OCEA Shipbuilder to Provide 82-meter OPV and 24 meter Patrol Vessel for the Philippine Coast Guard

The Philippine Ports and Coast Guard Capability Development Project has been signed by the Department of Transportation and OCEA, a French company and the Certificate of Contract Effectiveness for its implementation marks the starts of building of the ships. The project aims to further develop the capability of the Philippine Coast Guard through the acquisition of four (4) brand new 24-meter Patrol Boats and one (1) 82-meter Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) from France. The start of the delivery of the vessels is set to commence next year.

The simple signing ceremony was held at the DOTr office in Columbia Tower, Ortigas Ave., Mandaluyong City last September 6, 2017.  USec Felipe a Judan, the DOTr Undersecretary for Maritime represented the DOTr while Mr Fabrice Weinbach, the Director for Maritime Safety and Security of OCEA represented the French company. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Atty. Arthur P Tugade, the DOTr Secretary and Mr Laurent Estrade, a representative from the French Embassy in the Philippines.

The OPV 270

The OPV 270 is an 84 meter large patrol vessel with a speed of 20 to 30 knots and an endurance of 45 days. It has a 44 crew plus 26 Personnel and a 35 survivors and has a range of 4,500 to 8,000 nautical miles at 12 knots.

The Ship can be used for Exclusive Economic Zone Surveillance operations, anti-smuggling and illegal immigration control. It can fight against piracy and trafficking even at high seas. It control vessels at sea, search and rescue and the protection of natural resources and blue economy. It can fight against pollution, diving operration and protects the sovereignty of a nation.

FPB 72

The FPB is a 24 meter fast patrol boat with an 8 crew plus 3 personnel. Its speed is 20 - 35 knots with a range of 600nm at 12knots. Its primary mission is surveillance and police operations and fishing surveillance. It can also do search and rescue, fight sumggling and illegal immigration control and other special operations in an in-shore patrol.

The Complete "Shopping List" of the Philippine Coast Guard Modernization Plan

In the last 20 years Philippine Coast Guard budget only increased ranging from Php 150 million to 250 million. But this year, congress allotted Php 6.5 billion pesos for its capital outlay to take effect in 2018. The PCG had been entrusted with Php 12.8 Billion to support its operation and development. With this approved budget, the PCG allotted the procurement of the following major projects;

I. Maritime Boats
a. 20 Jetskis
b. 10 11.5meters Special Purpose Crafts for maritime law enforcement
c. 20 Aluminum Boats
d. 12 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats with Outboard motor (RHIB)
e. A medium weight Multi-Purpose Twin Engine Helicopter
f. 10 motor vehicle with Boom Trucks
g. 5 fully equipped Ambulance

II. Security Equipments

a. 1,124 units 9mm Sub Machine Gub
b. 2,329 units 5.56mm Assault Rifle
c. 48 units 308mm Sniper Rifle
d. 350 unit 7.68mm Light Machine Gun
e. 12 units 50 Caliber Anti-Material Sniper Rifle
f. 54 units 50 Caliber Heavy Machine Gun
g. 7,743 units 9mm Pistols
h. 6 units 12.7mm Heavy Machine Guns with Automatic Gyro Stabilizer
i. 6 units 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun
j. Information and Communication technology Office
k. Coast Guard Base in Sibutu and Kalayaan island
l. Installation of Buoys
m. Rehabilitation of Tubbataha Light House
n. Procurement of Primary and Secondary Lanterns

III. Buildings
a. coast guard communication
b. weapons
c. electronics and information system services.

IV. PCG stations
a. cavite
b. tagbilaran
c. cebu
d. ormoc
e. catbalogan

V. PCG Sub Station
.
a. allec
b. hilongos
c. dapa
d. surigao
e. Roxas
f. mindoro

VI. Radar Station Equipments

VII. Automatic identifiaction System

VIII. Generator Sets

IX. HF Radio Communication

X. VHF Radios and VHF Hand Held Radio

XI. IT Network System

XII. K9 Laboratory Equipment

Next Year the PCG will build 5 Regional Bases including two in the eastern seaboard in the Philippines, one in southern Philippines, one in western Philippines and one in southern visayas.

It will be also spending 197 million to build 20 Radar Station to monitor vital sea lanes.

