Discussing the BRP Mariano Alvarez (PS-38) and the U.S. Cyclone-class Patrol Vessels

The Philippine Navy operates with its naval vessels serving through the years, with the ships coming from the Offshore Combat Force having discussed here as its large vessels define the branch's current capabilities in terms of operating sophisticated vessels obtained when the Revised AFP Modernization Program was initiated from 2013 up until to the present day.

In this topic, let us discuss a sole vessel of its own class within the Philippine Navy's Littoral Combat Force as the other vessels of its class in the United States Navy were recently retired and have the possibility to be added to their naval inventory shall it pushes through.

OVERVIEW

BRP  Mariano Alvarez (PS-38) docked at the portside. This is the single Cyclone-class vessel that the Philippine Navy currently has in active service. Obtained via DefensePH Forum Website.

Through the years, the Philippine Navy is undertaking a massive transformation to its organizational setup and capabilities as they are making improvements as they based their assessments on the DOTMLPF papers its brilliant personnel came up, with the number of procurement projects, budget proposals, construction of facilities, and recruitment of personnel is underway to sustain their growth in line to the objectives laid under the Revised AFP Modernization Program or the Republic Act. 10349.

It is at this period of growth that warships of both old and new are seen as viable options for the Philippine fleet to take, provided that they fit the mission requirements and other factors that the leadership made based on the DOTMLPF analysis they created, as it bears fruit multiple projects that the organization fully utilize presently, such as the Del Pilar-class Offshore Patrol Vessels and Jose Rizal-class Frigates that were discussed thoroughly on this website.

The ships that were just mentioned usually came in threes or in pairs, by which one can replace or augment together in protecting the country's maritime domain without disruptions, especially if one or more ships have undertaken preventive maintenance schedule or repairs and upgrades that will improve the overall capability of a warship in terms of its sensors and firepower, that is essential in safeguarding the country's territorial integrity such as the one currently taking place in the West Philippine Sea.

In this discussion, we will provide a story about a vessel within the Philippine Navy in which it is a class of its own, at least in its present sense as it actively serves the fleet in its full service as the other ships that comprise the country's naval fleet, and that may change as this single vessel may soon end up having a companion that will surely add the number of ships in its class.

Speaking of numbers, it is not surprising that the Philippine Navy is badly in need of warships, both new and used, as it went to the decommissioning spree where it put its old, Second World War-era vessels to rest without any immediate replacement for them as of this article's posting, with the hopes that the deals they currently materializing will push through eventually and start the required works of replenishing the fleet of renewed gray hulls of various age, size, and shape.

THE BRP MARIANO ALVAREZ (PS-38)

BRP Mariano Alvarez (PS-38) was seen moored alongside a Del Pilar-class Offshore Patrol Vessel.
(c) David's World 2011, obtained via Flickr.

Currently, the BRP Mariano Alvarez (PS-38) serves actively in the Philippine Navy's fleet as a lone class of its own, wherein it was once known as the USS Cyclone (PC-1), which was also the leading ship of its fleet during its service in the United States Navy from 1991 to 2000 until it was acquired by the Philippine Navy in 2004 which still serves its role until today.

The USS Cyclone Coastal Patrol Vessel was laid down June 22, 1991, in Lockport, Louisiana, by Bollinger Machine Yard and Shipyard, a shipbuilder known for building several vessels for the United States Coast Guard like the USCG-154 Sentinel-class Fast-response cutters and USCG-110 Island-class Patrol Boats which are mostly in active service within USCG fleet as of the date this article was published.

From its service life alone, one might say that it served more years in the Philippine Navy than it was with the United States, with its decade-long service with the fleet. Also, the BRP Mariano Alvarez is considered the oldest vessel among its class of ships, in which the Cyclone-class vessels that were decommissioned in the United States Navy are worth getting for the Philippine Navy to supplement the numbers further for its fleet to operate efficiently since they decommissioned older World War 2 era ships recently.

Before newer-built naval combat vessels like the Multipurpose Attack Crafts (MPAC) and the Jose Rizal-class Frigates, the BRP Mariano Alvarez (PS-38) was considered the newest and youngest vessel of its time, which is considered younger than the Jacinto-class Patrol Vessels that the Philippine Navy received from the United Kingdom in 1998 and the rest of the fleet which were basically old that time with most of the ships now already decommissioned from service.

Its operational achievements throughout its active service in the Philippine Navy were thoroughly reported and documented in several news outlets, such as this 2012 Sunstar article involving smuggled goods that were confiscated in Zamboanga Sibugay, where the officers and crew of BRP Mariano Alvarez successfully intercepted the questionable vessel, with its crew given the Bronze Cross Medal for the accomplishment.

Its other operational achievements involve multilateral naval exercises such as this 2018 four-day trilateral security exercises, wherein it took place in the City of Zamboanga involving neighboring countries Indonesia with its Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL) ship KRI Sura 802, and Malaysia with its Royal Malaysian Navy ship KD Pari, going alongside Philippines' very own BRP Mariano Alvarez PS-38.

With most of its operations described as it took place in Western Mindanao, particularly in Zamboanga City, it goes to show the performance of BRP Mariano Alvarez as a coastal patrol vessel that can deter littoral threats in the sea, especially given the situation that the seas surrounding the area, as well as in the Sulu Sea and Moro Gulf areas came with threats ranging from radical terrorists to economically-destabilizing smugglers that can give relief to larger ships into patrolling areas like the West Philippine Sea.

OTHER CYCLONE-CLASS VESSELS DECOMMISSIONED FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVY

Three Cyclone-class coastal patrol vessels patrolling in the Persian Gulf in 2015.
(c) U.S. Navy Photos, obtained from Wikimedia Commons.

Out of fourteen (14) Cyclone-class patrol vessels that were produced for the United States Navy, one is currently with the Philippine Navy as the BRP Mariano Alvarez, with the remainder being with the United States Navy (USN), with three vessels recently decommissioned from the latter, lowering the number of active ships in the USN further down to 10 units.

