PCG signs deal for 40 fast patrol boats from French firm
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard has signed a P25.4 billion (€406 million) deal with French shipbuilder OCEA for 40 fast patrol boats — the largest single purchase for the modernization of the PCG amid flaring tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
The contract for the acquisition signed on Thursday, May 22 comes as China continues to ramp up its assertion of territorial claims in waters part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Half of the 35-meter vessels will be built locally, with OCEA providing technology transfer to Philippine shipyards, according to a statement by the PCG on Friday, May 23.
The deal also includes up to nine years of logistical maintenance support.
Besides having to deal with hostilities from Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea, the PCG has long had to operate with aging vessels and limited reach in the vast Philippine archipelago.
PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said the high-speed vessels will allow the Coast Guard to broaden its coverage across Philippine waters.
"Acquiring these assets will modernize the PCG Fleet, capacitating us to deploy mission-capable and high-speed vessels to further enhance maritime domain awareness and expand Coast Guard presence," Gavan said.
The PCG said the 40 fast patrol boats will allow it to facilitate faster and more effective responses to maritime threats, such as illegal fishing, smuggling, piracy and maritime terrorism.
This, while "enhancing interoperability with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and international partners," the PCG said.
The deal is financed through a government-to-government financing agreement under the Agreement on Financial and Development Cooperation between the Philippines and France.
PCG modernization. The acquisition of the 40 fast patrol boats is part of a broader Coast Guard modernization program that will see several new vessels added by 2028, including five 97-meter cutters from Japan that are part of a project worth P22.25 billion ($507 million) overall.
The Philippines and France have deepened their defense ties since signing a bilateral defense agreement in 2016.
French forces participated in the Balikatan joint exercises for the first time last year.
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