The PCG also set to receive foreign funded projects from Japan which are;
a. Completion of 10 units of 44-meter Multi-Role Response Vessels
b. 2 units of 94meters Large Patrol Vessels
c. 10 rigid-hull inflatable boat

In addition, PCG also set to receive from France funded project with;
a. 1 unit of 82 meter Offshore Patrol Vessel
b. 4 units of 25-meter Fast Attack Craft

Also, the Japanese committed to build 4 radar station in southern Philippines

The DBM also increase funds for 4,000 additional personnel this year (2017) and 5,000 additional personnel every year making the PCG to complement a total personnel of 40,000 by 2023

Also, the PCG sents its personnel to study to abroad like the United States Coast Guard Schools, and Japan Coast Guard.

Philippine COASTGUARD gets Php6.7 Billion for Patrol Boats, Search and Rescue Helicopters and Weapons

The Philippine Coast Modernization has a budget set aside by the Philippine Government with an amount of 6.7 Billion pesos. The funding will be use in the procurement of Modern Patrol Boats, New SAR Capable Helicopters And Weapons.

The funding will use to the procurement of ten 44-meter Parola Class Patrol Boats, 24 meter fast patrol boats, an 82 meter Offshore Patrol Vessel and two 94 meter high endurance vessel. The 44 meter Parola-class patrol boats primary role is a rescue vessel within the Philippine Coast Guard areas of responsibility (AOR), control Oil pollution and protection of the marine environment. Enforcement of maritime laws in particular to any related illegal fishing and sea patrol.

It also serve as a platform for rapid response during relief operation in the area and transport of personnel and logistical support. This project of the Philippine Coast Guard and Department of Transportation and Communication was funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency's under Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan. The Japanese Shipbuilder is the Japan Marine United Corporation (JMUC).

The four brand new 24 meter fast patrol boat will be build and supplied by OCEA from France. The FPV 72 Mark 2 is the boat offered by OCEA to the Philippine Coast Guard which was visited by Secretary Arthur Tugade in Sables d"Olonne, France. Aside from the four fast patrol boat, the contract also includes a brand new 82 meter offshore patrol vessel. The OCEA variant offered is the OPV 270 Mark 2 which will be delivered in 2019. Also as part of the contract, OCEA will do the five year preventive maintenance for all five boats, spare parts and technical assistance and training for the crew. Lastly Tugade pointed out that the Philippines is a strategic location for a regional hub in ship repair, building and how OCEA can do business as supplier of patrol boats to other countries in the region.

President Rodrigo Duterte approves the purchase of the two 94 meter high endurance Off-shore Patrol Vessel under the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP) for the Philippine Coast Guard with a coast of Php8 Billion. The Vessels are expected to be delivered November 2020 and  March 2021 for the two vessels. The Philippine Coast Guard will be capable to conduct continuous maritime patrol up to 15 days at 15 knots with the range of 4,000 nautical miles. Also, Philippine Coast Guard will be capable of patrolling Sea-State 6 which the wave is as high as 6 meters in height. The Philippine Coast Guard claimed that each vessel will enable them to rescue or recover as many as 500 passenger in maritime disaster event as well as to provide them with wider maritime coverage for strategic and national security purposed.

The Philippine Coast Guard will also buy numbers of Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat or RIB. These RIBs will be used to deploy troops aboard from the bigger patrol vessel or from shores. These can serves as lifeboats in performing search and rescue operations. They will be helpful in vessel interdiction and non-complaint boarding team operations. They can also help in fighting off terrorist as well as prohibited drug smugglers aboard a motorized boat. There are at least three hot spot in our coastal areas which requires high and intensive coastal patrol operation. The three are West Philippine Sea, Northern Luzon and Sulu Sea.

The Philippine Coast Guard also announce to buy Search and Rescue Helicopter aboard the bigger vessel. As announced, the Philippine Coast Guard reveals to buy Airbus H145M fitted for Search and Rescue Operation and Humanitarian and Disaster Response. The cost of the aircraft as revealed by a Mindanao Lawmaker, is Ph686 million.

In view of the upcoming vessels, the Philippine Coast Guard opens 4,000 new positions uniformed personnel. The increased from 8,930 this year to 12,930 in 2018 of authorized positions which will be trained to fill the vacancies due to manning of the upcoming vessels.