I am sharing an article I had written six years ago, now with revisions as further information came to light in supporting the Philippine Navy’s acquisition of Submarines through a historical perspective. INTRODUCTION. On 22-September-1914, in the cold choppy waters of the North Sea, a few miles from the coast of the Netherlands in less than 90 minutes, HMS Aboukir,…
INTRODUCTION. In 1992, the naval facilities in the provinces of Cebu and Guimaras were built by the Philippine Navy through the vision and effort of a senior naval officer, Rear Admiral Edgardo B Gallos AFP (Ret), whose heart and mind had dedicated his life and honor in the service of the Philippine Navy. As a young senior Naval Captain and…
Before Congress abrogated the 1947 RP-US Military Bases Agreement (MBA) the maintenance of most of the country’s defense equipment depended on the American logistics system. Some combatant ships and aircrafts were sent overseas for depot maintenance. Most spares came in handy with a robust supply system. In the 1960s the nation’s air force, with its Blue Diamond unit, and navy,…
Introduction. The Diesel Electric Submarine was considered as a principal weapons system of naval warfare, especially in littoral waters. Submarine designers and builders focused their design in making them capable to operate, run silent and run deep, with increasing underwater endurance. Diesel Electric Submarines need to surface and link to the atmospheric oxygen to supply air for the generators to…
The Philippine Navy is one of five Asian navies that possessed the Cannon Class Destroyer Escort apart from the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), Republic of China Navy (ROCN), Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), and the Royal Thai Navy (RTN). The Philippine Navy inducted into service its first Cannon Class Destroyer Escort (known in Filipino Naval Service as the…
INTRODUCTION Submarine Warfare and Anti-Submarine Warfare is no stranger to the world’s Second largest archipelago as its waters were witness to the various naval battles of the last Pacific War between Submarines of the United States Navy against that of Imperial Japan and/or the other way around with the former during the Battle of Palawan Passage in October 1944 with…
From the past to the present, in common naval parlance, the Flagship is usually where the Admiral has its Flag. Throughout time, the Flagship is also noted for its armaments, speed, and capability. Sometimes the Flagship is also the lead ship of a Navy’s particular class of vessel specifically if it is the most well-armed or the biggest in its…
NAVAL STATION JOSE ANDRADA, Manila, September 29 – Philippine Navy (PN) Fag Officer in Command, Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo visited the headquarters of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) at South Harbor, Manila as a gesture of affirming stronger inter-agency cooperation. VAdm Bacordo met with PCG Commandant and fellow member of PMA “Hinirang Class of 1987, Admiral George Ursabia Jr,…
The global commons refer to the four domains where mother earth’s shared natural resources, outside of national jurisdiction, are found: maritime, air, space and cyberspace. Among these, the oldest is the maritime domain, followed by air in early 20th century with the discovery of human flight; followed by airspace with the launching of satellites into outer space in the 1950s;…
On 29-June-1964, the Philippine Navy lost its Flagship and our First Destroyer Escort during the fury of Typhoon Winnie. The loss of a Flagship is a major loss to any Naval Force; fortunately, during this incident none of the Officers and Crew was lost. Despite the harshness of Mother Nature, the ship’s entire complement fought bravely to save the ship…
INTRODUCTION Warship design originates from the following order of priority: Doctrine development in regard to the manner in which the Navy will address the strategic concepts of responding against the challenges of threat. The Naval Staff & Circular of Requirements are parameters desired by the Navy in the development and design that will lead to shape the performance and capabilities…
I arrived in the Philippines for the first time in early 1972, landing at Clark Air Base before experiencing the breathtaking bus ride to the U.S. Naval Base Subic just outside Olongapo City. I was to meet the USS Kitty Hawk CVA-63 on its next port of call, the first of many deployments during the Viet Nam campaign. During my…
More than a score ago, when he took the helm of the Philippine Navy as its 23rd Flag Officer in Command (FOIC), VADM Eduardo Mario Ramirez Santos had set his eyes on the future. The 21st Century was then beginning, the dawn of a new era and a myriad of challenges to the Philippine Navy. From the disputed Islands in…
VADM GIOVANNI CARLO J BACORDO AFP is the 38th Field Officer In Command (FOIC), Philippine Navy (PN), sworn in on 03-February-2020 by President Rodrigo R Duterte. The CON has operational control and is responsible for overall operations of the Navy, including the Marine Corps, and the Philippine Coast Guard (in wartime), and directly reports to the Chief of Staff of…
The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has stricken a lot of countries globally including the Philippines, affecting people’s welfare, socio-economic condition of the country, and government resilience and thinking on ways to respond to the interconnecting issues brought by this pandemic. This pandemic has led the world to enter into a ‘new normal’ set up under adherence of strict health awareness and…
INTRODUCTION: THE TIES THAT BIND. In August 1947, a naval mission was organized by the U.S. Navy in Subic Bay Naval Base to bring in former Auxiliary Motor Minesweepers (AM) of the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy to form the nucleus of the Korean Naval Defense Corps being activated under the supervision of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Korean Naval…
A native of Manila, Commodore Carlos Leong Agustin AFP (Ret) graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, USA in 1960. He took Weapons Systems Engineering at the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA; Naval Staff Course at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, UK; NR course in National Security Management at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces,…
The path to becoming the 37th Flag Officer in Command was one set upon by VADM Robert A Empedrad AFP without full intention. In fact, several times in the course of his long career, his plan had not God’s plan. “It’s not my intention to join the PMA. Gusto ko talaga maging (I really wanted to be) an electronic engineer,”…
I am often lost for words to truly describe my experience spending precious time with my classmates in Naval Command and Staff Course Class 86. All my life I wanted to be a soldier, but the Almighty God did not give me an answer to such calling, and the reason why is very much obvious to me. Simply…
Without a doubt, the Maritime Industry in the Philippines is a vibrant cornerstone to the local economy and national workforce stability. To some extent, on an international level as well. One doesn’t have to look very far to understand how innovation with efficiency of operation and an ongoing focus to being environmentally sensitive is paramount in maintaining a balance of…
Reviewing some of my past email, I came across a June 23, 2011 query from a Philippine Marine reserve officer, Frank Suha, who has been living in the United States for many years: There is recent news that PCG is planning to buy brand-new high endurance cutters/vessels – this will be a big help in the West Philippine Sea issue….
“Let us respect, honor and revere our Philippine Flag!” was President Fidel V Ramos’ concluding line in his Maritime Review article three years ago after he graced a few weeks earlier the 118th Anniversary of the Battle of Alapan that took place on 28-May-1898 in Imus, Cavite. After this victorious battle of Filipino revolutionary forces against Spanish troops, General Emilio…
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With the Philippine Navy’s expanding operations and growing capabilities, its Air Group is poised to be upgraded to wing status. The restructure of the Naval Air Group, the first time since it was formed 7 decades ago, has become imminent due to increasing demands for maritime situational awareness and expertise. “With this wide reach of Naval Air Group nowadays, the…
The creditors of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC), the financially troubled South Korean shipbuilder, are expected to receive compensation for unpaid loans in a debt-for-equity swap, which will leave them in control of the company. Korea Development Bank (KDB), the state-owned policy bank which holds the largest share of HHIC’s outstanding debt, said that the group of creditors have…