The three Cyclone-class patrol vessels that were recently decommissioned from the United States Navy were the USS Zephyr (PC-8), USS Shamal (PC-13), and USS Tornado (PC-14), all of which were based in Mayport, Florida, with the rest still assigned in the Persian Gulf, specifically based in Manama, Bahrain.

These three Cyclone-class patrol vessels aforementioned are considered younger than the BRP Mariano Alvarez PS-38,  as the USS Zephyr (PC-8) was commissioned to the United States Navy a year later than the then-USS Cyclone (PC-1) in 1994, with USS Shamal (PC-13) and USS Tornado (PC-14) originally entered service in 1996 and 2000, respectively. Having these ships may also mean extending their service further, with their performance and maintenance coming in parallel to the BRP Mariano Alvarez (PS-38), which is easier for the Philippine Navy to have from a logistical standpoint.

In the report provided by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), the Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, the fleet will be glad if they can acquire at least five (5) Cyclone-class coastal patrol vessels from the United States Navy. This means that three newly-decommissioned Cyclone-class vessels are not enough for the fleet to take and still lack at around 2 units more to complete the number, totaling it up to six units overall, lining it up to the rule of three principles.

The acquisition of at least five (5) Cyclone-class coastal patrol vessels from the United States Navy may still depend on the assessments of the fleet's Joint Visual Inspection (JVI) team that will determine the feasibility and condition of the decommissioned vessels to their extent of wear and tear during its service with the United States Navy before it is considered good to be acquired and to be turned over to the Philippine Navy for littoral security use.

Given the extent of operations that Cyclone-class vessels served during their active duty in the United States Navy, it will not be 100% that such vessels will be transferred to the Philippine Navy as some units may end up as sold for scrap or as a vessel on another navy that also sees interest into having these ships (even though the Philippine Navy has the great advantage due to BRP Mariano Alvarez's service in its fleet).

These newly-decommissioned vessels are something that the Philippine Navy direly needs as their fleet needs additional vessels that will add the number of active warships securing the country's long coastline, along with the territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone waters that surround the Philippine Republic.

SPECIFICATIONS

Click the image above to enlarge and see the details. Source.

The length and beam of the ship shown above are typical for a coastal patrol vessel, coming at around 51.62 meters and 7.62 meters, respectively. Its size, comparatively, is larger than the newer Parola-class Multirole Response Vessels that the Philippine Coast Guard currently obtains. 

Meanwhile, the vessels are roughly smaller than the World War 2-built Malvar-class Corvettes the Philippine Navy aims to decommission throughout the duration of the Revised AFP Modernization Program, which is from 2013 to 2028, obtaining its own length and beam of 56.2 meters and 10 meters, respectively.

Its propulsion system came with a Valenta 16CM Diesel Engine made by Paxman (which is now a subsidiary of MAN Energy Solutions-UK), with a rating of 3350 bhp @ 1500 engine rpm, and it came with 4 units per vessel, in which it can operate at the maximum speed of 35 knots. 

The maximum speed it can operate suffices enough at its size,  between the 25 knots provided by larger vessels like the Jacinto-class Patrol Vessels and Jose Rizal-class Frigates (albeit this also the cruising speed allowable for the Cyclone-class Coastal Patrol Vessels), and the approximately 40 knots provided by smaller vessels like the Multipurpose Attack Crafts currently employed by the Philippine Navy and Fast Attack Interdiction Crafts-Missile (FAIC-M), in which Israel Shipyard's Shaldag Mk. V is the primary contender in the project.

Regarding its superstructure material, meanwhile, it is interesting to know that it was built with 5086 Aluminum Alloy, long before Aluminum-built concepts came into discussions in Philippine Defense such as the Philippine Coast Guard's fully Aluminum-built BRP Gabriela Silang OPV-8301, which its current largest vessel to date, and Austal's participation to the Philippine Navy OPV project (although it will be steel-based construction with aluminum superstructure, which is their first one).

Having a capacity of carrying 39 personnel (including 30 crew) and only having 10 days of endurance, the patrol vessels are designed as intended on its function as a littoral security asset, limited near coastlines and territorial seas like the Sulu Sea area, in which with the added numbers that the Philippine Navy desires to have will relief better, capable ships that are required to do offshore security missions such as in the West Philippine Sea.

Summarizing the specifications as provided, the Cyclone-class coastal patrol vessels like the BRP Mariano Alvarez (PS-38) is just sufficient as it is designed to do, with adding similarly-capable vessels surely add the capability of the Philippine Navy in terms of dedicated coastal patrol assets, as the allocation of resources allow other vessels to be designated somewhere else, given the country's vast maritime domain that needs to be secured and covered.

KNOWING BOLLINGER SHIPYARDS

Fisheries research vessel NOAA OREGON II (R 322) in Miss Darby drydock at Bollinger Shipyard, Louisiana.
Image Source - Reddit.

This article will not be complete without understanding the shipbuilder behind the construction of the Cyclone-class coastal patrol vessels, which is a known contractor of different maritime agencies in the United States that looks in creating and maintaining small and capable ships of different agencies, from the United States Navy to the United States Coast Guard, down to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA (as seen above).

The company currently operates 14 shipyards, with 42 dry docks at its disposal, which are all essential to its operations as a repair and maintenance contractor, as well as a notable shipbuilder that produces small and medium vessels for different agencies of the United States government and eventually trickling down to the other users of different countries like the Philippines through its naval force.

Its beginnings started in 1946 when the shipyard was founded by Donald G. Bollinger in Lockford, Louisiana, the place where the Cyclone-class Coastal Patrol Vessels were built, and also where their business started by building barges and work vessels, as well as fishing vessels intended for small players at that time and also in-part thanks to the oilfield boom in their area that time.

It was not until 1971 that the company expanded its operations throughout the state of Louisiana,  by which they took a decade more until 1984 when they first won the contract with the United States Government for the construction of the 34 meter-long Island Class cutters for the United States Coast Guard, which it paved the way for more contracts from the government which included the vessels that may find its way to the Philippine Navy.

The company is still in operations today, receiving contracts from the United States government in producing newer ships for different government agencies like the United States Navy and Coast Guard, and in the repair and maintenance of ships that upkeeps the seaworthiness of vessels that helps the company keeping its profitability projections in check, and in enhancing their skills and reputation further as a known U.S. shipbuilder.

WHAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN

The Philippine Navy badly needs additional vessels that will help protect its maritime domains, particularly at the borders that came with multiple threats from local radical terrorists that endanger lives and peace situations in the south and the ever-capable regional adversary creeping in the western seaboard.

The planned acquisition of newly-decommissioned Cyclone-class Patrol Vessels from the United States Navy is just seen as one of the plans that the service branch sees in improving its capability, along with other projects that involve the purchase of submarines, corvettes, landing platform docks, and offshore patrol vessels.

This decision to go after these newly-decommissioned coastal patrol vessels is a logical one, especially with the Philippine Navy's current operating vessel, the BRP General Mariano Alvarez (PS-38), belonged to this same class of vessels that were decommissioned and is currently the sole country outside the United States that operates such type of vessel in its fleet.

The experiences that the Philippine Navy has in operating BRP General Mariano Alvarez (PS-38) served as an advantage for the country shall it pursue the acquisition of other Cyclone-class coastal patrol vessels, especially that it will relieve other better-capable vessels that it will be defending and securing other maritime areas of the country such as the Philippine (Benham) Rise and the West Philippine Sea.

All that is left is to let the time tell the outcome of this plan, especially in the idea of buying these decommissioned vessels, as the process of acquiring military assets usually come with uncertainty, with factors ranging from the country's economic performance to the government's taxation collection efforts play a role on how things will prefer to the implementation of the project.

Nevertheless, just as with other projects, this idea comes with hopes and aspirations that the Philippine Navy, along with the rest of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, will eventually modernize with its capabilities satisfied, personnel quota met, and military projects for weapons acquisition and facility building accomplished, all to obtain a minimum credible defense posture by the year 2028.

(c) 2021 PDA.

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Knowing the Philippine Navy's Jacinto-class Offshore Patrol Vessels

The Philippine Navy of today gets a bit more modernized than ever as it keeps on receiving more sophisticated and ever-capable vessels on its fleet which is something that is not available on its other vessels in existence before 2010 by which its fitted weaponry onboard comes with the obsolescence in time. 

The acquisition of this class of warship though was considered the significant first step for this military branch of the Philippine Armed Forces which comes at a necessity where it introduces new skillsets that may go handful with the number of ships that are getting commissioned to the fleet in the upcoming years.

OVERVIEW

Navy sailors embarking to the lead ship of its class the BRP
Emilio Jacinto PS-35. Image Courtesy to the Philippine Navy

Currently, the primary focus of the Philippine Navy is with the recruitment of additional personnel to man up the ships and sustain the operations of the naval forces, improving and enhancing its doctrine, training, facilities, reorganization, and other stuff that are usually discussed on multiple Philippine defense sites including this one especially in terms of purchasing multiple military assets that will improve and enhance the fleet's capabilities to uphold its mandate.

Some of the recent purchases of the naval component of the Armed Forces of the Philippines includes the Pohang-class Corvette BRP Conrado Yap, Jose Rizal-class Frigates, Offshore Patrol Vessels which are to be done in a deal with Austal, Corvettes, and Submarines, in which these prospective vessels for procurement are something that the Navy sees as a need for ensuring the security of the country's vast waters and its long coastline.

While these developments are a significant accomplishment that will help push the Philippine Navy to its greater capability, here comes a vessel which was purchased two decades ago wherein it comes with its own set of stories that came with it as it serves the fleet, the lessons it provides for the crew in terms of skillsets that may, later on, be a handful for the future personnel which will man the newer vessels of the fleet, and the capabilities it provides along the way.

Let it be known that it is considered the most capable vessel for the fleet at the turn of the century, as it comes with the highly understandable fact that the composition during those times consist of old, World War 2 vessels of which several are still in service today and needs replacement like the aforementioned projects in the process.

It is worth knowing more about these ships as these platforms play a factor that may set a foundation for a modernized Philippine Navy that is currently experienced along with the overall efforts of the Armed Forces for its Modernization efforts that have come with the idea for the Minimum Credible Defense Posture that deals both internal and external threats for better national security.

THE PEACOCK-CLASS OFFSHORE PATROL VESSEL

The ships serve within the British Royal Navy before its
transfer to the Philippine Navy after the turnover of
Hong Kong in 1998. Image Source.

The service of the Jacinto-class Offshore Patrol Vessels started as vessels serving the British Armed Forces through its Royal Navy as it patrolled what was once considered as a crown colony in Asia-Pacific which is definitely the City of Hong Kong, a place which is currently an Autonomous Region within the People's Republic of China - the one that does all of the incursion and provocations in the West Philippine Sea.

It was produced in 1981 as ordered by the British Royal Navy to the Hall Russell Shipbuilding Company in Aberdeen, Scotland wherein they built five hulls, naming the Peacock (lead ship of the class), Plover, Starling, Swallow, and Swift wherein it was meant primarily to be deployed to Hong Kong as a replacement to the older Ton-class Minesweeper that was produced three decades ago way back 1950s. 

From its production, the ships are gallantly protecting the Far Eastern Colony of Hong Kong which was then under the slowly-fading British Empire with two of the ships - HMS Swallow and HMS Swift getting transferred to the Irish Navy in 1988 as the Ciara and Orla, respectively with the remaining ships continuously doing its job until they hand over the country to the Chinese and the rest is history - with three vessels transferred to the Philippine Navy.

Its design goes sufficient to its function as a patrol vessel protecting a small territory in the Far East, by which it helped patrol the country's archipelagic waters later on as it fully augments the older vessels that the Philippine Navy obtained at that time as time gets by for the fleet to get more sophisticated vessels along the way.

Hence, its introduction to the naval component of the Armed Forces is something that serves as a stepping stone for the fleet's eventual modernization, later on, as its operation comes with challenges ahead with the sophistication of its guns creating problems with its function until things get figured out later on.

THE WARSHIPS SERVICING THE FLEET

BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36). Image obtained from
Offshore Combat Force Facebook Page.

Currently, three warships are serving in the Philippine Navy fleet under this class, continuously in active duty, and is in line with the rule of three in which one unit is preparing for its operations at sea, another unit is available for maritime operations, and a final unit returning from its active operations which it will undergo maintenance and repairs, preparing for its another set of duties.

The Jacinto-class Patrol Vessels are composed of the following ships - the BRP Emilio Jacinto (PS-35), BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36, as seen in the image above), and the BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS-37), all of which were from the British Royal Navy's Peacock-class warships that were once assigned in Hong Kong as a patrol squadron protecting the city before the 1997 turnover.

The BRP Emilio Jacinto (PS-35) is currently the lead ship of its class, wherein it was formerly known as the HMS Peacock (P239) in which was also the lead ship of its class that was launched in 1982 and commissioned in 1983 for the British Royal Navy, served 14 years in the Hong Kong Squadron until it was turned over to the Philippine Navy on August 4, 1997, and serve the fleet since then until the present day.

Just like the lead ship, the BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36) and the BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS-37) also served the British Royal Navy as part of the Hong Kong Squadron, known as the HMS Plover (P240) and HMS Starling (P241), launched in 1983 and commissioned in 1984 until it was decommissioned in 1997 (totaling 13 years in RN service), which in turn it was transferred to the Philippine Navy and serves at full capacity to this day.

From there, these three ships served most of their active duty in the Philippine Navy in which since 1997, each of the vessels served 24 years in the fleet, living through the periods when the fleet was composed of old, World War 2 vessels, up to the day this article published in which at this time, wherein the fleet now composed of modern vessels like the Jose Rizal-class Frigates, with the said old vessels mostly decommissioned.

SPECIFICATIONS

The ex Peacock-class OPV Specifications. Click to enlarge.

The ship's dimension, speed, and range suffice the needs back then for the requirement of having an Offshore Patrol Vessel in the fleet that serves as an augmentation to the old World War 2 vessels wherein several of such vessels are being put out from service recently as newer vessels are about to enter the fleet on the upcoming months or years.

Add to the mix regarding the weapons fit that these vessels obtain which at that time may be considered as a transformative development to the capabilities of the Philippine Navy as it departed from purely mechanical-operated weapons subcomponents to a bit modern one through the 76mm main guns that the Emilio Jacinto-class obtains, in which it will be proven beneficial upon the arrival of more modern warships in the Philippine Navy such as the Del Pilar-class Offshore Patrol Vessels and eventually, the Jose Rizal-class Frigates.

With regards to its dimensions, its length of 62.2 meters and the beam of 10 meters do suffice at the time it entered the Philippine Navy service as most of its vessels were consist primarily of small vessels or vessels that at par to its sizes such as the Rizal-class corvettes which were once the 67.41-meter long (221.2 ft) Auk-class minesweepers, with only the BRP Rajah Humabon being the largest combat warship of the Philippine fleet at the time at 93 meters (or 306 feet) long overall and 11.23 meter wide (36.10 feet beam), aside from large Landing Ship Tanks or LSTs in which, as the bulk of the fleet, were old and derived from the Second World War.

Future warships of the Philippine Navy like the soon-to-have Offshore Patrol Vessels will come as larger and more capable than these ex Peacock-class patrol vessels made by the British, with both types of warships augmenting each other in securing the wide seas that surround the Philippine archipelago against maritime threats that endangers the country's sovereignty and national interest.

To take some note, the Jacinto-class Offshore Patrol Vessels are considered younger than the ex-Hamilton-class cutters that the Philippine Navy currently operates (Del Pilar-class Offshore Patrol Vessels), and as nearly as young as the Pohang-class vessel that the fleet also operates with BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39) produced in 1986, two years after the last Peacock-class was launched in the drydock.

THE UPGRADES

The original upgrade plan for the Jacinto-class Patrol Vessels as screengrab in a
DRP Facebook Group Page thread. Image reference.

Just like any other vessels within a naval fleet, an upgrade introduced in a warship will specifically increase its overall firepower and capability of eliminating seaborne targets, reinforcing further the required security and protection that the country requires in deterring any threats that an opposition force or OPFOR, in case a war will be started in the seas that threaten the country's sovereignty and its citizen's way of living.

As seen on a screengrab above as shared by the members of the Defense of the Republic of the Philippines Facebook Group, it has known that the Jacinto-class Patrol Vessels can accommodate the short-range type of missiles, reminiscent of the SPIKE-ER now currently fitted onboard the MPAC Mk. 3s that the Philippine Navy now obtains, although these British made-ships came with concerns about top load as described above.

With the original plan scrapped, it seemed that the plans for upgrading these warships will just end there. As it turned out, the plans for the upgrade of these Jacinto-class Patrol Vessels still push through. Even though that it came in a different configuration than those subcomponents depicted and provided in the original upgrade plan wherein the process came with different phases such as in Phases 1, 3A, and 3B, all of which deal with sustainment, restoration, and upgrade of all vessels of the Jacinto-class in terms primarily to its firepower capabilities, and to keep these vessels in upright shape to operate.

To summarize the phases mentioned as it was linked to other defense pages that already discussed it in detail, it was taken note that Phase 1 of the project was bagged by QinetiQ Security and Defense Contractors based in Farnborough, Hampshire in the United Kingdom, wherein they provided an MSI Defence DS-25 Seahawk A1 RCWS with M242 25mm Bushmaster Naval Gun, alongside other components which primarily consist of different kinds of sensors and navigational systems. Meanwhile, Both the Phase 3A and 3B of the Jacinto-class Patrol Vessel came with different vendors, with the Phase 3A bagged by Ultra Electronics Ltd for the upgrade of BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36) and BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS-37), and Phase 3B bagged by a joint venture between Propmech and the Swedish-based Saab AB in which both winning bidders of these two phases provided sophisticated sensors, navigational equipment, repair of weapons such as the 76mm Oto Melara main gun, and in the case of BRP Emilio Jacinto (PS-35), a fully-capable and proper Combat Management System like the SAAB 9LV CMS. 

Having the Saab 9LV CMS on board BRP Emilio Jacinto (PS-35) makes it the second Combat Management System that the Philippine Navy operates, alongside Hanwha System's Naval Shield ICMS that is installed onboard the Jose Rizal-class Frigates.

