The first of two 94-meter Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRVs) ordered by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) arrived home on January 26.
The new vessel, flag 9701, was built by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, a Japanese shipyard under the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) group, at the Enoura Plant of MHI Shimonoseki Shipyard and Machine Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
The leading MRRV is one of two large Coast Guard patrol vessels ordered by the Philippine Department of Transportation (DOTr) under a 2019 contract worth $132 million. The second ship is scheduled to be handed over by the shipyard in the middle of the year.
According to DOTr, the vessels will be able to conduct continuous maritime patrols, search and rescue, and humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in Philippine waters including the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Sea Rise.
Derived from the Japan Coast Guard’s Kunito class, the MRRV, once commissioned, will be the largest vessel ever operated by PCG. At cruising speed, it has a range of around 4,000 nautical miles, although it can reach a maximum sprint speed of over 24 knots.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding earlier said the vessel is equipped with a helideck and hangar for helicopter operations, underwater remote-controlled vehicles for underwater search and investigation, high-speed craft and other essential equipment for sea area awareness and law enforcement operations.
It also comes with a secure IP-based integrated communications and direction finding suite, called NAVICS, provided by Rohde & Schwarz. The suite includes the company’s R&S Postman messaging solution and Map Track, a Blue Force tracking feature. This will enable crew members to efficiently exchange voice and data messages with PCG fleets, shore stations, other joint forces and government agencies.
Funding for the two MRRVs has been provided under the second phase of the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project concluded between Manila and Tokyo in October 2016. The program, in turn, is funded by an official development assistance loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
PCG also deployed 10 44-meter Parola-class MRRVs built by Japan Marine Consolidated Corporation (JMUC) Yokohama Shipyard. These are also based on the Bishan-class patrol ships designed by the Japan Coast Guard.
by Jr Ng
