Aquino commissions new Phl warship today

By Aurea Calica

Philippine Star, Tuesday, August 23, 2011

President Aquino leads today the inspection of the newly-acquired warship BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which is part of the upgrading and modernization efforts of the government on the maritime capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP).

Aquino will be welcomed at Pier 13 in South Harbor by government officials including Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, AFP chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr., Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Alexander Pama, and PF15 Commanding Officer Capt. Alberto Cruz.

Manned by 13 officers and 82 enlisted personnel, BRP Gregorio del Pilar arrived in the country last week after a month-long voyage from the United States. The warship dropped anchor at the Manila Bay yesterday to undergo customs, immigration and quarantine inspection.

The Navy recently acquired the refurbished US Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton (WHEC-715) and commissioned it as BRP Gregorio del Pilar Pacific Fleet 15.

The 378-foot vessel with a crew capacity of 180 is equipped with armament and weapons system, propulsion plant, electrical generation, helicopter hangar and flight deck, among others.

It will be deployed to carry out missions for drug interdiction, law enforcement, search and rescue operations, defense readiness and migrant interdiction. It will also perform tasks in protecting the country’s natural gas and oil exploration projects off Palawan amid reported incursions in the West Philippine Sea.

Defense department spokesman Col. Hernando Iriberri said Aquino’s presence during the event signifies the government’s seriousness in modernizing the military.

“It shows the commitment of the government to improve the capability of the AFP to perform its constitutional mandate as protector of our people and guardian of our territory,” Iriberri said.

He said the arrival of the BRP Gregorio del Pilar “is a step forward toward the realization of the thrust to modernize the AFP.”

The ship is the Navy’s first Hamilton-class cutter and is its largest vessel. – With Alexis Romero

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Hamilton icon of AFP’s capability upgrade

By William Depasupil
The Manila Times, Monday, August 22, 2011

THE Philippine Navy’s largest and most modern ship, the Hamilton class US Coast Guard cutter, now known as the BRP (Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas) Gregorio del Pilar, symbolizes the country’s resolve and determination to defend its territorial integrity, according to Navy flag-officer in command Vice Admiral Alexander Pama.

Pama disclosed Sunday that the 3,390-ton warship is now anchored at the Manila Bay after a 45-day journey from Coast Guard island in Alameda, San Francisco, California.

“This will be an icon to the revival of the capability upgrade of our Armed Forces,” he said. “This is the symbol of our resolve and determination to protect what is ours.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff, Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr., earlier said that the cutter would be used for multi-mission operations such as search and rescue, and maritime security patrols, particularly in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) to protect the country’s interests that include the Malampaya Gas Project in the waters of Palawan near the dispute Spratly group of islands.

The ship, even at 46 years old, is now the biggest and most modern in the Philippine Navy’s inventory. It was launched on December 18, 1965, commissioned to the US Coast Guard March 18, 1967 and decom-missioned on March 28, 2011.

It was acquired by the Philippine government at a transfer cost of P450 million, minus the air surface search radar, close-in weapons system and secondary 25-mm gun system.

But Pama said that even if the Hamilton is already old, it is still well-maintained and capable of enduring high weather that can make it sustain longer patrolling at sea.

“It’s not a question of age but the capability of the ship. One of our problems before is our lack of patrol ship that could endure high weather and can sustain longer patrolling at sea,” he said.

“This ship has proven its capability of crossing the Pacific Ocean and I think there’s no other place in the Philippines that has bigger waves [than the Pacific Ocean],” Pama added.

According to him, the ship is now going through the usual customs, immigration and quarantine inspection before it would be dry-docked for at least a month for repainting from white to the Navy’s official gray color. Some minor repairs and fitting of additional facilities and equipment will also be done.

Pama said that the ship has not been formally commissioned yet to the Navy and its name BRP Gregorio del Pilar is not yet final pending approval from the Office of the President.

“The name BRP Gregorio del Pilar is only a provisional name. It still needs to pass through proper procedure until it is approved by the President. It is only then that it can be commissioned and given its final name,” Pama added referring to President Benigno Aquino 3rd.

www.manilatimes.net

‘BRP Gregorio del Pilar’ makes port

By Victor Reyes
Malaya, Monday, August 22, 2011

THE Navy’s largest and newly acquired ship arrived from the United States yesterday morning and will be formally welcomed by President Aquino tomorrow.

Navy chief Vice Adm. Alexander Pama boarded the ship at the Manila Bay anchorage and had lunch (boodle fight) with the 95 officers and men, led by Capt. Alberto Cruz, who sailed the Hamilton cutter from San Francisco on July 18.

Pama said the ship had to undergo "customs, quarantine and immigration" inspection as part of procedures for ships coming from abroad.

After the arrival ceremony on Tuesday, the ship to be named BRP Gregorio del Pilar will undergo dry-docking and repainting. Its color will be changed from white to gray which is the official color of the Navy.

The ship will be deployed at the West Philippine Sea where the country has a vast maritime interest to protect.

The 44-year-old ship was acquired from the US Coast Guard through the US Excess Defense Articles program.

President Aquino, accompanied by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, will lead the formal welcome ceremony for the ship and its crew at the South Harbor. Guests will have the chance to tour the ship.

Pama said the ship will be an "icon to the revival of the capability upgrade of the Philippine Navy."

"This will be a symbol of our seriousness (in upgrading the Navy capability). Because we are a maritime nation, this will jumpstart our revival of our Navy’s capability," he also said.

www.malaya.com.ph

Navy gets new Hamilton-class ship, says it will revive defense capability

By Alexis Romero
Philippine Star, Monday, August 22, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - The newly acquired Hamilton-class ship from the US symbolizes the revival of the military’s defense capabilities, the Navy said yesterday.

“We regard this (newly acquired ship) as an icon of the revival of the capability upgrade of the armed forces. This symbolizes our seriousness (to upgrade our military),” Navy chief Vice Adm. Alexander Pama told radio station dzBB in Filipino.

“This (ship) would start the revival and the enhancement of the capabilities of the armed forces,” he said.

Pama said upgrading the country’s naval assets is important given that the Philippines is a maritime nation. He said the ship, which has been renamed BRP Gregorio del Pilar, would allow them to sail through huge waves.

“One of our weaknesses is the lack of vessels that could withstand a rough environment caused by huge waves. We can now do that through this ship. It symbolizes the government’s presence and is in line with efforts to protect our maritime resources,” Pama said.

The Hamilton-class ship arrived in Philippine territory last Aug. 17 after almost a month of voyage from California.

A total of 95 Navy personnel manned the ship, which arrived in Manila Bay yesterday. The ship underwent customs and immigration quarantine and inspection in line with the existing regulations on vessels from other countries.

President Aquino will lead the arrival ceremonies for the ship tomorrow at the Pier 13 in South Harbor, Manila.

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