The officers and crew of the newly-acquired Multi-Role Response Vessel (MRRV-9701) of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) have conducted a successful sea trial at the vicinity waters off Bataan as part of the final acceptance procedure.
Commander Anthony Cueva, of the PCG and Engineer Enrico Ferrer of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), led the Technical Inspection and Acceptance Committee (TIAC) on the MRRV-9701, part of them were to ensure that all the navigational, engineering, safety machinery and equipment of the vessel are working properly in accordance with the technical specifications set in the contract.
Specifically, the joint DOTr and PCG TIAC carefully tested the vessel's draft measurement, Doppler speed log, progressive sea trial, noise / local vibration measurement, propeller shaft revolution indicator, anchor windlass, turning and Z maneuvering.
Also inspected were the steering gear, crash stop astern, and crash stop ahead, the lowest revolution of main engines, inertia, autopilot, echo sounder, marine radar, the Automatic Identification System (AIS), and Global Positioning System (GPS) tests.
Last week, DOTr Secretary Art Tugade was impressed with the MRRV-9701 following an inspection held at Pier 15 of the South Harbor in Port Area, Manila.
The 97-meter MRRV, the biggest vessel of the PCG since the 83-meter BRP Gabriela Silang, will soon be commissioned into the Coast Guard service as Barko Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Teresa Magbanua.
It is the first of two MRRV-9701 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 DOTr in October 2016.
The first vessel arrived in Manila last Feb. 27 following a series of sea trials conducted by the shipbuilder 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.
The two vessels are worth P6.012 billion, or P3.006 billion per unit. The second MRRV-9702 is expected to arrive here from Japan next month.
The said vessels have a maximum speed of not less than 24 knots, an endurance of not less than 4,000 nautical miles, and are capable of conducting sustained maritime patrols in the country’s maritime jurisdictions.
The MRRVs were modeled after the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) Kunigami-class vessels, and the new ships are expected to improve the PCG's maritime security and maritime safety capabilities as they will be deployed to support the ongoing operations of the Coast Guard Task Force Pagsasanay.