READY, AIM, FIRE!

2 modern battleships named after Pinoy heroes Antonio Luna, Jose Rizal defend

By Rex Anthony Naval

WHILE its primarily role is to protect the country’s vast maritime territories from hostile incursions, the BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), one of the two brand-new missile frigates in Philippine Navy (PN) service, is also upgrading the proficiency of next-generation seagoing officers on how to fight modern naval battles through its state-of-the-art combat management systems.

Officially known as the Naval Shield Combat Management System (NSCMS) and installed on BRP Antonio Luna and its sister ship BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), this platform literally serves as the brains of the vessel and consists of onboard sensors that detect and monitor incoming surface, air and sub-surface threats.

NSCMS also provides weapons options that can neutralize hostiles. It even shows what kind or the best type of countermeasures can be deployed in actual sea combat situations.

Onboard training

NAVAL personnel from the offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) got a glimpse of BRP Antonio Luna’s NSCMS during their scheduled “informational program visit” (IPV) on January 12 and 13.

“BRP Antonio Luna has served a productive and purposeful local informational program visit to the students of NSCMS of BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) last 12-13 January 2023,” the missile frigate staff said on its Facebook page.

The exposure to NSCMS provided these naval personnel with insights on how a modern frigate operates. “Said IPV gave the students an adequate knowledge and practical training that equipped them to understand the sophisticated systems aboard ship, and have raised their level of appreciation when it comes to modern naval warfare. More so, this IPV helped the officers and personnel to be more prepared for their future roles as warfare directors and operations specialists,” the post added.

Th is is the second visit of the Ramon Alcaraz crew to the BRP Antonio Luna for a local IPV and onthe-job training of their students in connection with their NSCMS familiarization course.

FF-151 is indeed grateful to have showcased the warship’s modern systems and capabilities to the CIC [combat information center] team of PS-16,” the FB post added.

Both BRP Antonio Luna and BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) are modern warships capable of surface, sub-surface, air and electronic warfare using state-of-the-art electronic sensors, long-range missiles, acoustic guided torpedoes and embarked anti-submarine helicopters.

The contract for the two ships was placed at P16 billion with another P2 billion for weapon systems and munitions. The Navy’s shooting ship—like its namesake, the fiery Philippine-American War general—the BRP Antonio Luna really knows how to shoot.

RIMPAC placer

THIS was after the Filipino ship won third place in the 2022 iteration of the “Rim of the Pacific” (RIMPAC) Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) Rodeo, which was part of the at-sea phase of the biennial maneuvers done to promote regional stability in the Pacific region. In this exercise, the ship fired its Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid Multi-Feeding (SRMF) gun.

“NSFS Rodeo is a naval gunfire accuracy competition where participants are given a two-dimensional virtual land target information by the designated naval gunfire liaison officer. Participants have a practice run for gunfire correction prior to proceeding for the record firing. Performance reports are provided by the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) using its computerized evaluation system,” PN spokesperson Commander Benjo Negranza said in an earlier statement.

In a contest where 17 naval ships from other countries participated, the PN’s BRP Antonio Luna won third place with only an eight-meter difference from the first placer, USS Mobile Bay (CG53), and four meters off the second placer ARM Benito Juarez of Mexico (POLA-101).

This achievement manifested that the PN is capable of being on a par with the best navies in the world, which RIMPAC 2022 has helped validate by providing resources and an environment that permits multinational participants to achieve their individual and collective training objectives,” Negranza said.

The feat may be considered more impressive as it is Antonio Luna’s first time to participate in the RIMPAC. BRP Antonio Luna was delivered last February 9, 2021, and formally commissioned to PN service on March 13 of that same year.

A bout 25,000 personnel from 26 nations participated in the 2022 iteration of RIMPAC, which was first held in 1971. The 2022 iteration of RIMPAC began on June 29 and concluded on August 4.

The PN’s participation in RIMPAC 2022, themed “Capable, Adaptive Partners,” is the third after its maiden participation in 2018 and its sophomore run in 2020.

In the 2018 RIMPAC, the Navy deployed the offshore patrol vessel BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17) and landing dock BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602). In the 2020 iteration of the maritime exercise, the PN sent the BRP Jose Rizal, which was delivered on May 23, 2020, and commissioned on July 10 of the same year. Shortly after its commissioning, BRP Jose Rizal was deployed for the 2022 RIMPAC. Both the BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna are capable of anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and electronic warfare operations.

‘DAGIT-PA’ exposure

NOT content with its RIMPAC 2022 citation, BRP Antonio Luna demonstrated its advanced weapons and sensor capabilities during naval shore bombardment and air defense drills during the “DAGITPA” exercises, which ran from November 7 to 18 last year. DAGIT-PA stands for “Dagat-Langit-Lupa,” which focuses on enhancing the readiness of the Philippine Army, PN, and Air Force in joint operations that mirror a real-world scenario.

L ast year’s DAGIT-PA is the sixth iteration of the joint exercise unilaterally conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

In this annual exercise, the BRP Antonio Luna simulated the firing of its Oto Melara 76mm SRMF gun during a NSFS exercise at Brooke’s Point, Palawan. NSFS is defined as shore bombardment, which aligns with the objective by destroying or neutralizing defenses that oppose landing and troop advancement.

“In advantage, the rapid loading ability of naval guns such as the 76mm SRMF makes it possible to deliver a large volume of fire in a short period of time, and their small dispersion and deflections make them effective and valuable for close support fire of troops,” the post on BRP Antonio Luna read.

A side from the NSFS, BRP Antonio Luna also successfully participated in simulating the detection and engagement of air contacts.

Both BRP Antonio Luna and BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) are equipped with MBDA Mistral 3 surface-toair missiles.

“DAGIT-PA exercise thru