Given the information provided, we have witnessed the progress of the vessel's upgrades, both planned and implemented, in which the materialized phases assured the Jacinto-class Patrol Vessel's continuity of its active service within the Philippine Navy, keeping and upholding its capabilities as part of the mandated duties and responsibilities of its crew that upholds national security through maritime means for the years to come.

SUMMARY

The Jacinto-class Patrol Vessels has served two navies and still operating actively as part of the Philippine Navy's Offshore Combat Force as it plays the role of securing the country's territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone waters in which it received multiple upgrades and maintenance-related perks throughout its serviceable life within the fleet.

For most of its first 14 years in service, these formerly Peacock-class Offshore Patrol Vessels were considered the prestige and influence of the British in its Far Eastern colony of Hong Kong, after all of its other colonies in the region declared their respective independence from this major European power that has influenced their society throughout the 18th, 19th, and the first half of the 20th Century.

As the old millennium draws to a close, the British Empire decided to end its influence in the region by returning the City of Hong Kong back to the Chinese government in July of 1997, rendering the retirement of the British Royal Navy's once-endeared protectors of the city known as the Peacock-class Offshore Patrol Vessels in which it was turned over to both the Philippine Navy and the Irish Naval Service.

Since then, the Philippine Navy received three ships of such type from the British, in which it was considered one of the sophisticated vessels that the fleet received at the time of its entry, especially when it was the first one that is fitted with 76mm Oto Melara Guns which eventually helped the fleet improve its skillsets required in attaining additional assets that are bigger and more complex than the Jacinto-class Patrol Vessels.

Currently, with the upgrades received in terms of armaments, sensors, and navigational equipment, the Jacinto-class Patrol Vessels are expected to serve actively in the Philippine Navy's Offshore Combat Force for the years to come, as the whole Armed Forces of the Philippines is still working to have better-equipped, more credible, fully modernized military with a minimum credible defense posture set until the year 2028.

(c) 2021 PDA.

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Thailand's Offshore Patrol Vessel Offer to the Philippine Navy

As the Philippine Navy keeps on modernizing its fleet of highly-capable vessels, it came with several shipbuilding companies interested in participating in the deal with the aims of getting and securing the contract, by which they will be obligated in building gray-hull vessels and eventually providing aftersales support whilst securing profit needed for the operations of the winning bidder.

Those suppliers usually came with the backing of their respective governments wherein forging contracts for the production of warships go beyond the obligation that arose between the supplier and buyer but rather, an opportunity to improve relations between two nations, let alone between two neighboring countries within the region.

ON THE NEWS

Royal Thai Navy's HTMS Krabi (OPV-551), built locally
with support from BAE Systems Support Ships of U.K.
(c) Wikimedia Commons 

As detailed on the March 4 report from the IHS Janes website, both the Philippine and Thai governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding that expands defense industrial cooperation between the two Southeast Asian countries, a significant step that may allow Thailand in showcasing their candidate vessel for the Philippine Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel and eventually selling them if they managed to win out the bid.

This news came along with the other development involving a similar agreement between the Philippine government and their Indian counterparts which also involves a Memorandum of Understanding that allows the latter to supply the former shall the contract which involves the bid for both the Philippine Army's Land-Based Missile System and the Philippine Navy's Shore-Based Anti-ship Missile System secured by India as they offered their Brahmos Supersonic Missile for both these projects.

To take note, it was widely discussed in the local defense community about the competitor of the Offshore Patrol Vessel acquisition project especially with Australia's offer with Austal's Cape-class derived vessel being the prime candidate to the project with its advantage being that it may be produced within the company's shipyard in Cebu, giving additional jobs that benefit the local population while at the same time providing defense necessities for the Philippine Armed Forces.

With Thailand joining the project, they are looking forward to securing this project as it may mean the debut of their own defense industrial complex as this may serve as the first known export of the Thai-made warship to a fellow Southeast Asian country, in the same manner to the Indonesians did when PT Pal Persero successfully delivered its two Landing Platform Dock vessels known as the Tarlac-class to the Philippine Navy consisting of BRP Tarlac LD-601 and BRP Davao del Sur LD-602.

In this discussion, let us discuss in-detail with regards the background of development for the current Thai Offshore Patrol Vessels in service, as well as the shipbuilding company that produced these vessels and also the design of the vessels in which it came with assistance and support from a known defense company in the United Kingdom that made the current standing of Thai shipbuilding possible to engage in the Philippine Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel bid.

THE THAI SHIPBUILDING COMPANY

Image: HTMS Bangpakong undertaking repair and maintenance procedure in Thailand's military shipbuilding drydock. Image Courtesy to Bangkok Post, by Apichart Jinakul.

Just like Indonesia, Thailand is also capable of producing its own warships starting with the Offshore Patrol Vessels, of which its design cue was derived from the original British variant of the vessel and also the one that the Thais are currently marketing to the Philippine Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel acquisition project as it will be competing with other bidders of the project such as Australia's Austal shipbuilding.

Its military shipbuilding came in the form of Mahidol Adulayej Naval Dockyard, which is in Sattahip District,  Chonburi province in Thailand which is situated southeast of Bangkok in the shoreline facing the Gulf of Thailand, adjacent to a nearby Royal Thai Navy base wherein warships like the Spanish-made HTMS Chakri Naruebet aircraft carrier is currently based.

The said naval dockyard is currently owned by Bangkok Dock Company, in which the Government of Thailand has full control through the Ministry of Finance with its board of members composed of senior naval officers with the Royal Thai Navy commander in chief served as a chairman that oversees operations of the company which involves the production of the Krabi offshore patrol vessels for their fleet.

The main specialty of Mahidol Adulayej Naval Dockyard, aside from building Krabi-class Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Royal Thai Navy, is to maintain currently-active warships of the Thai maritime fleet such as the Chinese-made HTMS Bangpakong seen in the image above in which it plays a significant role to maintain and repair such vessels and keep them functional for the Royal Thai Armed Forces, especially for its naval component to uphold their mandate before the Kingdom they serve.

