Personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) have started their sea trial of the Multi-Role Response Vessel (MRRV)-9701 that was bought and will be used in patrolling territorial waters of the country.
The sea trial, according to the PCG statement, occurred in Japan seas.
The MRRV-9701 is the largest vessel acquisition to date by the PCG, and it will soon be commissioned into the Coast Guard service as Barko Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Teresa Magbanua.
The vessel is expected to arrive in Manila later this month.
In a video posted on the Facebook page of the PCG Wednesday, Feb. 2, it showed the MRRV-9701 performance and general seaworthiness. The test included gauging the vessel's speed, maneuverability, functionality of equipment, and safety features.
The MRRV-9701 is the first of two 97-meter vessel projects financed by the Japanese government under Phase II of the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP) between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines through the Department of Transportation in October 2016.
The sea trials were conducted by the shipbuilder, the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd; the Vessel Consultant for MSCIP Phase II project, Japan Marine Science Incorporated; Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK) Classification Society; and various equipment makers; as well as the PCG MRRV-9701 officers and crew.