I assume are Surface to Air Missiles (SAM).

* The current Jose Rizal class Frigates only have the CIWS and SAMs as Fitted For But Not With (FFBNW) meaning they are for future possible installation.

* The PN is hoping for the signing of the Contract for the two new Corvettes before the end of 2019, but it will depend on the release of funds from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

* The PN is hoping that the Pohang class Corvette that the South Korean Navy is retiring at the end of 2019 will be allocated to the Philippines.

* The PN might retire the BRP General Mariano Alvarez (PS-38) if the United States (US) does not give us more since having only one in service with the PN makes them very expensive to maintain. The BRP Alvarez is a former Cyclone class vessel of the US Navy that was donated to us.

* The PN is hoping that the Contracts for the Fast Attack Interdiction Craft (FAIC) and Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) will be signed by the end of 2019.

* The FAICs will the Shaldag boats made by Israel and will replace the PN’s Tomas Batillo class vessels.

* If the Contract for the FAIC / Shaldags is signed by the end of 2019, they will be delivered by March 2022. If it is signed in 2020, delivery will be beyond the term of President Duterte.

SOURCE: DND, Korean Shipyard sign MOU ahead of Corvette deal

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Another large Warship for the PN in 2020?

A sort of strange announcement by the Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). We know that the Jose Rizal class Frigates are set to be delivered in 2020, but those are only two, not three.

Could he be referring to another ship for delivery in 2020, like another Pohang class Corvette, or another Hamilton class Cutter, perhaps?

Note that the report was quite specific, and I quote, "The country’s naval capability will be boosted further with the arrival of three frigates next year."

SOURCE: Philippines acquires 3 more new Warships – AFP

Six Corvettes and no Destroyer and up sized Ship for the PN

Just some interesting bits of information from Adm. Empedrad as reported by “The Daily Tribune” publication:

* The Philippine Navy (PN) is hoping to get a total of six Corvettes. (The first two of these six the PN already said before are going to be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries)

* No plans for the PN to acquire Destroyers as these would be too expensive, with him quoting a price of Php 100 billion (Usd 1.89 billion) for each

* Interesting also that he quoted a price already for a Submarine, which he put Php 35 billion (Usd 660 million) for each

SOURCE: Navy modernization up