The BRP Miguel Malvar successfully concluded its first official deployment during the seventh iteration of the Philippine-US Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) on Wednesday, June 4, despite the presence of a Chinese Navy vessel in the area.
The MCA focused on enhancing interoperability between the Philippine and US naval forces through a series of coordinated maritime exercises.
“The most important aspect of this is we were able to test the capabilities to enhance our interoperability. Part of our activities today is to test the range of our sensor,” said Capt. Paul Michael Hechanova, Commanding Officer of the BRP Miguel Malvar.
“I would say it’s a successful activity. Though one day lang but we were able to meet our goals,” he added.
The newly commissioned BRP Miguel Malvar was utilized for the mission which was held in the West Philippine Sea, off the coast of Zambales. This is the vessel’s first official mission since its commissioning last May.
The United States also deployed its P-8 Poseidon aircraft to support the mission, while other Philippine assets, including the Coast Guard’s BRP Cabra, also participated. A vessel from China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy was spotted approximately 10 nautical miles from the Navy’s asset.
“We were able to detect it through our radar, about eight to 10 nautical miles. However, there were no unusual activities so we kept tracking them,” Hechanova said. “We were not hampered by their presence, our focus is to maximize our training for maritime operations,” he added.
No dangerous maneuvers were done, and the mission concluded peacefully. “We are protecting our vital interest, vital operations in the area. We are asserting our sovereign rights in our exclusive economic zone,” Hechanova noted.
The BRP Miguel Malvar, named after the last Filipino general to surrender during the Philippine-American War, arrived in the country from South Korea on April 4, after departing the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan on March 27.
The 118-meter vessel is equipped for anti-ship, anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, and electronic warfare operations, and features advanced sensors and weapon systems.
The vessel also inherited the name of a rickety decommissioned World War 2 ship, the PS-19, that was slated to be targeted by a missile during the last Balikatan war games, but sank while being towed to the exercise site.
