Additional quick firing weapons to be fitted to BRP Ramon Alcaraz

Expect the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16), the country's second Hamilton-class cutter in service, to be more capable in defending Philippine waters once its Mark 38 Model 2 25mm "Bushmaster" auto-cannons are installed before the end of the first quarter this year.

"An MK38 MOD 2 25mm machine gun system aboard USS Pearl Harbor. Photo: US Navy photo by mass communication specialist 2nd class Jason Behnke." (Photo courtesy of www.naval-technology.com)

The weapons, which will act as its secondary guns to its quick firing 76mm Oto Melara main gun, will be fitted to the ship's port (left) and right (starboard) side, Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic, said.

He added that the weapons will be fitted to the ship by American armament specialists in the ship's Subic Bay, Zambales homeport.

The guns were supposed to be installed by a private shipyard but the costs was too expensive, prompting the Philippine Navy to seek US assistance.

The ship was commissioned last Nov. 22 at Manila South Harbor after which, was immediately deployed to help in the ongoing relief efforts for "Yolanda" battered Tacloban City.

The BRP Ramon Alcaraz arrived in the Philippines last Aug. 6 after a two-month voyage from the United States.

Fabic said that having the two "Bushmaster" auto-cannons in BRP Ramon Alcaraz's arsenal will greatly enhance the vessel's capability to deal with targets coming fast and too close to ship to utilize its 76mm cannon.

Military sources said the weapon was commissioned by the US Navy following the terrorist attack on the USS Cole in 2000. It was designed to counter high-speed maneuvering surface targets and will be installed in almost all US surface ships by 2015.

The remotely controlled chain gun system can fire as many as 180 25mm rounds per minute at targets as far as two kilometers.

The new weapons systems are upgraded versions of the Mark 38 M242 "Bushmaster" that were removed from the vessels prior to its turnover to the Philippines.

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Philippine Navy frigates, choppers: Essential in maintaining Philippine sovereignty

Philippine Navy flag-officer-in-charge Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano has said that its frigates and naval helicopters are essential in maintaining the country's sovereignty.

He made this statement during the sidelights of the commissioning ceremony of the Navy's three latest AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" helicopters.

These helicopters, along with two armed versions coming by the third quarter of 2014, are worth around P1.33 billion.

"All of these (frigates and naval helicopters) are essential to ensure that we are able to secure our sovereignty (and) protect our national interest," Alano stressed.

He pointed out that these naval assets are also very useful in maintaining regional security and ensuring that there is peace and stability in the region.

The PN chief earlier said that the AW-109s will greatly extend the patrolling and monitoring capabilities of the two Gregorio Del Pilar class frigates in service.

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Philippine Navy Air Group gets much-needed boost with the arrival of 3 AW-109s

The Philippine Navy said the number of flyable assets of its Naval Air Group (NAG) is getting a much-needed boost with the commissioning of the three AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" helicopters on Thursday.

The Navy's AW-109s arrived at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City at around 1:25 p.m. Wednesday after a short flight from Sangley Point Naval Base in Cavite.

The newly-acquired air assets were flown to Camp Aguinaldo in preparation for their commissioning ceremonies Thursday morning.

Prior to this, the NAG only operates one Robinson R-22 helicopter, Blohm B0-150 helicopter, two Islander aircraft and four Cessna light utility planes.

With the arrival of the three AW-109s, the number of flyable assets of the NAG has increased to 11.

NAG pilots, who were trained to fly the AW-109s in Cesto Calende, Italy, said the AgustaWestland aircraft is very much suited for a rotary wing machine.

They added that the AW-109s is very maneuverable and very ideal for shipboard deployment.

The AW-109s will be deployed to increase the range, surveillance and detection capability of the two Gregorio Del Pilar class frigates in Philippine service.

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Philippine Navy modernization going at a good clip

With the arrival of its Hamilton-class cutter, BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) and three of the five AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" helicopters, and signing and bidding of major ship contracts, the modernization of the Philippine Navy (PN), the force mandated to protect the country's vast maritime domains, is going on a good clip.

Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic said they are very excited with the way things are going for the PN which for decades has sadly lagged behind its other Southeast Asian counterparts.

But with the arrival of the BRP Ramon Alcaraz last Aug. 6, after a two-month voyage from the United States, and commissioning last Nov. 22 and delivery of the three AW-109s last Dec. 8, Fabic said that the maritime domain awareness capability of the PN was greatly boosted.

Contract for the naval helicopters were signed last Dec. 20, 2012.

The arrival of these assets also ensures that BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-15), the country's first Hamilton-class cutter, will no longer have to do maritime sovereignty patrols in the West Philippines on her own.

The ability of the PN to protect the country's vast waters will be greatly increased once the combat versions of the AW-109s, the last two of the five ordered for P1.33 billion for AgustaWestland, arrives in the third quarter of 2014.

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Philippine Navy's second frigate to arrive by August

MANILA, March 2 (PNA) -- The Philippine Navy's (PN) second frigate, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16), is slated to arrive in August, not April as earlier stated.

The extra five months can be attributed to the commissioning requirement of more intensive training for its crew before the vessel can be taken out of its North Charleston, South Carolina naval facility.

"Latest estimate is August of this year as the crews' training more requirement is more intensive now," PN spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic said.

The BRP Ramon Alcaraz has more sophisticated weapons and sensors that its sister ship, the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-15).

She was also fitted with Mark 38 Model 2 "Bushmaster" auto-cannon and a new main engine, making her more capable than her sister ship.

Around USD5 million was spent by the PN for the upgrade.

The former USS Dallas (BRP Ramon Alcaraz) was a high endurance cutter commissioned in 1967 at the Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans.

She was the sixth ship or boat to bear the name of Alexander J. Dallas, the Secretary of the Treasury under President James Madison (1814–1816).

The ship is one of twelve Hamilton-class cutters built for the US Coast Guard.

It weighs 3,250 tons, has a length of 378 feet, beam of 43 feet, and draft of 15 feet.

Its propulsion systems consist of two diesel engines and two gas turbine engines, giving it a top speed of 29 knots.

The ship has cruising range of 14,000 miles and has a sea and loiter time of 45 days.

It has a complement of 167 officers and men.

The ship was originally equipped with an AN/SPS-40 air-search radar Mark 92 Fire Control System and armed with one Oto Melara Mark-75 76-mm gun, Two Mark K-38 25-mm machine gun system, two Mark 36 SRBOC systems, one Phalanx CIWS missile defense gun, along with multiple mounted M2HB .50-caliber machine guns and M240 7.62-mm machine guns.

Under Philippine service, all of the above-mentioned weapons and sensor systems were removed with the exception of the Oto Melara Mark-75 76-mm main gun.

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Philippine News Agency | March 2, 2013 | Article Link

US holds back Philippine military aid

Philippines told to stamp out extrajudicial killings

MANILA, Philippines - The United States’ assistance to the Philippine military that the US Congress continues to withhold until the government meets certain conditions related to solving and prosecuting cases of extrajudicial killings already amounts to $13 million for the past five years.

The US embassy in Manila yesterday said that the US Congress is withholding $3 million in Foreign Military Financing from the Philippine government in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012.

“To obtain these funds, the Philippine government must demonstrate it is continuing to take effective steps to implement the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings; strengthening government institutions working to eliminate extrajudicial killings; investigating, prosecuting, and punishing military personnel and others who have been credibly alleged to have violated internationally recognized human rights; and ensuring the Armed Forces of the Philippines is not engaging in acts of violence or intimidation against members of legal organizations who advocate for human rights,” the embassy said in a statement to The STAR.

Withholding by the US Congress began in 2008, and was carried out as follows: FY 2008 - $2 million, FY 2009 - $2 million, FY 2010 - $3 million, FY 2011 - $3 million and FY 2012 - $3 million.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippine government has made significant strides in terms of protection and promotion of human rights.

