Philippines Receives 2 Israeli-Made Patrol Gunboats

The Philippines has received two more Acero-class patrol gunboats armed with Spike NLOS missiles from the Israeli Shipyards Ltd.

This was reported by the Philippine News Agency.

After commissioning, the number of boats of this type in the Philippine Navy will increase to eight. In total, the agreement includes nine boats, the last of which is scheduled for delivery this year or next year.

The total purchase price of these boats is $180 million. The program is part of the Philippine Armed Forces’ Horizon 2 modernization program approved in 2019.

“These two FAICs, to be designated with bow numbers PG-908 and PG-909, will be the seventh and the eighth fast boats under the Acero-class patrol vessels,” stated Philippine Navy spokesman Lt. Giovanni Badidles.

According to Badidles, these boats are designed for high-speed operations and equipped with modern missile systems and sophisticated onboard electronics. This improves the fleet’s ability to conduct fast and efficient operations at sea.

The first two Acero-class fast attack interdiction craft (FAIC) were delivered in September 2022 and commissioned two months later.

Acero boats

Acero gunboats have a displacement of 95 tons, a length of 32.65 m and a width of 6.2 m.

They can reach a maximum speed of 40 knots (74 kilometers per hour) and have a range of 1900 kilometers at 17 knots (28 kilometers per hour).

The boats are armed with a Mk.44 Bushmaster II 30mm automatic gun mounted on a Rafael Typhoon Mk 30-C combat module. There are also two additional 12.7 mm machine guns.

Four of the nine boats, including two delivered in September 2024, are armed with Spike NLOS missiles with a range of up to 25 km. The boats are not equipped with missile systems, but carry RHIB boats for special operations, which are deployed using a crane with a lifting capacity of up to 1 ton.

In May 2024, the governments of Japan and the Philippines finalized the formation of the largest maritime security project in the world. As part of it, the Japanese government will order five large patrol vessels for the Philippine Coast Guard from Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.