Back to the discussion about the Bangkok Dock Company, it was worth mentioning that it was originally founded by a British entrepreneur in the mid-19th century (1865) with the original purpose of serving cargo vessels that came into Bangkok's ports for trade,  in which it is a far cry to its current naval-oriented operations with the current aims of expanding their market share across Southeast Asia, starting with the Philippines itself shall they bagged the contract for the project.

This Thai naval dockyard was named after the Prince of Songkla Mahidol Adulayej, father to both King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej that have ruled Thailand for the huge part of the 20th Century down to the first part of the 21st Century, of which he served in the Royal Thai Navy from 1912 to 1916 at the rank of Lieutenant and eventually at the rank of Captain before his resignation to pursue his goals.

Apparently, the Thai naval leadership had plans of adding facilities to this Naval Dockyard that can accommodate submarines as the country aspires to have such naval assets, in the same manner as the Philippine Navy currently pursuing its own submarines with the latest information involves a deal with the French as the Scorpenes are to be the likely candidate for the Philippine submarine procurement.

KNOWING BAE SYSTEMS SURFACE SHIP ITSELF AND ITS ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT

This British defense company is notable for manufacturing sophisticated military equipment such as the Eurofighter Typhoon (imaged above). Image Source.

To further understand the undertaking that made this deal possible involving Royal Thai Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessels like the HTMS Krabi, let us discuss further a partnership that Thailand's Bangkok Dock Company made with a foreign defense company by which it influenced the development of these naval assets that are currently being offered to the Philippine Navy through is Offshore Patrol Vessel acquisition project.

With regards to the foreign defense company, we are referring to the British multinational defense company BAE Systems plc which is a known global brand in producing sophisticated military weaponry primarily to both European and United States markets like the Eurofighter Typhoon (seen above) utilized in service of primarily European Air Forces such as the British Royal Air Force, the Spanish Air Force, and the German Air Force (Luftwaffe).

The company itself was formed after the British Aerospace plc (BAe) and Marconi Electronic Systems merged in November of 1999 when the former purchased the latter in the amount of £7.7 billion in which cemented its foothold as a known defense company until today, with subsidiaries operating under the BAE Systems umbrella such as the United States-based BAE Systems, Inc., and BAE Systems Surface Ships which is the one responsible for the production of River-class derived ships for the Royal Thai Navy.

The BAE Systems Surface Ships, or BAE Systems Maritime as it is known today, started as a joint venture between BAE Systems plc and VT Group on July 1, 2008, when it became operational as the BVT Surface Fleet and eventually became known as the BAE Systems Surface Ships when VT Group sold its stake in the shipbuilding industry joint venture to BAE Systems plc 15 months later, on October 30, 2009, effectively solidifying its organization with regards to shipbuilding.

From its inception, it has produced several naval ships intended for other countries like the Lekiu-class Frigates intended for the Royal Malaysian Navy, Nakhoda Ragam-class Corvettes for Brunei Darussalam's Navy in which it was sold eventually to the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut) as the Bung Tomo-class Corvette, and eventually the Krabi-class Patrol Vessels of Thailand which will be the highlight of the topic of this article.

THE KRABI PATROL VESSEL

Here are the specifications and other relevant information about the Krabi patrol vessels of the Royal Thai Navy. Image and screengrab reference as specified.

The Krabi patrol vessel of the Royal Thai Navy consists of these two vessels:

- HTMS Krabi (OPV-551)

- HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan (OPV-552)

These vessels made by Bangkok Dock Company is built with 100% steel in their structure, which is typical in maritime shipbuilding as compared to the Offshore Patrol Vessels offered by Austal in which it may come with a mix between having a steel hull and aluminum superstructure as opposed to the full Aluminum-based construction of vessels like the Cape-class patrol vessels of the Royal Australian Navy.

Given its specifications, the Krabi patrol vessel is seen as larger in its dimension as opposed to Austal's deal, wherein the Thai offshore patrol vessel is at 8meters longer at 90 meters as opposed to the Australian-built warships with 83 meters while there is a small difference on its width or "beam" in maritime parlance on both vessels, with the Thai-made vessel having 13.5 meters while the Australian offer has 13.3 meters.

The Krabi-class offshore patrol vessel also goes larger than the BRP Gabriela Silang of the Philippine Coast Guard, a full aluminum-made offshore patrol vessel of the agency produced by the French shipbuilder OCEA with a length of around 84 meters, currently the largest vessel in their fleet until the larger Japanese-made ships will be delivered with its design derived from the Kunigami-class patrol vessels of Japan Coast Guard. 

With regards to the design of the Krabi offshore patrol vessel, it closely resembles the Batch 2 River-class Offshore Patrol Vessel of the British Royal Navy, especially that both vessels were developed by BAE Systems Surface Ships, although there are slight variations between these two types of vessels with the different navies having their own military specifications and requirements which will see fit to their respective fleet necessities, with varying threats taken into consideration that will define the configuration of a warship, especially to its fitted weaponry.

As one might notice, the Krabi patrol vessel is fitted with a 76mm Oto Melara main Gun as opposed to the 30mm main guns seen fitted onboard the Batch 2 River-class Offshore Patrol Vessels of the British Royal Navy, while the Krabi's secondary armaments came in the form of 30mm MSI guns and the second warship on its fleet, the HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan, may get fitted with 2x4 Harpoon launchers will render it more formidable, even for an offshore patrol vessel.

Other specifications of the Krabi patrol vessels include its top speed of 25 knots which are made by 2 MAN 19V28/33D diesel engines, a 16-cylinder powerplant which has a power requirement that ranges from 5,000kw - 10,000kw per unit, totaling it at around 10,000kw - 20,000kw for a single Offshore Patrol Vessel such as the HTMS Krabi of the Royal Thai Navy.

With Krabi's design shared not only with the Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessels of the British Royal Navy but also with the Brazilian Navy and its Amazona-class offshore patrol vessels, there will not be much of a problem with regards to the reliability of such vessels shall a warship or a patrol vessel will be considered by the Philippine Navy for its Offshore Patrol Vessel Acquisition Project, competing with the likes of Austal's Philippine Navy OPV offer.

WHAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN

Austal's Offshore Patrol Vessel offer still has the upper hand on this acquisition project.
Obtained from Austal's video ad.

The offer made by Thailand's Bangkok Dock Company for an offshore patrol vessel is seen as a welcoming gesture, aiming at improving defense ties between the Philippines and its fellow Southeast Asian neighbor while getting the benefit on both sides in a sense that a buyer successfully obtained the tools it requires to have while the seller managed to make a sale from a deal while expanding its market at the same time.

While such an offer is seen as a good move from Thailand, let it be noted that they still do face stiff competition from other shipbuilding companies who wanted to bag the contract for the delivery of six offshore patrol vessels to the Philippine Navy, with offers also having its own weight of benefits that an end-user simply cannot resist as the perks define the value of the goods delivered from a fixed budget allocated.

To take note, Austal's offer is still seen as the top choice for the Philippine Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel Acquisition Project, as said by the Secretary of National Defense in his speech during the christening of BRP Antonio Luna FF-151 in which he cited Austal's established shipyard in Balamban, Cebu, as having them awarded to the Australian shipbuilding firm can also provide additional employment for aspiring Filipinos who wanted to join Austal while stimulating the local shipbuilding industry with these warships that one can say that it is really a Filipino-made naval vessel.

Despite Austal's current lead in the project, other shipbuilding firms that laid their offers on the table are still a welcoming aspect of competition in this acquisition project as an end-user like the Philippine Navy now has multiple options to consider by which the prospective bidder with the lowest and most responsive bid, wins just like in the provisions stated in the Procurement Law or R.A. 9184.

With this, we may look forward to the further milestones that the currently-materializing acquisition project of the Philippine Navy may bring, especially now that the fleet is now phasing its old World War 2-era vessels out of service with the aims of increasing the number of newer ships servicing the fleet as well as the desire of ever-increasing maritime capabilities, all for the Naval Defense of the Philippine Republic.

(c) 2021 PDA.

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Detailing Further the Spotted MQ-1C Gray Eagle in Zamboanga City

It is a fully-known fact that the United States Military deployed several of their known Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or “drones” as described by a typical citizen in the country especially in the City of Zamboanga which is perfectly situated in the Western part of Mindanao, covering much of the island group plagued with multiple insurgents primarily the radical Moro terrorists that seek to derail peace and order on this part of the country.

Furthermore, their presence has already been discussed in [our previous article] wherein additional details are also dealt on especially about the prospect UAV procurement projects that the Philippine Air Force undertook with their hardware originated from Israel.

In this article, we will discuss the MQ-1C Gray Eagle further as its recent spotting made by a netizen originated from the Ciudad Hermosa de Zamboanga clouts many comments on threads describing it as something other than the main one described even to the point that [other posters] created an unnecessary trivial content which leaves its viewers clueless about the platforms mentioned without diving into the details.

So, let’s get this one started.

THE VIDEO CLIP

Link for the actual video clip here.

On the video provided by the main poster named Charles Lee on a Facebook Group named Zamboanga Drone Enthusiast (Zambo UAV Club), the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was seen doing its final approach into the runway given its descending altitude and landing gear retracted down.

The video was taken from an urban area at the proximity of the runway which is currently shared by both the Zamboanga International Airport and Edwin Andrews Airbase which is the key Philippine Air Force installation in the region and also the one that sheltered several forces from the United States military that flies these UAVs.

On the comments provided on the main post on our Facebook page, their description of the aircraft ranges from the newly-procured Philippine Air Force Hermes 450 and Hermes 900 which are both procured from Israel’s IAI or Israel Aerospace Industries down to an absurd description of it being the MQ-9 Reaper UAV while others have it knowledgeably known it as it is.

While others have it almost-correctly describe it as the MQ-1 Predator, let it be known that there is a distinction between different variants of this Unmanned Aerial Vehicle wherein the difference can be clearly seen on its fuselage along with other details that will be discussed regarding this topic, giving insight about the tools employed by the United States military on its counterinsurgency assistance in the country.

Hence, this will provide the necessary information provided that will give its respective distinction that clarifies its difference from other Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in both the United States and the Philippines currently use, as well as getting more grasp on the capabilities that this surveillance platform possesses and its use in keeping peace and order in the country’s volatile southern part.

DISTINCTION

Click the image to enlarge.

Before discussing the MQ-1C Gray Eagle further, kindly observe in detail the difference between four images depicting four different Unmanned Aerial Vehicles as indicated above.

The first image on the top left originated from a Youtube Channel named Aviation News and Analysis is the cigar-shaped fuselage of the Hermes 450 from Israel Aerospace Industries or IAI in which the Philippine Air Force already received several of such units for their own fleet of surveillance aircraft, with its tail wing (rudder/elevator) portion pointed upwards with its size being smaller than the other following unmanned aerial vehicles.

The second image on the top right is from the Aviation International News website wherein it shows the Hermes 900’s design attributes wherein the UAV, just like its Hermes 450 cousin, is originated from the same manufacturer from Israel. 

While it has a bulge on the frontal part of the fuselage that may go similar to the MQ-1 Predator, MQ-1C Gray Eagle, and even the MQ-9 Reaper as it carries on its main components like its essential sensors, navigational systems, and controls received from a ground station, its main distinction goes similarly with the Hermes 450 as both UAVs shares similar upward tail wing which is different from the two other images depicting the MQ-1 and the MQ-1 Gray Eagle.

Both the Predator and the Gray Eagle belong to the same family of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles wherein they are produced by the United States’ General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, with the latter being an upgrade from the latter with the United States Army being its primary user to date.

At the surface, the physical difference that can be clearly seen between these two platforms are the bulge seen near the tail of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle aircraft which houses an improved power plant that keeps it flying, preferably at the capabilities far better than the original MQ-1 Predator obtains during its tenure in the United States Air Force.

Discussions in detail between the Gray Eagle and the Predator will be provided as we read along with this write-up to gather deeper information regarding the upgrades that integrated on the MQ-1C along with the discussion of the overall developments of the greater MQ-1 family of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles serving the United States Military.

