WHILE its primarily role is to protect the country’s vast maritime territories from hostile incursions, the BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), one of the two brand-new missile frigates in Philippine Navy (PN) service, is also upgrading the proficiency of next-generation seagoing officers on how to fight modern naval battles through its state-of-the-art combat management systems.
Officially known as the Naval Shield Combat Management System (NSCMS) and installed on BRP Antonio Luna and its sister ship BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), this platform literally serves as the brains of the vessel and consists of onboard sensors that detect and monitor incoming surface, air and sub-surface threats.
NSCMS also provides weapons options that can neutralize hostiles. It even shows what kind or the best type of countermeasures can be deployed in actual sea combat situations.
Onboard training
NAVAL personnel from the offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) got a glimpse of BRP Antonio Luna’s NSCMS during their scheduled “informational program visit” (IPV) on January 12 and 13.
“BRP Antonio Luna has served a productive and purposeful local informational program visit to the students of NSCMS of BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) last 12-13 January 2023,” the missile frigate staff said on its Facebook page.
The exposure to NSCMS provided these naval personnel with insights on how a modern frigate operates. “Said IPV gave the students an adequate knowledge and practical training that equipped them to understand the sophisticated systems aboard ship, and have raised their level of appreciation when it comes to modern naval warfare. More so, this IPV helped the officers and personnel to be more prepared for their future roles as warfare directors and operations specialists,” the post added.
This is the second visit of the Ramon Alcaraz crew to the BRP Antonio Luna for a local IPV and on-the-job training of their students in connection with their NSCMS familiarization course.
“FF-151 is indeed grateful to have showcased the warship’s modern systems and capabilities to the CIC [combat information center] team of PS-16,” the FB post added.
Both BRP Antonio Luna and BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) are modern warships capable of surface, sub-surface, air and electronic warfare using state-of-the-art electronic sensors, long-range missiles, acoustic guided torpedoes and embarked anti-submarine helicopters.
The contract for the two ships was placed at P16 billion with another P2 billion for weapon systems and munitions. The Navy’s shooting ship—like its namesake, the fiery Philippine-American War general—the BRP Antonio Luna really knows how to shoot.
RIMPAC placer
THIS was after the Filipino ship won third place in the 2022 iteration of the “Rim of the Pacific” (RIMPAC) Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) Rodeo, which was part of the at-sea phase of the biennial maneuvers done to promote regional stability in the Pacific region. In this exercise, the ship fired its Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid Multi-Feeding (SRMF) gun.
“NSFS Rodeo is a naval gunfire accuracy competition where participants are given a two-dimensional virtual land target information by the designated naval gunfire liaison officer. Participants have a practice run for gunfire correction prior to proceeding for the record firing. Performance reports are provided by the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) using its computerized evaluation system,” PN spokesperson Commander Benjo Negranza said in an earlier statement.
In a contest where 17 naval ships from other countries participated, the PN’s BRP Antonio Luna won third place with only an eight-meter difference from the first placer, USS Mobile Bay (CG-53), and four meters off the second placer ARM Benito Juarez of Mexico (POLA-101).
“This achievement manifested that the PN is capable of being on a par with the best navies in the world, which RIMPAC 2022 has helped validate by providing resources and an environment that permits multinational participants to achieve their individual and collective training objectives,” Negranza said.
The feat may be considered more impressive as it is Antonio Luna’s first time to participate in the RIMPAC. BRP Antonio Luna was delivered last February 9, 2021, and formally commissioned to PN service on March 13 of that same year.
About 25,000 personnel from 26 nations participated in the 2022 iteration of RIMPAC, which was first held in 1971. The 2022 iteration of RIMPAC began on June 29 and concluded on August 4.
The PN’s participation in RIMPAC 2022, themed “Capable, Adaptive Partners,” is the third after its maiden participation in 2018 and its sophomore run in 2020.
In the 2018 RIMPAC, the Navy deployed the offshore patrol vessel BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17) and landing dock BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602). In the 2020 iteration of the maritime exercise, the PN sent the BRP Jose Rizal, which was delivered on May 23, 2020, and commissioned on July 10 of the same year. Shortly after its commissioning, BRP Jose Rizal was deployed for the 2022 RIMPAC.
Both the BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna are capable of anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and electronic warfare operations.
