This reminds me that the United States Navy and the US Department of State in the mid-‘60s had great hopes for the Philippine’s future. After Japan, the trios Taiwan, ROK and [ROK] Singapore had started to take off and they thought we would be the next. That was the message I got from them when they gave us a briefing at Monterey in 1967. I was the first to get a course in Underwater Weapons Systems Technology at the US Navy Postgraduate School. Unfortunately, USNPGS did not give me the full course, and ‘exempted’ me from the SECRET stuff as we were not in NATO (they did not involve SEATO members in the nuclear programs).
When I returned home, I was designated The Naval Weapons Officer, TNWO. The first PN “open submarines” (submersible personnel carriers) were delivered from Italy for which we opened the Torpedo Shop at the Cavite Naval Ship Yard, CNSY and I joined the first PN SCUBA course. The Underwater Operations Unit, UOU, was converted later to Special WArfare Group, SWAG. At the same time, we were into Project Sta Barbara, and into rocket science. With the failure of the Marcos government to continue our growth, however, our dreams and hopes faltered, proving that military power indeed needs economic power (with exceptions like North Korea but you need dictatorship for that).
One of the submersibles is now displayed at the AFP Museum in CGEA.
Left side view of a 2-man midget submarine of the Philippine Navy now displayed at the AFP Musem in Camp Aguinaldo. Photo Credit: tripadvisor.co.uk
We should start though. Submersibles are needed by the Navy not only for offensive operations but also for disaster management and research.”