Philippine Navy

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Revision as of 23:59, 27 September 2011

The Philippine Navy (PN) is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas.

Philippine Navy ships are prefixed BRP (Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas; in English, "Ship of the Republic of the Philippines").

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History

Early History

Philippine Revolution (1896-1899) and First Philippine Republic (1899-1901)

The need of a naval force was illustrated when the Filipino revolutionaries included a provision in the Biak-na-Bato Constitution authorizing the government to license privateers to attack enemy (i.e., Spanish) vessels.

In the English version of the same constitution, it was stipulated that after the army was organized, another such force should be created for the protection of the coasts of the Philippines and its seas, with a Secretary of the Navy being appointed to head this force.

During the Philippine Revolution, General Emilio Aguinaldo formed the Revolutionary Navy, consisting of the pinnace Magdalo and several steam launches, captured from the Spanish. The Navy refitted these for war and moved troops, arms, and supplies to the provinces. The Navy played a major role during the raid against the Spanish garrison and magazine on Bacoor Bay, the first amphibious assault by the Revolutionary Navy.

The fleet was later reinforced by armed merchant ships, including the Taaleño, the Balayan, the Bulusan, and the Purisima Concepcion, which were donated to the Navy. Another significant addition was the 800-ton steamer Compania de Filipinas, which belonged to the Compania General de Tabacos de Filipinas and was seized by the Cuban Vicente Catalan, who hoisted the Filipino flag on the ship and proclaimed himself Admiral of the Filipino Navy. The Germans then objected to the flying of the Filipino flag and the French, who claimed that they owned the ship, demanded its return.

Aguinaldo continued deploying the navy to various islands of the country to engage the Spanish forces and rally the Filipinos. On June 23, 1898, Aguinaldo officially established the Ministry of Foreign Relations and placed the bureaus of diplomacy, navy, and commerce under it.

On September 26, 1898, as tensions with the United States of America grew after the fall of Manila, Aguinaldo appointed Pascual Ledesma as the first Director of the Navy. In October 1898, U.S. Navy Commodore George Dewey began seizing vessels flying the Philippine flag. On January 21, 1899, the Malolos Constitution was passed and made the President of the new First Philippine Republic the commander-in-chief of the Army and the Navy and transferred the Bureau of the Navy from the Ministry of Foreign Relations to the Department of War, which thereafter became known as the Department of War and the Navy.

Dewey also began a naval blockade to prevent Aguinaldo's forces from conducting further operations, resulting in the complete destruction of Philippine Republic naval forces by 1901.

American Colonial Government (1901-1941)

The American colonial government in the Philippines created the Bureau of the Coast Guard and Transportation, which aimed to maintain peace and order, transport Philippine Constabulary troops throughout the archipelago, and to guard against smuggling and piracy. The Americans employed many Filipino sailors in this bureau and in the Bureaus of Customs and Immigration, Island and Inter-Island Transportation, Coast and Geodetic Survey, and Lighthouses.

The Americans also reopened the former Spanish colonial Escuela Nautica de Manila, which was renamed the Philippine Nautical School, adopting the methods of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. The U.S. Naval Academy accepted its first Filipino midshipman in 1919, and Filipinos were able to enlist in the U.S. Navy, just as they were formerly able to do in the Spanish Navy.

World War II (1941-1945)

In 1935, the Commonwealth Government passed the National Defense Act, which aimed to ensure the security of the country. This was criticized because it placed the burden of the defense of the Philippines on ground forces, which in turn, was formed from reservists. It discounted the need for a Commonwealth air force and navy, and naval protection was provided by the United States Asiatic Fleet.

When World War II began, the Philippines practically had no naval forces after the United States withdrew the Asiatic Fleet after Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Philippines had to rely on its Offshore Patrol, composed of high-speed Thorneycroft Coast Motor Boat (CMB) 55-foot and 65-foot torpedo boats, to repel Japanese attacks from the sea.

During the course of the war, surviving units of the Offshore Patrol conducted hit-and-run attacks against the occupying Japanese forces.

Contemporary History (1946-present)

In 1945, after the liberation of the Philippines, the Offshore Patrol was reactivated and was strengthened in 1947 after President of the Philippines Manuel Roxas issued Executive Order No. 94. This order elevated the Patrol to a major command that was equal with the Army, Constabulary, and Air Force. The Patrol was renamed the Philippine Naval Patrol, with Jose Andrada as its first commodore and chief.

In 1950, Secretary of Defense Ramon Magsaysay created a Marine battalion with which to carry out amphibious attacks against the Communist Hukbalahap movement. The next year, President Elpidio Quirino issued Executive Order No. 389, re-designating the Philippine Naval Patrol as the Philippine Navy. It was to be composed of all naval and Marine forces, combat vessels, auxiliary craft, naval aircraft, shore installations, and supporting units that were necessary to carry out all functions of the service.

In the succeeding decades, the Philippine Navy organized the following units (aside from the Marines):

• Naval Shore Establishment
• Naval Operating Forces
• Philippine Coast Guard
• Home Defense Command
• Military Sealift and Terminal Command

By the 1960s, the Philippine Navy was one of the best-equipped navies in Southeast Asia. Many of the countries in the region that had gained independence between World War II and the 1960s, such as Indonesia, sought assistance from the Philippine Navy in organizing their own navies. In 1967, the maritime law enforcement functions of the Navy were transferred to the Philippine Coast Guard.

For most of the succeeding decades, the government had to shift its attention towards the Communist insurgency. This focus forced the government to strengthen the Philippine Army and the Philippine Air Force. Naval operations were confined to troop transport, naval gunfire support, and blockade.

