Soon-to-be delivered modern naval assets like two guided-missile corvettes and other similar craft will be primarily deployed to the West Philippine Sea and waters of Northern Luzon, a ranking naval official said on Tuesday.
In a radio interview, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said this is based on the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) that calls for the deployment of modern naval ships in the “western side and the Northern Luzon side” of the country.
CADC is a strategic shift where the military is tasked to defend the country’s territories including its 200-nautical miles exclusive economic zone. Unified commands responsible for these points are the Puerto Princesa, Palawan-based Western Command and the Tarlac-based Northern Luzon Command.
“We have need assets coming in, new ships,” Trinidad said.
One of the two guided-missile corvettes the Navy official was referring to was the prospective BRP Diego Silang which was formally launched at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea on March 27.
Both guided-missile corvettes are equipped with a variety of weapons and sensors that can be used against anti-surface, anti-submarine, and anti-air warfare.
Corvettes, which usually weigh 1,000 to 2,500 gross tons, are the smallest naval surface ships capable of dealing with submarines and other maritime threats. With AFP
