Weapons Not Included in Warship
Philippines wanted
retained were its close-in weapons system, Bushmaster cannons, air search
radars and fire control system, but all its weapons in USCGS Dallas were
removed except for a 76-mm Oto Melara automatic cannon. (photo : alex w)
MANILA,
Philippines - The United States did not give in to a request by the Philippines
to include weapons and accessories in the second warship it will provide to the
Philippine Navy.
Defense
Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said during an interview over radio dzRH that US
Coast Guard ship Dallas would be similar to BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which had
been stripped of its weapons system before it was turned over to the
Philippines last year.
“Pareho lang
ng del Pilar (The same with del Pilar),” Gazmin said when asked whether the US
had granted the Philippines’ request to retain the armaments of Dallas.
Earlier,
officials asked the US to retain some key features of the Dallas but Navy chief
Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said the request was turned down last May 8.
Among the
ship’s features that Pama wanted retained were its close-in weapons system,
Bushmaster cannons, air search radars and fire control system.
Armed Forces
of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa and Philippine Fleet
commander Rear Admiral Jose Luis Alano will attend the symbolic turnover of the
ship on Wednesday (Manila time) at North Charleston, South Carolina.
US Coast
Guard ship Dallas will be renamed BRP Ramon Alcaraz, a torpedo boat commanding
officer during World War II. Alcaraz retired as a commodore of the Philippine
Fleet in 1966 and died in 2009.
“What we are
trying to prevent is the commission of transnational crimes that can affect our
economy like poaching, piracy and drug trafficking,” AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo
Burgos Jr. said.
“Our borders
are porous so we have to guard them closely and the acquisition of the
long-range cutter will help the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he added.
The Dallas
is an all-weather, high-endurance cutter and has features similar to that of
Gregorio del Pilar.
The cutter
was used mostly for drug and migrant interdiction, law enforcement, search and
rescue, living marine resources protection, and defense readiness.
The ship can
accommodate up to 180 officers and sailors.
(PhilStar)
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