PH Navy’s first pair of fast-attack boats to arrive in 3Q

The first two units of fast-attack interdiction craft (FAICs) of the Philippine Navy (PN) will be delivered in the third quarter of this year, a Navy spokesperson said Saturday, July 2.

Commander Benjo Negranza, PN spokesperson, said the FAICs successfully passed the sea trials in Israel from June 27 to June 30 which were witnessed by an inspection team from the PN.

The trials included functional testing of all mission-critical machineries, navigation and communications equipment, and live firing of its combat systems, he stated.

“The inspection culminated with the signing of the joint certification of compliance required for the shipment of the two FAICs to the Philippines and are expected to arrive sometime in the middle of the third quarter of this year,” Negranza said.

The acquisition of the new FAICs is the latest effort in the PN’s pursuit to become a modern and multi-capable naval force, according to Negranzana.

The two new vessels will be the first pair of small but agile, offensive, and missile-equipped fast-attack interdiction craft of the PN. These were constructed and launched at the port of Israel Shipyards Limited in Haifa, Israel last June 26.

The FAIC Acquisition Project was approved by former President Duterte in 2019 under the second horizon of the revised modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The contract, reportedly worth P10 billion, was signed in 2021.