The Philippines will maintain a strategic presence in the Escoda (Sabina) Shoal stays even after the return of the BRP Teresa Magbanua from the area, retired Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez, National Maritime Council (NMC) spokesperson has said.The BRP Teresa Magbanua...
To read the full article, please log in or enter your email below:
The Philippines will maintain a strategic presence in the Escoda (Sabina) Shoal stays even after the return of the BRP Teresa Magbanua from the area, retired Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez, National Maritime Council (NMC) spokesperson has said.
The BRP Teresa Magbanua left the shoal after more than five months of deployment and arrived at its homeport in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, earlier this month. A Chinese Coast Guard boat had rammed the Magbanua while it was navigating the shoal several weeks ago. During her deployment at Escoda Shoal, BRP Teresa Magbanua challenged an encirclement by a larger flotilla of intruders, battled inclement weather, with her crew surviving on diminished daily provisions, said NMC Chairperson, ES Lucas Bersamin.
Lopez said the pullout from the shoal doesn’t mean the country is giving up its claim to the area, which is well within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Philippines will continue to maintain a presence in the area, including reconnaissance missions using aircraft and other technical capabilities, with the help of the country’s allies like the US, Japan, and Australia, Lopez said.
Lopez added that the Philippines can monitor Escoda Shoal with a single ship equipped with radar, noting that monitoring activities can be augmented by additional assets from the Philippine Navy (PN) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). The PCG will also soon send personnel to the shoal once the weather improves, according to Lopez. The BRP Teresa Magbanua will now be resupplied and repaired.
The BRP Teresa Magbanua was built by Japan’s Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). It is one of two ships ordered by the PCG in a contract worth US$132.57 million signed in 2020.
The design of BRP Teresa Magbanua, (hull number 9701) is based on the Japan Coast Guard’s own Kunigami-class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) but there are some notable differences. While the Kunigami-class ships are 94 meter length, the Teresa Magbanua-class ships for the PCG are longer. Furthermore, a Bushmaster II 30 mm chain gun or JM61 20 mm Vulcan six-barrelled cannon on Kunigami-class OPV is absent on the new ships although they have an improved helicopter operational capability with the addition of a helicopter hangar that the Kunigami-class ships lack.
The Teresa Magbanua-class ships are 97 meter long, 11 meter wide, with a displacement of around 1700 tons. Powered with two 6,600 KW diesel engines that enable them to have a maximum speed of 24 knots, the ships are able to reach a maximum range of about 7,400 km (4,000 nautical miles) under a cruising speed of 19 knots.
This contract is part of the second phase of the joint Japanese-Philippine Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP) between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Philippine Coast Guard. In the first phase of the JP¥18.7 billion (US$172 million) Official Development Assistance (ODA) project, JICA transferred 10 44-meter Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRVs) to the PCG. The last two ships were delivered in August 2018.
The transfer of the business operations of Piaggio Aero Industries and Piaggio Aviation—both under extraordinary administration and operating collectively as…
Mexicana, Mexico’s state-owned airline, has received its first E195-E2 aircraft from Embraer. The aircraft departed Embraer’s headquarters for Mexico earlier…
8tree has announced that its dentCHECK tool is being trialled by Squadron 435 of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)…
BOC Aviation Limited has appointed Yogesh Farswani as Head of OEM Strategy and Procurement, effective 1 July 2025. In this…
Exail has been awarded a defence contract by a European country for the supply of five DriX H-8 uncrewed surface…
Ireland-based ECT Aviation has acquired its first Britten-Norman BN2T-4S Islander aircraft to support the launch of dedicated cargo operations between…
Constellation Technologies & Operations has rebranded as UNIVITY and launched its first in-orbit technology demonstrator, marking the transition from early…
Indra recently held the Indra NGWS Technology Marketplace, where 14 Spanish companies, universities, and research centres presented 17 technology projects…
Qantas Airways has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR, making it the Asia-Pacific launch operator for the long-range single-aisle…
The Indonesian Ministry of Defence (Kementerian Pertahanan Republik Indonesia - Kemhan RI) is advancing efforts to strengthen national defence capabilities…
Eve Air Mobility has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Costa Rica-based Aerosolutions, which is developing an eVTOL operator…
The Eurofighter Radar Mk1 Consortium, comprising HENSOLDT and Indra, has completed production of the first radar units incorporating newly developed…
Embraer has signed a new maintenance contract with regional airline CommuteAir for its recently established Commercial Aviation facility at Perot…
BBN Airlines Indonesia, part of the Avia Solutions Group, has obtained the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification, a recognised…
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has announced an investment in Arceon, a Netherlands-based developer of high-performance ceramic composites. The…
Terma has appointed Steen Hommel as its new Executive Vice President for Public Affairs, Communication and Partnerships, effective 1 August…
Airbus Defence and Space has completed a series of test drops and demonstrations of its A400M firefighting demonstrator kit at…
Fincantieri has received a contract to construct two additional PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura) Multipurpose Combat Ships for the Italian Navy,…
Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), a joint venture between Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%), has signed the Through Life Sustainment Management…
Lufthansa Technik and Calgary Airports on Wednesday celebrated the groundbreaking of a new state-of-the-art engine maintenance facility at YYC Calgary…
Startical, a joint venture between ENAIRE and Indra, has launched its second test satellite, IOD-2, from Vandenberg Space Force Base…
New Horizon Aircraft, doing business as Horizon Aircraft, has announced a design collaboration with Andrea Mocellin to further develop the…
Supacat Asia Pacific has entered into a strategic alliance agreement with ISTEC Services Limited, a UK-based company with over three…
BlackSky Technology has won a more than US$24 million, four-year, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Luno A Facility Operational Monitoring (FOMO)…
Embraer on Tuesday opened its new commercial MRO facilities at the Perot Field Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas. The…
Aircraft Propeller Service has opened a state-of- the-art MRO facility in Malaysia to serve the country and Asia Pacific region.…
The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has ordered two more Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, bringing…
Exail has been awarded a contract to provide the Indonesian Navy with several Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) and Mine Identification…
The Israel Ministry of Defence is preparing to increase the production rate of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) armored platforms,…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is interested in becoming a part of the U.S Golden Dome program. At an event that…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2025 GBP all rights reserved.