“And yet the amount remains conditioned to date,” DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said.

In some countries where there are widespread concerns over human rights, Hernandez pointed out that the US government executed a national security waiver to release the conditioned funds but this is not applied to assistance for the Philippines.

US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. said during the first Kapihan sa Embahada on Thursday that there is still no indication that the US Congress would remove a congressional hold on a portion of its aid to the Philippine military until significant progress has been made in prosecuting those responsible in extrajudicial killings.

Washington also urged the Philippines during the second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva last month to take additional measures to ensure that the military exercises full control over Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Units and the police over Civilian Volunteer Organizations, holding these units accountable for the Philippines’ obligations under international human rights law.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario denied allegations by the US embassy that the Philippines has not satisfied the criteria set by the US Senate Committee on Appropriations for the lifting of the withholding element on a portion of assistance to the Philippine military.

In his speech on May 2 at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, Del Rosario said the Philippines has “effectively taken such steps” and there has been a significant decline in extrajudicial killings and a strong policy environment in place that institutionalizes respect for and sensitivity to human rights.

He stressed that warrants of arrest have been issued against high profile suspects such as retired Army Gen. Jovito Palparan and former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes and at least 198 suspects have been charged in the Maguindanao massacre.

A portion of the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) allocation for the Philippines has been conditioned since 2008 on the issuance of a report from the State Department on the human rights situation in the Philippines.

The Philippines appealed in January to remove the “withholding element” on a portion of its assistance to the Philippine military by the US Congress, saying the perception of worse human rights situation in the country is not factual.

Del Rosario met last Jan. 14 with members of the US House Appropriations Committee who were in Manila for a visit and discussed bilateral issues including defense, security development assistance and good governance.

Second Navy ship

Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy said that the second warship to be acquired from the US would cost more than the BRP Gregorio del Pilar since the government had to buy weapons and accessories that were stripped from the vessel.

The Navy purchased weapons and communication systems for the second warship after the US had turned down a request by the Philippines to include these features in the vessel.

The government spent P400 million to acquire Gregorio del Pilar, the first warship provided by the US to the Philippines last year.

Navy chief Vice Adm. Alexander Pama could not tell how much had been spent for the accessories of the second warship, which will be renamed BRP Ramon Alcaraz, but admitted that the transfer costs, training and other expenses would definitely exceed P400 million.

 

A second warship was turned over by the US Coast Guard to Philippine officials last May.

The government has allotted P8.8-billion worth of Malampaya funds for the military’s capability upgrade effort.

More than P5 billion of these funds have been released while the rest will be handed down this year.

About 90 Navy officers and personnel are now in Charleston, South Carolina to undergo training on how to maneuver the ship.

He said the Navy would also tap the Malampaya funds to acquire three helicopters to be used to conduct aerial surveillance and to support the warships when conducting security patrol.

He said the acquisition of Ramon Alcaraz would improve the Navy’s capabilities while enhancing its maritime domain awareness.

The Ramon Alcaraz was named after a torpedo boat commanding officer during World War II. It is a high-endurance cutter and has features similar to that of Gregorio del Pilar and was largely used by the US Coast Guard for drug and migrant interdiction, law enforcement, search and rescue, living marine resources protection, and defense readiness. The ship can accommodate up to 180 officers and sailors.

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Pia Lee-Brago | The Philippine Star/ABSCBN News Online | June 23, 2012 | Article Link

Philippines eyes purchase of third warship, plus three naval helicopters

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is planning to purchase a third warship and three naval helicopters to bolster its maritime defense capabilities in a region increasingly wary of China's looming presence.

The Philippines currently has one warship in its possession, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar. Another warship, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, is expected to arrive in the country later this year.

Apart from a third warship, the Philippine Navy said it was planning to purchase three "marinized" naval helicopters to complement its available warships.

No definite date has been set, but Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama told reporters Friday the plan is to buy these using funds generated from the Energy department's Malampaya project.

