On 21 June the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported that the Philippine Navy (PN) is aiming to operationalise its anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities through integrating its most modern naval and air assets to ensure development by the end of this year.
“The focus of the commander, Philippine Fleet, Rear Admiral Renato David, this year, is to fully develop the Navy’s ASW capabilities, so specifically on the integration of the JRCFs (Jose Rizal Class Frigates) and the AW-159s (Wildcat ASW helicopters),” PN spokesperson Commander John Alcos said in an exclusive interview with the PNA on Friday.
Without divulging operational details, Commander Alcos said they are now holding ASW exercises between these assets. “Now it’s well underway, but like any warfighting capability it takes a lot of time before we fully develop these capabilities, what is important is, the interoperability between the newly-acquired platforms is well underway and proceeding as scheduled,” he added.
These frigates and helicopters are the PN’s first platforms to have a dedicated ASW capability. Currently, the PN has two JRCFs — the BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna, which were both delivered and commissioned in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
It also has two AW-159s in service and these aircraft were acquired in 2019 to beef up the submarine detection and neutralization capabilities of the JRCFs. While the JRCFs and AW-159s are capable of doing ASW missions autonomously, Commander Alcos said ensuring that these platforms are able to operate with each other will further enhance their capabilities aside from increasing their range.
Source: PNA
