BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) | |
History | |
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Philippines | |
Name | BRP Nestor Acero |
Namesake | Private First Class Nestor Acero, PN (Marines), Philippine Medal of Valor Awardee |
Builder | Israel Shipyards Ltd. |
Launched | 26 June 2022 |
Acquired | 06 September 2022 |
Commissioned | 28 November 2022 |
Status | in active service |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Acero-class gunboat |
Displacement | 95 tons full load [1] |
Length | 32.65 m (107 ft 1 in) [2] |
Beam | 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) max [2] |
Draft | 0.38 m (1.25 ft) [1] |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | greater than 40 knots (74 km/h) maximum |
Range | 1,000 nmi (1,900 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
Complement | 12 [2] |
Sensors and processing systems | |
Armament |
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BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) is lead ship of the Acero-class patrol gunboats of the Philippine Navy. She was commissioned with the Philippine Navy on 28 November 2022 and is currently in active service with the Littoral Combat Force, Philippine Fleet. [4]
Private First Class Nestor F. Acero, PN (Marines) was an enlisted Marine of the Philippine Marine Corps and a recipient the Philippines' highest military award for courage, the Medal of Valor. [5]
Acero was assigned as rifleman in the 7th Marine Company in Jolo, Sulu on 26–27 November 1972 when his company along with the 8th Marine Company assaulted a hill defended by approximately 500 Moro rebels. [6] The marines encountered heavy resistance and took casualties. A withdrawal was eventually ordered from Battalion level. Acero however, was nursing a wounded comrade and elected to cover the withdrawal of the rest of his unit. He was killed in action.
In 2019, the Philippine Navy raised a requirement to procure a new class of coastal patrol interdiction craft (CPIC) that would be missile-capable and are based on Israel's Shaldag V patrol boat design, [7] and would replace the Tomas Batilo-class fast attack crafts that have been retired in service. [4] [8]
A contract was signed between the (DND), Israel Shipyards Ltd. and Israeli Ministry of Defense on 9 February 2021, with the Notice to Proceed to start the effectivity of the contract released on 27 April 2021. [4] [9]
The first boat of the class, the Nestor Acero (901), was launched on 26 June 2022, and became the basis for the class' name. [4] [10] The boat arrived in the Philippines together with its sistership Lolinato To-ong (PG-902) in early September 2022, and was christened as the BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) on 6 September 2022. [4] [11] Both boats were commissioned with the Philippine Navy on 28 November 2022 and was assigned with the Littoral Combat Force. [4] [12] These were the first two ships delivered and commissioned out of nine initial Fast Attack Interdiction Crafts ordered by the Philippine Navy for this project. [13]
The hull number's use of "PG" indicates that the boats are classified as Patrol Gunboats based on Philippine Navy's 2016 naming classification standards.
The ship class was designed to carry one bow-mounted Mk.44 Bushmaster II autocannon mounted on Rafael Typhoon Mk 30-C remote-controlled weapon station, and two M2HB Browning 12.7 mm/50-cal. heavy machine guns mounted on Rafael Mini Typhoon remote-controlled weapon stations.
It is also one of the few ships of the class that did not have a Rafael Typhoon MLS-NLOS missile launcher for Spike-NLOS surface-to-surface missiles upon its commissioning, although the boat was fitted for the missile launcher there are plans to integrate such weapon in the future. [13]
The Nestor Acero was deployed to the Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command's area of responsibility and arrived Ensign Majini Pier, Naval Station Romulo Espaldon in Zamboanga City on December 08, 2022. [14]
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and they generally range in size. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, police, or customs, and may be intended for marine, estuarine, or river environments.
The Philippine Navy (PN) is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an estimated strength of 24,500 active service personnel, including the 10,300-strong Philippine Marine Corps. It operates 90 combat vessels, 16 auxiliary vessels, 25 manned aircraft and 8 unmanned aerial vehicles. Tracing its roots from the Philippine Revolutionary Navy on May 20, 1898, while its modern foundations were created during the creation of the Offshore Patrol on February 9, 1939, the PN is currently responsible for naval warfare operations and maritime patrol missions within the Philippine Waters, as well as ensuring the protection of the Philippine's maritime interests, including the South China Sea and Benham Rise.
