The capability of the Philippine Navy (PN) to build its own vessels may no longer be a far-fetched idea. In fact, it might happen in two years’ time.
Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., PN Flag Officer in Command (FOIC), said the Navy is eyeing to start the construction of three Shaldag Mark V fast attack interdiction craft-missile (FAIC-M) in 2024.
These vessels will be part of the nine units of Acero-class patrol gunboats that were acquired by the PN from Israel in 2019 for P10 billion. These will be assigned to the Littoral Combat Force like their predecessor, the 12 multi-purpose attack craft (MPACs).
On Monday, Nov. 28, the PN commissioned into service the first two pairs of the Acero-class patrol gunboats, BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) and BRP Lolinato To-Ong (PG-902).
Four units will be delivered by the manufacturer, Israeli Shipyard Ltd., in 2023 while the remaining three units will be built at a PN shipyard in Cavite City in 2024.
“The last three boats shall be assembled in Cavite City. We have our naval shipyard in Cavite and what they are doing, they are trying to rehabilitate this old facility to make it a modern one and designed for these types of vessels,” Adaci said.
“In that way, our people can learn how they do it, maintain these Acero-class boats, and that will be the start of our transfer of technology. It is a portion of our Self-Reliance Defense Program (SRDP),” he added.
Aside from the nine purchased units in 2019, Adaci revealed that the PN is also proposing for the acquisition of 15 more Acero-class patrol gunboats.
“We are planning to get 15 additional Acero-class boats on top of these nine boats,” he said.
“It’s a proposal from us. That would meet the requirements for patrolling the seas of our country,” he said.