By Priam Nepomuceno

MANILA – The Philippines’ Offshore Combat Force now has assets equipped with anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, a Philippine Navy (PN) official said Thursday.
“Almost all of our Offshore Combat (Force) ships belonging to the Philippine Fleet (PF) already have ASW capabilities,” PN spokesperson Capt. John Percie Alcos said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency when asked whether Filipino warships to be used for the deployment of “surface action groups” have this capacity.
Alcos said the Navy is eyeing the deployment of surface action groups or a naval task force composed of multiple vessels designed for surface warfare missions to increase patrols on the Philippines’ maritime territories.
Meanwhile, ASW refers to the capability to detect, locate, and if necessary, damage or sink hostile submarines found in the country’s waters.
Some of the major assets of the Offshore Combat Force that have this capability include the guided-missile frigates BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and its sister ship BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), which are fitted with sonars and weapon systems that can detect and take out enemy submarines.
Adding to these capabilities are the two AW-159 “Wildcat” ASW helicopters, which are equipped with dipping sonars and anti-submarine torpedoes, and embarked aboard these two ships to further enhance the anti-submarine capabilities.
Another ASW-capable ship of the PF is the BRP Conrado Yap (PS-30), the ex-Pohang-class corvette donated by the South Korean to the PN in 2019.
Aside from this, Alcos said the three Gregorio Del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessels were upgraded and equipped with sonars allowing these to detect submarines if needed.
“We have already upgraded our Del Pilar-class (offshore patrol vessels), now they are equipped with sonars,” he added.
The number of PF assets with ASW capabilities will be increased once the two guided missile corvettes and six offshore patrol vessels now undergoing construction in South Korea are delivered within the next two years. (PNA)