MANILA,
Philippines - The second warship to be acquired by the Navy from the United
States (US) is expected to arrive by February, Defense Secretary Voltraire
Gazmin said Monday.
Gazmin said
US Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Locklear III gave him the assurance of the
second warship's delivery during their meeting in Hawaii early this month.
“Our new
ship will be coming sometime next year, about February. I met with Admiral
Locklear in Hawaii before I joined the trip of the president to Australia and
New Zealand. He assured us that the ship will arrive by February 2013,” he
said.
The
scheduled arrival of BRP Ramon Alcaraz in February is a month later than the
initial expectations.
During his
state of the nation address last July, President Aquino said BRP Alcaraz was
expected to reach Philippine shores by the end of January.
Gazmin said
the BRP Alcaraz is “a better conditioned water craft” than the BRP Gregorio del
Pilar, the first ship provided by the US last year.
“We have
sailors undergoing training [on how to maneuver the ship] and they will be the
ones who will bring the ship here from Charleston (South Carolina),” the
defense chief said.
Last year,
the government acquired its first Hamilton-class vessel from the US Coast Guard
to enhance the military’s external defense capabilities.
The ship,
which has been renamed BRP Gregorio del Pilar, has been deployed to the West
Philippine Sea to secure energy projects in the area. It is now the Navy’s
largest vessel.
The US,
however, stripped the ship of some of its accessories before it was turned over
to the Philippines.
Officials
earlier said that the BRP Alcaraz, the second warship to be acquired from the
US, would cost more than BRP del Pilar since the government had to buy weapons
and accessories that were removed from the vessel.
The ship was
named after Commodore Ramon Alcaraz, a Philippine Navy officer, who
distinguished himself during the Second World War when the patrol boat he
commanded shot down three Japanese aircraft.
BRP Alcaraz
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.
Meanwhile,
the military hailed the awarding of a contract for the purchase of modern
weapons system for BRP Alcaraz.
Armed Forces
spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said the weapon system would boost their
maritime security capabilities and enable them to guard the country’s
territory.
“This
acquisition will greatly and significantly contribute to the fulfillment of our
mandate which is to protect the people and uphold the sovereignty and integrity
of the national territory,” Burgos said.
“The system
acquisition will definitely help us in the enforcement of maritime laws and
support us in our fight against transnational crimes like drug trafficking,
human trafficking human trafficking piracy illegal fishing and poaching,” he
added.
On Sunday,
the Philippine embassy in US announced that the Pentagon has awarded a $1.8
million contract for the purchase of modern weapons systems for BRP Alcaraz.
The purchase
and installation of two Mk38 Mod 2 autocanon systems for the Alcaraz is part of
a $24-million contract the Pentagon recently awarded to the Kentucky-based BAE
Systems Land and Armaments Inc.
The
contract, which is covered under the Foreign Military Sales Program, involves
the purchase of 21 units of the remotely controlled naval gun systems and spare
parts.
The new
weapon systems are upgraded versions of the Mk38 M242 Bushmasters that were
removed from BRP Alcaraz prior to its turnover to the Philippines. The remotely
controlled chain gun system can fire as many as 180 25m rounds per minute at
targets as far as two kilometers.
(PhilStar)
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