 

Pama, in an interview with reporters at the Air Power Symposium in Pasay City, said the three will eventually be attached to the Hamilton-class cutters purchased from the United States. 

"Our budget is set for three [helicopters] since domain awareness calls for helicopters on board; that’s why in our program there are three helicopters [for] three Hamilton Class [ships]. One is to one," Pama explained.

At the moment, officials are busy preparing for the arrival of the second warship, BRP Alcaraz. A 90-man crew from the Navy has been in Charleston, South Carolina since April for training and repairing of the ship.

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 Abigail Kwok | Interaksyon.com | June 22, 2012 | Article Link

updated

Philippine Navy needs bigger warships

WASHINGTON D.C. - A ranking Philippine Navy official said they will need more and bigger ships to protect the nation’s maritime borders miles away from one of the longest coastlines in the world.

Rear Admiral Jose Luis Alano, Philippine Fleet (PhilFleet) commander, said the country has no choice but to acquire ships like the US Coast Guard’s Hamilton-class cutters because of seasonal changes in the South China Sea that make it treacherous to smaller vessels about half of the time each year.

Alano and Armed Forces chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa formally accepted delivery of the USCGC Dallas, the 378-foot, 3,250-ton sister ship of the Hamilton that was turned over to the Philippine last year and rechristened the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, during formal rites in Charleston, South Carolina May 22.

Bigger ships, especially like the high-endurance, all-weather Hamilton-class cutters, can sail through huge waves and stay longer at sea, he explained.

He downplayed reports that like the Hamilton, the US had stripped the Dallas of its advanced weapons and electronic equipment despite a request from Philippine officials last January to keep them. They retained the 76mm Oto Melara but removed the 2 Mark 38 25mm cannons and the more sophisticated sensors.

Alano told the Manila Mail that since the Dallas underwent its last major retrofit in 1988, many of the machinery and equipment aboard needed replacement anyway.

He added that the Philippine Navy is buying its own Mark 38 “Bushmaster” chain guns that can spew 200 rounds per minute to distances of as far as 6 kilometers. One will be installed on the Dallas (to be rechristened BRP Ramon Alcaraz) and the 2nd will be installed on the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, after the Dallas arrives in Manila sometime in November.

Alano revealed they are also putting in new surveillance and command and control equipment. “This is part of arrangements when the vessel’s capabilities will be upgraded,” he explained. The equipment is being procured on “cash basis” under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

But he admitted their bigger concern is how to sustain the naval modernization after decades of neglect. He said the development of a private-sector defense industry is crucial to the military’s long-term plans to build a credible defensive deterrent.

That is why they are excited about an ongoing acquisitions of Philippine-made 65-foot Multi-Purpose Attack Crafts (MPACs). A local company is constructing them, borrowing technology from Taiwan and Sweden. The MPACs have a top speed of 48 knots.

Although they are not exactly the “big ships” the Philippine needs to operate in the disputed parts of the South China Sea, Alano said the deal can kick-start a modest but home-bred naval defense industry. In the US, he noted, private companies – not the military – are the most active proponents of military modernization and are not timid about lobbying the Pentagon and Capitol Hill for funding.

A domestic defense industry would also help create demand for workers that have the skills needed for staffing a modern military. Alano explained that unlike ground forces, the Philippine Navy will need to recruit and train additional sailors who can operate the electronics and complex gadgets standard to most new warships.

He said they plan to buy up to 40 MPACs but most of them will go to replacing older patrol crafts that have become too expensive to maintain.

Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the government will award 138 contracts worth about P70 billion (about $1.2 billion) before July to boost military modernization.

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Rodney Jaleco | ABS-CBN North America  | June 1, 2012 | Article Link

Navy exec says size of Philippine warships shouldn’t matter

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City—The American vessels that the government bought and turned into warships may not have impressed a public awed by modern Chinese ships now guarding the contested Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

But Vice Admiral Alexander Pama, Navy flag officer in command, on Saturday said the vessels’ size and age should not really matter. He said the Navy is upgrading its technology, not in response to the standoff at Scarborough, but as part of a scheduled upgrade that was started several years ago.