The Typhoon is a type of remote weapon station manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, and it shares similar design principles and common technologies with Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station, a land-based system manufactured by the same developer. Like Samson RCWS, Typhoon is also multi-configurable.
The Shaldag-class patrol boat is a small but fast class of patrol boats developed for the Israeli Navy and launched in 1989, it has since seen service with several other navies.
BRP Liberato Picar (PC-377) is the seventh ship of the Jose Andrada class coastal patrol boats of the Philippine Navy. It is part of the first batch of its class ordered through US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in 1990, and was commissioned with the Philippine Navy in January 1992. It was initially designated as Fast Patrol Craft, and was numbered "DF-377", but later on was re-designated as Patrol Gunboat "PG-377". Another round of reclassification was made in April 2016, which redesignated the patrol gunboat as the coastal patrol craft PC-377.
BRP Nestor Reinoso (PC-380) is the tenth ship of the Jose Andrada class coastal patrol boats of the Philippine Navy. It is part of the second batch of its class ordered through US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in 1993, and was commissioned with the Philippine Navy on 1 June 1995.
BRP Dionisio Ojeda (PC-117) was a Tomas Batilo-class fast attack craft of the Philippine Navy. It was part of the second batch transferred by the South Korean government in 2006. It was formally commissioned with the Philippine Navy in 2007.
The Tomas Batilo class was a ship class of eight patrol boats that were previously service of the Philippine Navy. These ships were formerly used by the South Korean Navy as Chamsuri/Wildcat class fast attack crafts. All eight ships have been retired from active service, with two units lost in separate incidents while the rest are in different state of disposal.
The Multi-Purpose Assault Craft (MPAC) is a type of fast attack assault craft developed for the Philippine Navy. Originally designed to transport troops at a high speed and then land them on the beach, they have since expanded their roles to include interdiction, surface warfare, and search and rescue.
BRP Filipino Flojo (PC-386) is the fifteenth ship of the Jose Andrada-class patrol craft coastal patrol craft of the Philippine Navy. It is part of the second batch of its class ordered through US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in 1993, and was commissioned with the Philippine Navy on 22 May 1996. She is currently in active service with the Littoral Combat Force, Philippine Fleet.
Nestor F. Acero was an enlisted Marine of the Philippine Marine Corps and a recipient the Philippines' highest military award for courage, the Medal of Valor. Acero was assigned as rifleman in the 7th Marine Company in Jolo, Sulu on 26–27 November 1972 when his company along with the 8th Marine Company assaulted a hill defended by approximately 500 Moro rebels. The marines encountered heavy resistance and took casualties. A withdrawal was eventually ordered from Battalion level. Acero however, was nursing a wounded comrade and elected to cover the withdrawal of the rest of his unit. He was killed in action.
BRP Anastacio Cacayorin (PC-387) is the sixteenth ship of the Jose Andrada-class patrol craft coastal patrol craft of the Philippine Navy. She was commissioned in 1996 and is currently in active service with the Littoral Combat Force, Philippine Fleet.
The Acero class is a class of patrol gunboats based on the Israel Shaldag V design that are in service with the Philippine Navy.
BRP Lolinato To-ong (PG-902) is second ship of the class of the Acero-class patrol gunboat of the Philippine Navy. She was commissioned with the Philippine Navy on 28 November 2022 and is currently in active service with the Littoral Combat Force, Philippine Fleet.
BRP Gener Tinangag (PG-903) is third ship of the class of the Acero-class patrol gunboat of the Philippine Navy. She was commissioned during the 125th Philippine Navy Anniversary on May 26, 2023.
BRP Domingo Deluana (PG-905) is fourth ship of the class of the Acero-class patrol gunboat of the Philippine Navy. She was commissioned during the 125th Philippine Navy Anniversary on May 26, 2023.
BRP Herminigildo Yurong (PG-906) is the fifth ship of the Acero-class patrol gunboat of the Philippine Navy. She was commissioned on 21 May 2024, just before the Philippine Navy's 126th Anniversary.
BRP Laurence Narag (PG-907) is the sixth ship of the Acero-class patrol gunboat of the Philippine Navy. She was commissioned on 21 May 2024, just before the Philippine Navy's 126th Anniversary.