NEW ASSETS At the Philippine Navy headquarters on Tuesday, two new missile-capable vessels are christened BRP Nestor Acero (left) and BRP Lolinato To-ong, after two Medal of Valor recipients from the Marines. The military has acquired a total of nine Shaldag MK V fast-attack craft from Israel. —RICHARD A. REYES
The Philippine Navy on Monday commissioned the first two of nine missile-capable fast patrol boats that would help defend the country’s littoral zones, but would need 15 more to cover all the vital choke points across the archipelago. “We are planning to get 15 Acero-class boats on top of these nine boats. It would meet our requirements for patrolling the seas of the country,” Navy chief Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr. said. The BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) and BRP Lolinato To-ong (PG-902) left the Commodore Divino Pier at the Navy headquarters in Manila after the commissioning ceremony and set sail to southern Philippines for its maiden deployment. The Department of National Defense signed a deal with Israel Shipyards Ltd. last year to acquire nine Shaldag Mk. V fast attack interdiction craft for P10 billion, including weapon systems, missiles, training and transfer of technology.