PCG to get 40 vessels in deal with French shipbuilder
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will soon be beefing up its fleet with the addition of 40 fast patrol boats under a deal with a French shipbuilding company.
The PCG made the announcement on Friday, two days after the latest flare-up of tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), where the civilian maritime security force faces the increasing challenge of asserting the country’s sovereignty against China’s claims and acts of aggression.
A P25.4-billion contract for 40 units of fast patrol craft was signed on Tuesday between the Department of Transportation and the French shipbuilder OCEA, the PCG said.
The deal will be supported through a government-to-government financing agreement under the Agreement on Financial and Development Cooperation between the Philippines and France.
Maker of Gabriela Silang
According to the OCEA website, the model (FPB 110) to be delivered to the PCG is 35 meters long and can accommodate 17 crew members. “Versatile and easy to operate,” it can reach speeds of up to 28 knots to 35 knots and run for up to 1,296 kilometers (700 nautical miles) without refueling.
OCEA was the same company that delivered to the PCG the 83-meter BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8311) under a similar assistance program in 2019.
The signing of the deal came almost a month after PCG chief Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan announced that the PCG would also procure five more units of 97-meter multirole response vessels from Japan.
The five vessels will be of a model similar to BRP Teresa Magbanua, the PCG’s largest and most modern vessel. Their acquisition would be funded under an official development assistance loan from Japan worth P23.85 billion.
INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
Half to be done in PH
The new assets, according to the PCG, would help the government expand its operations amid “complex maritime challenges,” such as the growing maritime traffic, rising incidents of piracy, smuggling, illegal fishing and terrorism, as well as the geopolitical tensions in the WPS.
They will also enhance the PCG’s maritime presence and rapid response capabilities nationwide during disasters and other emergency situations, including humanitarian missions.
Half of the 40 units under the contract will be constructed in the Philippines, contributing to job creation and technology transfer in the local shipbuilding industry, Gavan said.
Latest water cannon attack
Present during the deal’s signing on Thursday ceremony were Gavan, Transportation Secretary Vivencio Dizon, French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel, and OCEA chief executive Oofficer Roland Joassard.
Earlier this week, a Philippine civilian vessel again became the target of Chinese harassment in the WPS.
A China Coast Guard (CCG) ship sideswiped and used its water cannon on a vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship which was then on research mission at Sandy Cay, a sandbar near the Philippine-occupied Pag-Asa Island.
In a statement Friday, the National Maritime Council (NMC) expressed grave concern what the CCG did to BFAR’s BRP Datu Sanday.
“(T)hese deliberate acts of interference and intimidation seriously violate the sovereignty of the Philippines and constitute a grave violation of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), and the relevant domestic laws,” the NMC said.
‘Blatant disinformation’
“It is deeply regrettable that while the Philippines’ lawful and routine maritime operations have not been provocative, these have been met by a pattern of coercive actions, unsafe conduct, and blatant disinformation by Chinese maritime forces,” it added.
“Appropriate diplomatic actions, multilateral cooperation, and maritime capacity-building will be undertaken and sustained to ensure the safety and effectiveness of Philippine maritime operations,” it said.
Despite the incident which put the lives of civilians onboard Datu Sayang at risk, the NMC said, the Philippines would remain committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes, while continuing to exercise its rights, protect its maritime interests, and uphold the mandate of its government agencies.
