Navy to rearm 2nd US-made cutter

THE government has allotted funds to buy artillery to rearm the second Hamilton-class cutter that was sold by the United States government to the Philippines without its weapons system, Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said Friday.

The US government had agreed to sell the cutter but stripped it of its artillery such as missiles, search radars and a close-in weapons system, leaving only a 76mm gun attached to the ship.

The government, through Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, had appealed to their  counterparts in a recent visit to the US to retain the weapons system and restore the same artillery that were also removed from the first cutter, but their request was denied.

“Well, we cannot demand. We [can only] ask if it’s possible, and we also understand that they also have their regulations to follow,” Pama said.

“Anyway, the government gave us funds to buy the needed weapons.”

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar was the first weaponless cutter bought by the Philippine  government from the US in 2011 at a cost of P450 million.

Pama said the funds allotted by the government included provisions for weapons training of the ship’s personnel.

The BRP Ramon Alcaraz, another Hamilton-class cutter, is expected to arrive in the country on or before November in time for its scheduled commissioning.

By then, the Navy would have completed its weapons system, but Pama declined to say if they would buy the artillery from the US or from another country.

“We added communication equipment and some other equipment. Wea will see all these when the ship arrives,” Pama said.

He said Gazmin was also exploring the possibility of buying defense articles from other countries such jet fighters instead of buying used F-16s from the US.

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz  are the new additions to the inventory of the Navy’s mostly World War II vintage vessels.

Pama said there had been no negotiations yet for a third cutter, although getting another one was part of the Navy’s plans for the year. He said they also needed at least three more helicopters to complement the cutters.

“Our domain awareness needs naval equipment such as vessels, and these vessels need helicopters on board,” Pama said.