THE DETAILS

The basic specifications of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, with armaments
and other features discussed separately. From FAS.org PDF file.

The details shown above provide an insight into the capabilities of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle possesses as far as its surveillance operation is concerned, giving real-time updates on the ground situation that helps give an advantage for an armed force such as those for the United States, in coping with its counterterrorism activities.

This type of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is capable to carry munitions, to be specific the AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles which is also a feature that its older cousin the MQ-1 Predator possess, wherein it gives its operators the discretion to fire on the target upright when it is needed, although not applicable in the Philippine setting since foreign parties can't engage directly on local-related affairs as prescribed on the 1987 Constitution. 

Its propulsion system is comprised of the Thielert Centurion heavy-fuel diesel engine which is basically the one that is being used on small civilian aircraft such as the Cessna 172 where the one was usually utilized for basic flying courses of aspiring civilian student pilots that seeks a career opportunity in the aviation industry as well as other Unmanned Aerial Vehicles like the TAI Anka of the Turkish Aerospace Industries which has the Centurion 2.0 engine as opposed to the Gray Eagle's 1.7.

Such an engine is different from what the Hermes 900 utilizes which is the ROTAX 914 of Bombardier Recreational Products which is a four-stroke, four-cylinder 114HP engine that has applications in multiple light helicopters and rotary aircraft which are actually can be found on earlier variants of the MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

With regards to its payload, it is known to be capable of carrying four AGM-114 HELLFIRE Missiles which makes the Gray Eagle lethal, wherein this missile was first produced with anti-armor use in mind until it became the known warhead that can blast high-value targets that came with the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and is also used in other platforms such as the U.S. Navy's AH-1W SuperCobra Attack Helicopter.

PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE'S EDWIN ANDREWS AIRBASE

A certain C-130H aircraft in Edwin Andrews Airbase as seen from
KCC Mall de Zamboanga - a preferred place for planespotters.
From Pitz Defense Analysis archives

After understanding the drones deployed in Zamboanga City, this discussion will not be complete without understanding the airbase in the city which it was deployed wherein it has a runway that was also shared by an adjacent airport nearby which serves as Zamboanga City's primary access to its other major cities and other hubs in the Philippines aside from its seaport which is just nearby its downtown area.

The airbase was formed on December 6, 1956, by the Philippine Air Force in the honor of Colonel Edwin Andrews who killed in an air crash on May 18, 1947, although the runway itself was older than the airbase itself, of which it was once named "San Roque Airfield" named after an adjacent barangay that the strip was constructed by the Japanese and eventually named as Moret Field by the personnel of the United States Marine Corps landed in the airstrip after Lieutenant Colonel Paul Moret, a World War 2 marine aviator wherein, like Andrews, was died in an air crash during the war.

Since its formation as an airbase adjacent to a nearby airport that shares a single runway, the Edwin Andrews Airbase serves as the main base of operations for the Philippine Air Force which its jurisdiction covering most of Western Mindanao, augmenting other branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines assigned in the area especially at the nearby Western Mindanao Command in Barangay Calarian, Zamboanga City in which its role gets more highlighted as this part of the country is known for operations involving Moro radical bandits and separatists as highlighted in recent urban-related conflicts of the 2013 Zamboanga Siege and the 2017 Battle of Marawi alongside jungle-based skirmishes that take place occasionally.

Its location in the country as well as in Southeast Asia is seen as an ideal military access point for both the airbase and the adjacent military command base as it has the proximity of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi on the southwest as well as on places like Maguindanao and Marawi a bit Southeast beyond Moro Gulf as well as the grasp of the Sulu Sea which borders Malaysia and also an area of concern for Indonesia, so much that Trilateral Air Patrol Operations between these nations and the Philippines took place on 2017.

With the ongoing counterterrorism operations that both the Philippines and the United States are fighting, as well as Mindanao still being the volatile part of the country with its ongoing peace and security concerns involving Moro separatists and radical bandit groups, Edwin Andrews Airbase can still be seen as an area for the United States to deploy their unmanned aerial vehicles such as the MQ-1C Gray Eagle which was a sight to see for the locals at the time it takes off and lands on that single runway it shares with Zamboanga International Airport.

TO SUMMARIZE THIS UP

Moret Field when it was captured by American troops after
Japanese Occupation. Obtained via Zamboanga de Antes
Facebook Group (member-only)

Given the usual sight of unmanned aerial vehicles from the United States military taking off and landing in the shared runway for both the Zamboanga International Airport and Edwin Andrews Airbase, one might not help to see the difference that those platforms have with the ones procured by the Philippine Air Force as they looked the same from an untrained eye.

With this comes additional information and details about the difference between unmanned aerial vehicles that both the Philippine Air Force and the United States military employs in which these assets have the primary aim of attaining surveillance operations as part of counterterrorism activities that these forces have that is essential in dealing, if not thwarting possible threats that the Moro separatists and terrorist bandits pose against the safety and welfare of the Filipino public in Mindanao.

As the Philippine Air Force obtain both the Israeli-made Hermes 450 and Hermes 900 Unmanned Aerial Systems, it may not be surprising if one may be seen on the airbase especially if a military operation of the Armed Forces requires the presence of these surveillance assets that augments the MQ-1C Gray Eagles that the United States already deployed there, in the essence that the ongoing counterterrorism efforts will be effectively carried out, eventually paving for the peace and development that the people of Mindanao deserves to have.

Alongside the current operations in the Edwin Andrews Airbase, its history is also worthy to have a discussion as it goes, along with Zamboanga International Airport, the essence of having an established presence of the Philippine Air Force in Western Mindanao that can be traced back in the 1950s with the runway being traced back before when it was a Japanese airstrip which was successfully captured by United States forces of which they still used it until today, alongside civilian airliners carrying people in and out of the city as well as military assets of the Philippine Armed Forces.

Hence, it will be a nice thing to see more of these platforms for as long as the United States military still have these surveillance assets deployed in the City which goes along with their counterterrorism efforts and also with the future prospects of having more air assets of the Philippine Air Force seen on the Airbase as their presence evokes the security and assurance that the citizenry needs on the volatile, southern part of the country.

(c) 2021 PDA.

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