Organization

The Philippine Navy is administered through the Department of National Defense (DND). Under the AFP structure, the Chief of Staff, AFP (CSAFP), a four-star general, is the most senior military officer. The senior naval officer is the Flag Officer-in-Command (FOIC), usually with a rank of vice-admiral. He or she, along with his or her Air Force and Army counterparts, is junior only to the CSAFP. The FOIC is solely responsible for the administration and operational status of the Navy.

Currently the Navy establishment is actually composed of two (2) type commands, the Philippine Fleet and Philippine Marine Corps (PMC). It is further organized into six (6) Naval Operational Commands, six (6) Naval Support Commands, and four (4) Naval Support Units. Considering the vastness of the territorial waters that the Navy has to protect and defend, optimal deployment of naval resources is achieved through identification of suitable locations where the presence of these units are capable of delivering responsive services.

The Philippine Fleet, or simply the "Fleet", is under the direct command of the FOIC while the Marine Corps is answerable to the Commandant, PMC (CPMC). However, due to the fact that the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) is a large part of the Philippine Navy, the FOIC retains much administrative control over the PMC.

Fleets

The Philippine Navy has only one fleet, the Philippine Fleet. The terms "Philippine Navy" and "Philippine Fleet" are interchangeable. As a type command, the Fleet has four (4) major units: the Ready Force, Assault Craft Force, Patrol Force, and Service Force; one (1) support group, the Fleet Support Group; and two (2) special units, the Naval Air Group and Naval Special Warfare Group.

Marines

The Philippine Marine Corps is organized into three (3) active-duty Marine Brigades (comprising a total of ten (10) Marine battalions); the 4th Marine Brigade (Reserve); the Combat Service and Support Brigade; the Marine Security and Escort Group; and various support and independent units.

Inventory

Ships in Service

Frigate

Rajah Humabon ClassArmed with Boeing Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile

• PF 11 BRP Rajah Humabon

Corvettes

Jacinto Class Armed with Boeing Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile

• PS 35 BRP Emilio Jacinto
• PS 36 BRP Apolinario Mabini
• PS 37 BRP Artemio Ricarte

Quezon Class

• PS 70 BRP Quezon
• PS 74 BRP Rizal

Magat Salamat Class

• PS 20 BRP Magat Salamat

Miguel Malvar Class

• PS 19 BRP Miguel Malvar
• PS 22 BRP Sultan Kudarat
• PS 23 BRP Datu Marikudo
• PS 28 BRP Cebu
• PS 29 BRP Negros Occidental
• PS 31 BRP Pangasinan
• PS 32 BRP Iloilo

Patrol Craft

Mariano Alvarez Class

• PS 38 BRP Mariano Alvarez

Aguinaldo Class

• PG 140 BRP Mariano Alvarez
• PG 141 BRP Antonio Luna

Kagitingan Class

• PG 101 BRP Kagitingan
• PG 102 BRP Bagong Lakas
• PG 104 BRP Bagong Silang

Tomas Batillo Class

• PG 110 BRP Tomas Batillo
• PG 111 BRP Boni Serrano
• PG 112 BRP Bienvenido Salting
• PG 114 BRP Salvador Abcede
• PG 115 BRP Ramon Aguirre
• PG 116 BRP Nicolas Mahusay

Conrado Yap Class

• PG 844 BRP Jose Artiaga
• PG 847 BRP Leopoldo Regis
• PG 851 BRP Apollo Tiano
• PG 853 BRP Sulpicio Fernandez

Jose Andrada Class

• PG 370 BRP Jose Andrada
• PG 371 BRP Enrique Jurado
• PG 372 BRP Alfredo Peckson
• PG 374 BRP Simeon Castro
• PG 375 BRP Carlos Albert
• PG 376 BRP Heracleo Alano
• PG 377 BRP Liberato Picar
• PG 378 BRP Hilario Ruiz
• PG 379 BRP Rafael Pargas
• PG 380 BRP Estor Reinoso
• PG 381 BRP Dioscoro Papa
• PG 383 BRP Ismael Lomibao
• PG 384 BRP Leovigildo Gantioqui
• PG 385 BRP Federico Martir
• PG 386 BRP Filipino Flojo
• PG 387 BRP Anastacio Cacayorin
• PG 388 BRP Manuel Gomez
• PG 389 BRP Teotimo Figoracion
• PG 390 BRP Jose Loor Sr.
• PG 392 BRP Juan Magluyan
• PG 393 BRP Florencio Inigo
• PG 394 BRP Alberto Navarette
• PG 395 BRP Felix Apolinario
• PG 396 BRP Abraham Campo

Amphibious Ships

ex-WW2 LST 512-1152 Class

• LT 86 BRP Zamboanga del Sur
• LT 87 BRP South Cotabato
• LT 501 BRP Laguna
• LT 504 BRP Lanao del Norte
• LT 507 BRP Benguet
• LT 516 BRP Kalinga Apayao

Bacolod City Class

• LC 550 BRP Bacolod City
• LC 551 BRP Dagupan City

Auxilliary Ships

• AT 25 BRP Ang Pangulo (Presidential Yacht)
• AT 291 BRP Subanon
• AT 293 BRP Bagobo
• AS 71 BRP Mangyan
• AW 33 BRP Lake Buluan
• AW 34 BRP Lake Paoay
• AF 72 BRP Lake Taal
• AF 78 BRP Lake Buhi

Aircraft

Fixed-wing

• Beechcraft C-12J Huron
• Britten-Norman Islander
• Douglas A-4F Skyhawk
• Grumman A-6E Intruder
• Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II
• Lockheed C-130H Hercules

Helicopters

• Aérospatiale Super Frelon
• Bell AH-1J SuperCobra
• Bell UH-1H Iroquois
• Bell 412
• Sikorsky MH-60 Knight Hawk
• Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk