Page 8 - ADAS 2024 - DAY 1

Philippines to Maintain Strategic Presence in Escoda Shoal

The Philippines will maintain a strategic Lopez said the pullout from the shoal The BRP Teresa Magbanua was built by
presence in the Escoda (Sabina) Shoal even doesn’t mean the country is giving up its Japan’s Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd,
after the return of the BRP Teresa Magbanua claim to the area, which is well within the part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).
from the area, retired Vice Admiral Alexander Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It is one of two ships ordered by the PCG in
Lopez, National Maritime Council (NMC) The Philippines will continue to maintain a contract worth US$132.57 million signed
spokesperson, has said. a presence in the area, including recon- in 2020.
naissance missions using aircraft and oth-
er technical capabilities, with the help of The design of BRP Teresa Magbanua,
The BRP Teresa Magbanua left the shoal the country’s allies like the US, Japan, and
after more than five months of deploy- Australia, Lopez said. (hull number 9701) is based on the Japan
Coast Guard’s own Kunigami-class Offshore
ment and arrived at its homeport in Puerto Patrol Vessel (OPV) but there are some
Princesa, Palawan, earlier this month. A Lopez added that the Philippines can moni- notable differences. While the Kunigami-
Chinese Coast Guard boat had rammed the tor Escoda Shoal with a single ship equipped class ships are 94 meter length, the Teresa
Magbanua while it was navigating the shoal with radar, noting that monitoring activities Magbanua-class ships for the PCG are lon-
several weeks ago. During her deployment can be augmented by additional assets from ger. Furthermore, a Bushmaster II 30 mm
at Escoda Shoal, BRP Teresa Magbanua the Philippine Navy (PN) and the Philippine chain gun or JM61 20 mm Vulcan six-bar-
challenged an encirclement by a larger flo- Coast Guard (PCG). The PCG will also soon relled cannon on Kunigami-class OPV is
tilla of intruders, battled inclement weather, send personnel to the shoal once the weath- absent on the new ships although they
with her crew surviving on diminished daily er improves, according to Lopez. The BRP have an improved helicopter operational
provisions, said NMC Chairperson, ES Lucas Teresa Magbanua will now be resupplied capability with the addition of a helicopter
Bersamin. and repaired. hangar that the Kunigami-class ships lack.

The Teresa Magbanua-class ships are 97
meter long, 11 meter wide, with a displace-
ment of around 1700 tons. Powered with
two 6,600 KW diesel engines that enable
them to have a maximum speed of 24 knots,
the ships are able to reach a maximum
range of about 7,400 km (4,000 nautical
miles) under a cruising speed of 19 knots.

This contract is part of the second phase
of the joint Japanese-Philippine Maritime
Safety Capability Improvement Project
(MSCIP) between the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the
Philippine Coast Guard. In the first phase of
the JP¥18.7 billion (US$172 million) Official
Development Assistance (ODA) project,
JICA transferred 10 44-meter Multi-Role
Response Vessels (MRRVs) to the PCG.
The last two ships were delivered in August
2018.

8 SEPTEMBER-25-2024 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/DAILY NEWS

21-09-2024 00:17:47
ADAS-Day-01.indd 8 21-09-2024 00:17:47
ADAS-Day-01.indd 8