Two brand new fast attack interdiction craft-missile (FAIC-M) of the Philippine Navy (PN) were formally commissioned into service on Monday, Nov. 28.
BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) and BRP Lolinato To-Ong (PG-902) will be used to boost the Navy’s patrol operations in the southern part of the country as well as the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The tension-filled waters became the center of controversy last week after the China Coast Guard (CG) seized from PN personnel a piece of metal near Pagasa (Thitu) Island.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin graced the joint commissioning and send-off ceremony of BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) and BRP Lolinato To-Ong (PG-902) at the Commodore Divino Pier, Naval Station Jose Andrada in Manila.
He was joined by Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., newly appointed Flag Officer in Command of the PN; Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP); representatives from the Israel Embassy and Israel Shipyard Ltd.; and descendants of the late Private First Class Nestor Acero and the late
“Today is a great day because we have the most modern and capable patrol gunboats in our Philippine Navy. These boats are our fastest and most advance gunboats, capable of operating in the littorals and can be deployed very quickly in their designate areas of operation,” Bersamin said.
According to Adaci, the addition of BRP Nestor Acero and BRP Lolinato To-Ong to the Navy’s fleet inventory is a “significant step forward” in the Navy’s ongoing capability upgrade as it can also be sent to vital choke points, key sea lines of communication, and littoral areas of the country where terrorist groups and other lawless elements are operating.
“As you know, the Philippines’ geographic configuration is unique. It is characterized by complex and contested waters, porous borders, and proximity to major regional sealines. This archipelagic nature of our country therefore presents both opportunities and challenges to the Philippines’ maritime security,” Adaci said.
“The two new fast attack interdiction craft that we are commissioning today are specially designed to equip the Navy’s capability in addressing threats within this complex and unique archipelagic condition in a precise and swift manner,” he added.
BRP Nestor Acero and BRP Lolinato To-Ong are part of the nine units of Shaldag Mark V FAIC-M that were procured by the PN from Israeli Shipyard Ltd. for P10 billion through the second horizon of the revised modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in 2019. The acquisition is considered as the first of its kind in the defense cooperation between the Philippines and Israel.
Four more FAIC-M are slated to join the Acero-class patrol gunboats in 2023 while the remaining three units will be delivered in the last quarter of 2024 and manufactured at a PN shipyard in Naval Pascual Ledesma, Cavite City.
The local manufacturing of the gunboats would present a major leap in the Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) program of the country as the AFP seeks to veer away from the country’s dependency on foreign suppliers by producing weapons, small arms and ammunition, tactical communications equipment, basic land vehicles, and small sea craft using local materials.
The BRP Nestor Acero and BRP Lolinato To-Ong were named after the late Private Acero and Captain To-Ong, two Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) heroes “to honor and immortalize the gallantry in action and selfless service” that they have exemplified. They were recipients of the Medal of Valor, the highest military award for courage.
Christened last September 6, the two FAIC-M measure 32.65 meters and have a maximum speed of above 40 knots. It has a displacement of about 95 tons, range of 1,000 nautical miles at 12 knots, and endurance of six days.
Out of the nine FAIC-M, four will be fitted with the Spike Non-Line-of-Sight missile system which will be delivered in November 2023. This will enable the vessels to hit “over the horizon” (OTH) targets or targets that it cannot see and can only be monitored through a radar.
Meanwhile, the remaining five platforms will be armed with Typhoon-mounted, 30-millimeter main guns and .50 caliber heavy machine guns as secondary guns.