Philippine Navy to Commission 2 Israeli Missile Boats
Jerusalem, 29 February, 2024 (TPS) -- MANILA, Feb. 27, 2024 (PNA)
The Philippine Navy announced on Tuesday that it would commission two fast attack interdiction craft (FAIC) equipped with the Israeli-made Spike NLOS (non-line of sight) missiles this March.
“The newly-delivered FAICs, these are equipped with NLOS capabilities. [They will be commissioned] next month,” confirmed Philippine Navy spokesperson Commander John Percie Alcos in an interivew with the Philippine News Agency.
Asked if the ships will have the chance to test fire their weapons, Alcos said they have to check with the “TIAC (technical inspection and acceptance committee) team if a test firing will be conducted.”
The PN received the two FAICs, also known as the Acero-class gunboats from Israel on Nov. 18, 2023.
The gunboats were delivered through the general cargo ship Kogra Royal and are now at the Commodore East Posadas Wharf in Cavite City for enhancement, maintenance, and training.
The platforms will be commissioned as PG-906 and PG-907 under the Acero-class patrol vessels of the Fleet’s Littoral Combat Force.
The delivery is part of the FAIC Acquisition Project of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program (RAFPMP) Horizon 2 contracted with Israel Shipyards, which includes a total of nine platforms, and the transfer of technology to bolster the PN shipbuilding capability.
With the delivery and pending commissioning of PG-906 and PG-907, the PN now has six Acero-class gunboats.
The first two Acero-class gunboats, BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) and BRP Lolinato To-Ong (PG-902) were delivered in September 2022 and commissioned in November of the same year.
The third and fourth FAICs, BRP Gener Tinangag (PG-903) and BRP Domingo Deluana (PG-905) were delivered in April and commissioned the following month. The remaining three Acero-class gunboats are expected to be constructed and delivered within the next two years.
Four of the FAICs will be armed with NLOS missiles with pinpoint accuracy and a range of 25 kilometers while the other five will be armed with Typhoon-mounted 30mm main cannons and .50 caliber heavy machine guns.
The acquisition of the FAICs is among the 2019 projects approved by former president Rodrigo Duterte under the Horizon 2.
The notice of award for the FAIC project, worth around PHP10 billion, was issued on Jan. 5, 2021.
