Philippine navy ships how many

Three former U. Although these former 3,ton cutters had been in service for about 45 years, they were extensively modernized before being turned over to the Philippines. Friday, November 12, Fleet renewal New ships are joining the fleet. Share on Facebook. Then, Vietnam rounded out its fleet with the purchase of four Gepard-class frigates and ten Tarantul V-class corvettes from Russia. All are armed with Russian supersonic SS-N anti-ship cruise missiles.

All of which suggests that Vietnam intends to develop a navy capable of taking the fight to China, if needed. The Philippines could have taken a similar approach, even with a smaller financial outlay. Capitalizing on its proximity to the South China Sea, it could have deployed mobile land-based anti-ship cruise missile batteries to hold Chinese forces at risk. But those batteries would have had limited utility in situations below the threshold of war. No doubt rebuilding a navy is costly.

With its economy growing at an annual rate of over six percent since , the Philippines can afford such expenditures. The real test will come when its economic growth dips. Ships are expensive to acquire, maintain, and operate. And the Philippine navy still has a long way to go before it can present a credible deterrent to Chinese maritime activities in the South China Sea. Moreover, the Philippine navy will need support from the air.

Like its naval counterpart, the Philippine air force was starved for decades. But after commissioning the two frigates, there remain challenges for Manila in naval defence. The government must consider how soon to complete installation of those essential arms on the waiting list. Defence planners must maximise the strategic value of the two frigates through appropriate deployment. Technological and operational mastery of the vessels will also be critical. These issues will pose challenges to both defence and diplomacy.

A comprehensive plan for naval modernisation to expand capacity beyond the two Jose Rizal-class frigates is crucial. The ongoing project of building two more corvettes would help to realise the long-term goal of developing a modern navy.

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Yahoo News Philippines. Retrieved May 31, Cancel Save. Fan Feed. Universal Conquest Wiki. Gregorio del Pilar -class. United States. Datu Kalantiaw -class. BRP Rajah Humabon. Emilio Jacinto -class. United Kingdom.