The Philippine Navy has upgraded a trio of offshore patrol vessels with a submarine detection capability as part of a strategy to deploy groups of warships for maritime defense and deterrence.
The deployment of “surface action groups” is a departure from previous employment of individual warships to protect marine interests, navy spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos said last week.
“We will be veering away from the conduct of lone ship or ‘lone wolf’ operations, to the deployment of several warships at any given time,” he said.
“Now that we have a group of warships, which are (called) ‘surface action groups’ patrolling our seas, we can cover more of our areas and jurisdiction.”
Philippines; Navy upgrades surface combatants with ASW systems