‘DAGIT-PA’ exposure
NOT content with its RIMPAC 2022 citation, BRP Antonio Luna demonstrated its advanced weapons and sensor capabilities during naval shore bombardment and air defense drills during the “DAGIT-PA” exercises, which ran from November 7 to 18 last year. DAGIT-PA
stands for “Dagat-Langit-Lupa,” which focuses on enhancing the readiness of the Philippine Army, PN, and Air Force in joint operations that mirror a real-world scenario.
Last year’s DAGIT-PA is the sixth iteration of the joint exercise unilaterally conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
In this annual exercise, the BRP Antonio Luna simulated the firing of its Oto Melara 76mm SRMF gun during a NSFS exercise at Brooke’s Point, Palawan. NSFS is defined as shore bombardment, which aligns with the objective by destroying or neutralizing defenses that oppose landing and troop advancement.
“In advantage, the rapid loading ability of naval guns such as the 76mm SRMF makes it possible to deliver a large volume of fire in a short period of time, and their small dispersion and deflections make them effective and valuable for close support fire of troops,” the post on BRP Antonio Luna read.
Aside from the NSFS, BRP Antonio Luna also successfully participated in simulating the detection and engagement of air contacts. Both BRP Antonio Luna and BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) are equipped with MBDA Mistral 3 surface-to-air missiles.
“DAGIT-PA exercise thru ADEX (air defense exercise) has provided the ship’s crew a learning experience on the dynamics of air threats and further test their readiness to respond in a real-time scenario,” the FB post added.
PN modernization going well
ACCORDING to former Acting PN Flag-Officer-in-Command (FOIC) Rear Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia, the BRP Antonio Luna’s impressive showing at the gunnery exercise in the 2022 RIMPAC highlights the ongoing improvements of the Navy.
Such a feat, he said earlier, was once only a dream 10 years ago. “I remember the first naval exercise that I participated in and as part of this exercise, we fired our 3.50-inch [naval] guns. Not only did our gun crew miss by a mile but also we were told to cease firing, as the deck was so brittle that there was a danger of it collapsing. And also, so much rust was raining down below deck due to the recoil of our naval guns,” Valencia recalled.
As of this time, the PN is now equipped with two brand-new missile-armed frigates, two landing docks, two anti-submarine helicopters, and 12 multipurpose attack craft, six of which are now equipped with the Israeli-made Spike-ER surface-to-surface missiles.
He noted that such is far from the World War II ships previously being manned by the PN. Valencia served as acting PN FOIC following the mandatory retirement of Vice Admiral Adeluis Bordado on September 9, 2022. Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. eventually succeeded Valencia on November 24, 2022.
Fast-track modernization
ADACI, upon his assumption as PN chief, vowed to expedite the ongoing modernization of the Navy.
“We will intensify our efforts to achieve the objectives and measures in the remaining Horizons 2 and 3 of our modernization program. But while we acquire new assets, our plans should emphasize the complementing requirements of logistics support systems, transfer of technology, among others,” he stressed.
AFP Modernization Program Horizon 2 is scheduled from 2018 to 2022, while Horizon 3 is from 2023 to 2028. Horizon 2 and 3 are geared toward the acquisition of more external defense equipment and platforms for the AFP.
“Moreover we will build on the gains of previous leadership; it is our priority to continue sustaining our modernization program, the acquisition of hardware, and strengthening the fields of specialization of our personnel among others,” Adaci added.
Adaci said the PN would also continue international defense and security engagements and strengthen its partnership with allies, partners, friends, and other like-minded nations that are committed to maintaining a stable and peaceful Indo-Pacific region.
Equipping frontline units is imperative as the PN is involved in various interagency collaborations, he added.
“We will prioritize giving our naval operating forces, our marine brigades, ships, and other frontline units with adequate personnel and equipment because they are the ones who perform our primary mandate of protecting our seas and littorals. They are also critical in the conduct of non-traditional and civil-military operations,” he added.
‘Cat-and-mouse’ game
AS this developed, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed on February 4 that four Chinese vessels tried to intercept BRP Andres Bonifacio while on patrol. The Filipino ship was patrolling near Panganiban Reef when the “Chinese Maritime Militia fishing vessels/boats even conducted an intercept course towards the PN warship.”
The area is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. But the PCG clarified that the Chinese ships did not interfere in the operations of the BRP Andres Bonifacio, which continued its operations undeterred. The incident took place last February 1. The PN has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
Image credits: RHK111/ Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0