Australian shipbuilder Austal will be delivering six offshore patrol vessels for the Philippine Navy, the company confirmed on August 13.
The confirmation follows Philippine media reports from August 11, which said the Defence Secretary of the Philippines government, Delfin Lorenzana, announced that the Australian company would be delivering the vessels from its shipyard in Cebu.
“Whilst further details on the acquisition are not currently available, Austal can confirm that it has submitted a design based on the proven Austal Cape Class Patrol Boat (CCPB) to the Philippines Navy as part of the acquisition process,” the company said in a statement.
The submitted design is for a larger, more capable variant of Austal’s Cape-class vessels that are currently in operation with the Australian Border Force and Royal Australian Navy, and that was recently announced by the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago as its next maritime protection asset.
The variant developed for the Philippines is a circa 80-meter steel OPV which includes a dedicated helicopter flight deck and the latest technology in naval systems, including Austal’s MarineLink ship control system and ride control technology.
“Austal’s well established and very successful shipyard in the Philippines has produced high quality vessels for the worldwide market since 2012,” Austal CEO, David Singleton said. “Austal recently announced a major investment in the shipyard, which will treble its capacity and allow it to build the largest vessels that Austal currently designs. The Philippines shipyard employs hundreds of local people in a broad range of professional, technical and trade roles, and has been responsible for developing the local supply chain in addition to working with local universities and educational establishments.”