Yet improving the Navy’s technology also requires enough time for its personnel to familiarize themselves with modern equipment, he said, after addressing the cadets comprising the Philippine Military Academy’s “Gabay-Laya” Class of 2016.

“Even if I had all the money in the world, I myself will not be getting all the top-of-the-line equipment [immediately] … the reason being there has to be some form of transition. You are used to riding a bicycle or a tricycle and suddenly you buy a Mercedes Benz,” Pama told the Inquirer.

In his speech, Pama said: “The constant challenge we face, as with the rest of the other branches of service, is the urgent need for our capacity-enhancement and capability-building in the face of regional and transnational threats.”

Amid scarcity of resources, he said the government had found ways of securing the cutters BRP Del Pilar PF-15 and BRP Alcaraz PF-16, which would be commissioned in December.

He said the government is also buying frigates and has improved the country’s coast watch systems.

“There has to be a sort of transition for our people to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills and that’s even more important than acquiring anything else,” he said.

When asked, Pama said public impressions were correct about the Navy’s outdated equipment.

He said the shoal standoff had drawn policymakers to the demands of beefing up the country’s fleet.

“Admittedly, the military did not receive proper attention for a while, which is understandable because the government has other priorities,” he said.

The new warships were former US Coast Guard vessels, which were outfitted and sold to the Philippines without their weapon systems.

Pama said these vessels “serve our purpose, the purpose being the size of the ship [enables the Navy] to bring it to patrol areas when before, navigating these seas had been difficult for the older vessels.”

“Just because [these vessels are] X number of years, it does not mean they are useless. They are not,” he said.

“The size of the ships conforms with our operational demands. It’s not that new but then again, it’s an easier step to transition into the necessary skills [for operating modern vessels],” he said. 

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Vincent Cabreza | Philippine Daily Inquirer | May 27, 2012 | Article Link

Cutter Dallas officially turned over to Philippines

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) -- The US Coast Guard Cutter Dallas has officially been turned over to the Philippines.

In a ceremony Tuesday, more than 100 military personnel and visitors came to the pier at the old Charleston Navy Base. 

As the U.S. Flag lowered, the Coast Guard crew exited Cutter Dallas for the last time.

"It's a bitter-sweet day. It's with sadness that we decommission a ship that has served us so faithfully," Rear Admiral John Korn, assistant commandant for acquisition said. 

The ceremony included a passing of a spy glass by commanding officers, which is a tradition. 

It was followed by a handshake and the formal signing of the certificate of delivery. 

"I have mixed emotions while we do this," Korn said. "We are getting new assets to replace this classic cutter, so we're very excited about that. I served aboard this cutter first year out of the Coast Guard Academy in 1979, so I got some feelings for this ship."

Filipino Navy Captain Ernesto Baldovino says the high-endurance cutter will support Philippines' security and development purposes. 

"I'm very proud. I was the commanding officer selected by the workers, and it's good to serve my country," he said.

Under its new ownership, the vessel has changed names. The cutter is now called Ramon Alcaraz, after a former naval officer in World War II.

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Lia Sestric | ABC News 4 Charleston | May 23, 2012 | Article Link

Gazmin assures Navy of brand-new gear, assets showcased on Navy Day

MANILA, Philippines - Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Tuesday assured the military once again of the government’s commitment to speed up the procurement of brand-new assets included in the 138 contracts of the 5-year modernization projects for territorial defense.

“The deadline that we’ve set for ourselves for the approval of all these contracts is on July 31, 2012. These projects would surely afford the Philippine Navy with brand-new and ready-for-sea vessels and air assets for its surface, sub-surface and air operations, along with the operational requirements of the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Army,” he said at the Navy’s 114th founding anniversary at the major service headquarters in Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

Gazmin said 58 of the projects were already approved. The Aquino administration was working with a P70-billion budget to modernize the military. The government has been eyeing naval and air assets from other countries after President Benigno Aquino III dropped the idea of buying secondhand F-16 jet fighters from the US.

