MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Navy will inaugurate on Thursday a new fleet whose mission is to respond immediately to any threat to national security in any part of the country, a spokesman Wednesday.

Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo said the Fleet-Marine Ready Force (FMRF) is the Navy’s contribution to efforts of the Armed Forces to combat lawless elements like the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Abu Sayyaf and New People’s Army (NPA).

“Recent atrocities & lawlessness by rogue MILF groups, NPA insurgents, and the ASG bring to the fore the organization and launching of the FMRF,” Arevalo said.

He added that the FMRF will have its command and control base in Metro Manila but the FMRF’s first commanding officer, Captain Jose Miguel Rodriguez, will have access to various pre-positioned units of the Navy and Marines nationwide to allow for rapid response in case any immediate threat to national security needs to be addressed.

“The FMRF is designed to be the country’s maritime force-in-readiness, capable of rapid deployment anywhere in the country,” Arevalo said.

He added that the FMRF shall have access to sea, air and land assets, and to both personnel and materiel resources of the Navy, to ensure rapid deployment of troops.

Units attached to the FMRF are the Navy’s Philippine fleet and Civil Disturbance Management Team, and the Combat Service Support Brigade of the Philippine Marines, Arevalo said.

“What we did was, we integrated all these forces, put them under one commander, under the concept of unity of command. Captain Rodriguez will have control over these, he does not have to coordinate with the Marines and the Philippine Fleet before he can dispatch their units. All these will be under his command,” Arevalo said.

The FMRF will be inaugurated at the Divino Pier, Philippine Navy headquarters on Roxas Boulevard, Manila. Rodriguez will receive his first orders from Navy chief Vice Admiral Ferdinand S. Golez.