MANILA – Two newly acquired fast attack interdiction craft (FAIC) have successfully conducted their endurance run that took place from Oct. 12 to 17, the Philippine Navy (PN) reported late Thursday.
In a Facebook post, the Navy’s Littoral Combat Force (LCF) identified the two FAIC as the BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) and BRP Lolinato To-Ong (PG-902).
"They departed from East Commodore Posadas Wharf, Cavite enroute to the area of operation of Naval Forces West and Naval Forces Central and returned safely to Cavite City," the post said.
These are the first two of the nine FAIC acquired by the Philippines from Israel Shipyards for PHP10 billion. These vessels are named after two Philippine Marine Corps heroes and Medal of Valor recipients -- the late Private First Class Nestor Acero and the late 1st Lt. Lolinato To-Ong.
The FAIC were formally christened in rites at the PN headquarters in Manila last Sept. 6. They were sponsored by Soledad B. Bacarro, the wife of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro.
"This acquisition aims to strengthen the country's naval capability in terms of enhancing littoral defense and maritime interdiction operations as it will complement the previously acquired 12 MPAC (multi-purpose attack craft) of the PN," PN spokesperson Commander Benjo Negranza said earlier.
Three more FAIC are scheduled to be delivered starting this year while the remaining four units will be constructed at the PN shipyard in Naval Station Pascual Ledesma in Cavite City.
The 32-meter high-speed vessels are equipped with quick intercept ability, remote stabilized weapons, and short-range missiles that are capable of delivering precision strikes against larger hostiles and high-value targets on land and sea.
Four of the FAIC will be armed with non-line-of-sight (NLOS) missiles with pinpoint accuracy and a range of 25 kilometers while the other five will be armed with machine guns and light automatic cannons.
The acquisition of these FAIC is among the 2019 projects approved by former President Rodrigo Duterte under the Horizon 2 List of the Revised AFP Modernization Program.
Once deliveries of the FAIC are completed, these vessels can interdict surface threats and launch non-line-of-sight missiles safely using the surrounding littoral areas as maneuver space and cover.
(PNA)