Navy Day features new PH-made assets

The Philippine Navy, meanwhile, showcased new, Filipino-made attack craft and disaster-response vehicles as additions to its assets and as proof of Filipino skills and ingenuity.

Gazmin led the blessing of the new Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) and two Multi-Purpose Disaster Response vehicles during the Navy's 114th founding anniversary. The new assets are all designed and built entirely in the Philippines.

The MPAC is designed for rapid deployment and insertion of troops during special operations. Equipped with caliber 60 50 machine guns, the MPAC can seat up to 21 persons. 

Its hull is made of wielded aluminum and has a speed of up to 35 knots. This light water jet-propelled attack boat can also operate in shallow waters and conduct surprise raids and maneuvers and landing of troops on sandy and rocky beaches. The MPAC can be deployed anywhere in the Philippines.

The Multi-Purpose Disaster Response vehicle, meanwhile, is amphibious and can seat up to 20 persons.

Navy Flag Officer in Command (FOIC) Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said the MPAC is just one of three attack craft scheduled to arrive this year. This, he said, is still part of the AFP modernization program.

More assets

Pama said that a "work in progress" is the planned acquisition of new warships in addition to the BRP Gregorio del Pilar that was acquired last year. He was referring to the second Hamilton-class cutter from the US Coast Guard, to be renamed to BRP Ramon Alcaraz. 

"Also, a work in progress is the planned acquisition of a couple of frigates, five naval helicopters, the continuing expansion of our coast watch system, and other capability upgrade projects," Pama said.

Gazmin said a self-imposed deadline has been set on July 31 of this year for the approval of these contracts.

"These projects would surely afford the Philippine Navy with brand new and ready-for-sea vessels and air assets for its surface, sub-surface and air operations, along with the operational requirements of the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Army," he said.

Still, Gazmin stressed that the Philippines is anti-war.

"I would like to make it clear that we shall always abide by our constitutional mandate that 'The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy,'" he said.

Second cutter due in November

Also in his speech, Gazmin mentioned the transfer of the P450-million second Hamilton-class high-endurance cutter (USS Dallas) from the United States government to the Philippine government. But Gazmin admitted the vessel was stripped of its weapons, just like what the US did to the first Hamilton, now christened as the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, acquired last year by the Navy from the US Coast Guard. The second Hamilton, to be renamed BRP Ramon Alcaraz is expected to arrive in November for commissioning in the following month.

“This is a very encouraging development for the enhancement of the operational capability and readiness of this command (Navy),” said Gazmin, noting the speedy reaction of BRP del Pilar to the Panatag Shoal on April 10.

“I’ve been very well aware of our Navy’s continuous surface patrol operations, especially over the long stretch of the West Philippine Sea. And it did not surprise me to learn that last month, our man of war, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, was the first to arrive at Panatag Shoal and reported the developments on the activities of the intruders therein,” he added.

But two Maritime Surveillance Ships of China blocked BRP del Pilar from apprehending the 8 fishing vessels loaded with giant clams, corals and different kinds of marine species, leading to the standoff that extends up to the present.

Three days later, the BRP del Pilar withdrew to Poro Point in La Union because, according to military sources, it would be embarrassing for the country if China will deploy its own gunboat at the shoal to confront a weaponless patrol boat of the Navy.

The Philippine government has no option against the military might of China but to engage the latter through diplomatic negotiations to reduce the tension and to bring the territorial row to the international tribunal in order to determine which country really owns the shoal. The shoal is about 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales and thus it is well within the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines as provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations. 

Nevertheless, it becomes incumbent upon us to be able to defend and secure the sovereignty of our state and the integrity of our national territory against those who wish to dishonor it,” Gazmin said.

China is also aggressively claiming the whole Spratly Islands. Besides the Philippines and China, the other claimants are Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

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Jaime Sinapit/Abigail Kwok | InterAksyon.com | May 22, 2012 | Article Link

2nd US warship sold to Philippines also stripped of guns

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Washington has turned down Manila's request to retain the entire weapons system in the second US Coast Guard cutter the Philippines is acquiring from the United States.

Top Filipino military officials flew to the US last weekend for the ceremonial turnover on May 23 of the 378-ft USCG Dallas in North Charleston, South Carolina.

According to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, the second cutter will also have most of its weapons removed as happened with the first cutter acquired from the US by the Philippine Navy last year.

In the case of what is now the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, all its weapons were removed except for a 76-mm Oto Melara automatic cannon.

In a meeting in Washington on April 30, Gazmin personally asked his counterpart, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, to keep the USCG Dallas in its original state and to restore the weapons that were removed from its sister ship, the Gregorio del Pilar.

The Gregorio del Pilar is currently the biggest and most modern warship in the Philippine Navy fleet which still relies on World War II-vintage vessels.

Symbolic turnover

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Jessie Dellosa and Philippine Navy Fleet commander Rear Admiral Jose Luis Alano will take possession of the Dallas during a symbolic turnover on Wednesday.

The vessel will be renamed the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, after the World War II hero and former fleet commander, and will be under the command of Navy Captain Ernesto Baldovino.

In April 1942, Alcaraz was commander one of the Philippines' three torpedo boats that shot down three of nine attacking Japanese fighter planes.

After the turnover, the Philippine Navy crew will undergo training before they sail the ship home to the Philippines.

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Dona Z. Pazzibugan | Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network | May 22, 2012 | Article Link

Decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter Dallas being transfered to Philippine navy

 

After 45 years of service the Coast Guard decommissioned the Charleston-based Cutter Dallas on Friday, March 30, and now in another Charleston ceremony the ship will be transferred to the Philippine navy.

The 378-foot "High Endurance Cutter" will be transferred at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Pier Papa in North Charleston.

The ceremony will be presided over by Rear Adm. John Korn, assistant commandant for Acquisition.

"Since 1967, Coast Guard Cutter Dallas has served the American people well, from Vietnam and the Pacific to its final Coast Guard patrol in the Mediterranean, where the crew interdicted 4,000 pounds of cocaine and 940 pounds of marijuana," said Korn. "As Dallas returns to the Southeast Asian waters that it plied at the beginning of its Coast Guard career, I know it will serve the Philippines as faithfully and capably as it served America."

The 378-foot cutter's main role was drug interception.

During the final patrol, the crew of the Dallas interdicted approximately 4,000 pounds of cocaine and 940 pounds of marijuana during two separate cases while patrolling the Caribbean Sea.

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The Digitel Charleston | May 18, 2012 | Article Link

AFP chief to receive 2nd US patrol ship

WASHINGTON D.C. -  Philippine Armed Forces chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa will formally accept delivery of the US Coast Guard high-endurance cutter USCGC Dallas in Charleston, South Carolina on Tuesday (May 22).

Dellosa will stay overnight here on Monday before flying to Charleston the next day. He will be met there by Rear Admiral Jose Luis Alano, Philippine Fleet commander, who is arriving there a day ahead.

The “Dallas” will be re-christened the BRP Ramon Alcaraz in honor of the Filipino naval officer who skippered the torpedo boat “Abra” that was among the first to engage Japanese forces at the opening days of World War II, shooting down 3 enemy planes in the sky above Manila Bay. He was later captured but survived the war, passing away in 2009 in Santa Ana, California.

She is the 2nd Hamilton-class all-weather patrol ship turned over to the Philippine Navy under a “hot transfer” arrangement with the US. The first ship BRP Gregorio del Pilar has been assigned to the Spratly Islands and recently figured in the stand-off with Chinese vessels in Scarborough Shoal.

The “Dallas” was launched in 1968 and initially served as an “ocean station”. She received her baptism of fire in Vietnam, providing fire support and interdiction of Vietcong smuggling boats.

