By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. led the arrival ceremony for the future BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06), a newly-acquired guided missile corvette, at the Naval Operating Base Subic in Zambales on Tuesday.
In a statement, Teodoro said the arrival of the Philippine Navy’s (PN) newest ship is a critical step toward developing a self-reliant and credible defense posture.
In line with this, he outlined four key areas of focus for the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines: developing core capabilities and strategic basing; identifying continuous sources of revenue for sustainment; training and education; and integrating domain awareness and multi-threat response systems.
“This includes, not only investing in capabilities, but once again, training capable and competent people in the appropriate technical skills,” Teodoro said.
The BRP Miguel Malvar left the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea on March 27 and arrived at the Naval Operating Base Subic on April 4.
“Miguel Malvar is here today not only to serve as a deterrent and protector of our waters but also as an important component in joint and combined operations as we work alongside allies and uphold the norms of international law,” Teodoro said.
Before being commissioned for PN service, the guided missile corvette must pass a series of technical acceptance tests and trials, which will be conducted by the DND.
Aside from this, he acknowledged the Philippines’ enduring partnership with South Korea and cited their continued support in providing capabilities and investments that promote sustainability, resilience, and job creation.
“We thank our reliable partners, the people and the government of the Republic of Korea…not only [for] providing capabilities but [also for] building sustainability, redundancy, and resilience through actual capital investments,” Teodoro said.
“One of the hallmarks of an investment horizon for this country is the blue economy. How can you develop a blue economy if you do not have a strong Navy? You need a strong Navy as an anchor, as a backbone, as a spine of the blue economy. So this is our offering to those that went before us, to the heroes who went before us,” he added.
He also reminded the public of the Filipino spirit that refuses to quit despite the odds.
“Don’t quit, whatever the odds. Filipinos must be proud—we will make our nation proud,” he added.
The future BRP Miguel Malvar is equipped with a variety of weapons and sensors that can be used against anti-surface, anti-submarine, and anti-air warfare.
The DND and HD HHI signed the P28-billion contract for two guided-missile corvettes on Dec. 28, 2021.
BRP Miguel Malvar’s sister ship, the prospective BRP Diego Silang (FFG-07), was launched on March 28 and is expected to be delivered to the Philippines by June or July.
Corvettes, which usually weigh 1,000 to 2,500 gross tons, are the smallest naval surface ships capable of dealing with submarines and other maritime threats.
They are followed in size and weaponry by frigates and destroyers.
The two ships will serve as backstops for the guided missile frigates BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151).
Navy official says PH beefing up maritime domain awareness
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will, likewise, continue to develop the country’s maritime domain awareness (MDA) capability so that it can soon conduct comprehensive archipelagic defense operations.
In an interview at the 2nd Infantry Division headquarters at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal, AFP Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said that they are looking into air, land, sea, and space-based platforms for MDA purposes.
Trinidad said the MDA will provide the AFP with critical information on who is intruding or entering the country’s’ vast maritime territories.
“Before we go there, we need to know what’s there. Before we conduct comprehensive archipelagic defense operations, we need to know what’s out there,” he said.
A total of 15,606 maritime vessels, both foreign and domestic, were monitored in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in March, Trinidad said.
Of these, 12,683 were foreign ships.
Meanwhile, around 40 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels were spotted in the WPS this March—with eight PLAN vessels and 14 CCG ships seen in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal); six CCG vessels in Ayungin Shoal; and seven PLAN and five CCG ships in Sabina Shoal.
“We could not, we do not, speculate on the number of PLAN ships in our EEZ. Suffice it to say that we have been conducting our patrols on sea and on air to show that we are not deterred by their presence within our EEZ,” Trinidad noted.
On April 1 and 2, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) monitored research vessels within the country’s archipelagic waters.
The ships were trailed and challenged by the PCG, with the PN, unified commands and AFP headquarters monitoring the developments.
“We (are) prepared to respond to provide support if needed,” Trinidad said.