The “Dallas” is equipped with an Oto Melara 76mm gun and two 25mm “Bushmaster” machineguns. However, officials tell ABS-CBN News that like the “Hamilton” the US is stripping down most of the modern gear aboard, especially the sophisticated radars and sensors, despite an appeal from top Philippine officials to keep the advanced equipment.

The BRP Alcaraz is not going home soon. It is scheduled to be refitted at the expense of the Philippine Navy. It is expected to arrive in the Philippines in the 3rd quarter of the year.

A Philippine Navy crew has been in the country for several weeks training aboard other Hamilton-class ships. This will be the same group that will take the BRP Alcaraz back to the Philippines.

This comes as the Pentagon today briefed the US Congress about China’s military modernization, especially growing indications that it was trying to extend its influence farther abroad.

Although China says it is spending $106 billion this year to upgrade its military – which is lower than US military spending – the report suggested they could be spending more than what they’re saying in public.

Philippine officials say they are setting aside $1.2 billion to buy new combat aircraft outside the US. The Philippines has expressed a desire to purchase a squadron of American-built F-16 Falcons but there have been questions about cost and the readiness of the Philippine Air Force for a quantum leap towards state-of-the-art planes.

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Rodney Jaleco | ABS-CBN North America | May 19, 2012  | Article Link

Second Hamilton class cutter to arrive by November

MANILA, Philippines—A second Hamilton class cutter will be turned over by the US Coast Guard to the Philippine Navy late this month, Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said Tuesday.

The 45-year-old retired seacraft will be turned over by May 22 or 23, Pama told reporters in a phone interview.

He said the ship could arrive in the Philippines by November after refurbishments, repairs and training of crew in the United States.

Transfer cost will be about the same as its sister ship, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which cost the Philippine government about P450 million, Pama said.

He said that just like BRP del Pilar, some equipment will be taken out from the newest ship to join the Philippine fleet.

Among those removed from the BRP del Pilar before its transfer to the Philippine Navy were the sensors, communications and electronic equipment and close-in weapon systems.

On the 70th commemoration of Fall of Corregidor Sunday, President Benigno Aquino III announced that the new Hamilton ship will be named BRP Ramon Alcaraz.

Alcaraz was a World War II hero who commanded motor torpedo boats, known as Q-boats.

The Q-112 Abra, manned by Alcaraz and his crew, brought down three of the nine Japanese “Zero” fighters attacking his boat, before being captured. In captivity, Alcaraz became head of the Prisoner of War camp in Malolos, making sure that his fellow POWs were kept hopeful and alive, said Aquino.

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Frances Mangosing | INQUIRER.net | May 8, 2012 | Article Link

Philippines' second warship to be named Ramon Alcaraz, World War II hero

CORREGIDOR -- President Benigno Aquino III said the country's second warship will be named after World War II hero Commodore Ramon Alcaraz.

During the 70th commemoration of the Fall of Corregidor on Sunday, Aquino said the best tribute that the country can offer to fallen heroes like Alcaraz is to build a nation capable of protecting itself.

The second Hamilton-class Cutter from the United States Coast Guard is scheduled to arrive in the country within the month.

Alcaraz, during World War II, commanded one of the country's three motor torpedo boats, known as Q-boats.

His Q-112 took down three of the nine Japanese "Zero" fighters before he was captured.

In captivity, Alcaraz headed the prisoner of war camp in Malolos to take care of his fellow POWs.

"For certain, many more Commodore Alcarazes will rise from the ranks of our military. We consider it our duty to ensure that their strength of spirit will be matched by boats, by weapons, and by sufficient training," the President added.

Aside from the second Hamilton-class cutter, Aquino earlier announced that four more combat utility choppers will be acquired by the Armed Forces in November.

He said more than a 100 defense articles will also be acquired under the AFP modernization over the next five years.

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Chichi Conde | InterAksyon.Com | May 6, 2012 | Article Link