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| The BRP Ramon Alcaraz leaving the US Coast Guard Base in Charleston, South Carolina on June 10, 2013. Photo take from Philippine Embassy in Washington c/o Elmer Cato. |
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| A "killer tomato" similar to the one above was used as a floating target by the BRP Ramon Alcaraz in its gun testing off the coast of Florida. Photo taken from US Navy website. |
A video of the ship leaving Charleston and the weapons testing is shown here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x02FBpMNNuo
The BRP Ramon Alcaraz headed to the entrance of Panama Canal for a historic crossing towards the Pacific Ocean side. She started the Panama Canal crossing on June 17, 2013.
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| The BRP Ramon Alcaraz crossing the Panama Canal. Photo taken from Timawa.net forum c/o Sarry15 using PanCanal.com webcam |
The ship also made a short stop at Balboa, Panama for refueling on June 18, 2013, afterwards continuing its journey to San Diego, California from June 19, 2013 and docking at the US Navy's San Diego Naval Base on June 28. A photo released by SeaWaves Magazine (see below) shows the Ramon Alcaraz docked beside the JMSDF amphibious vessel JDS Shimokita (LST-4002), which participated in the recently concluded Dawn Blitz 2013 exercises (covered here at MaxDefense, "Japan Joints US Dawn Blitz 2013 Amphibious Exercises - What's in it for the Philippines?")
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| The BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) docked at the San Diego Naval Base, just beside the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Ship JDS Shimokita (LST-4002). Photo taken from SeaWaves Magazine. |
MaxDefense will update the BRP Ramon Alcaraz's journey to the Philippines, until it reaches Manila Bay which is tentatively scheduled on the 1st week of August, 2013.
Mr. M. Montero: Thanks for the post about "BRP
ReplyDeleteAlcaraz'" plight...*can't wait for the next Cutter (which one is it?)-bound for the Phil. Navy.
Manny A.
No confirmation yet. Although the PN is still interested in getting another one. A complete turn around from their earlier announcement of "no more used ships" for the PN.
DeleteTHAT'S THE REASON WHY WE WILL BE THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THIS REGION, WE CANT GET OUR ACTS TOGETHER! "IT'S IN THE PIPELINE" "ALMOST A DONE DEAL" WTF!
DeleteIt is not specific to the Philippines. Even big and rich countries are in that type of decision making as they want to maximize their limited money on better deals.
DeleteBefore getting to subic, this ship should stop by China and say hi lol
ReplyDeleteHi, Max.
ReplyDeleteany confirmation if harpoon missile have been installed to BRP Alcaraz?
No Harpoons yet. But can confirm that its using a different surface search radar than the Gregorio del Pilar.
DeleteThank you for the news of BRP Ramon Alcaraz docking at San Diego Naval Base. I hope I can get time off from work to greet the ship and the crew. May God bless the voyage of the good ship Alcaraz.
ReplyDeleteLet us know if you can visit the ship. Dont forget the photos!
DeleteBased on the pics,there's no harpoon.
ReplyDeleteYes, its confirmed, no Harpoons yet.
DeleteWHATS THE PROBLEM OF PHIL NAVY CAN'T DECIDE WHAT THEY WANTS, JUST LIKE TALKING WITHOUT THINKING. COMPLETE TURN AROUND DECISION.
ReplyDeleteSo far they only "turned around" on the decision to buy Maestrale-class frigates, instead going for new ones.
DeleteFOR BRP ALCARAZ , CAN THE PHIL NAVY BUY 2 SET OF RBS 70, MISSILE LAUNCHER AND 20 MISSILE EXTRA FOR AIR DEFENSE JUST WORTH 6 MILLION DOLLAR? FIRE AND FORGET SYSTEM, 8 MILES EFFECTIVE RANGE ON MACH 2. SO WHEN FACE TO FACE WITH CHINESE BULLYS AT WE HAVE SOME SORT OF WEAPON TO SAY , RIGHT, MAX.
ReplyDeleteOUR BRP'S GOYO AND ALCARAZ COULD BE POTENT IF THE NAVY REALLY WANTS TO SPEND FEW MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, INSTALL EACH SHIP WITH 2X3 HARPOONS, THATS AT LEAST $11.5 MILLIONS PLUS 2 MISSILE LAUNCHERS OF RBS 70 BOLLIDE THATS ALSO $6 MILLIONS. FOR TWO NAVAL SHIP WILL ONLY COST $40 MILLION AWAY CHEAPER THAN BUYING A NEW $200 MILLION EACH. OUR BRP'S HAS NEW ENGINE SO IT IS STILL CAPABLE OF GOING AFTER THOSE CHINITOS. SO SIMPLE AS THAT. RIGHT MR. MAX.
ReplyDeleteLet's wait for a while. The PN is hell bent on arming the 2 WHECs with anti ship missiles and an ASW system.
DeleteThe Goyo and Alcaraz are 45 year old ships and shows a lot on the radar screen, A single Shipwreck can obliterate it without knowing what hit it. No RCS reduction, no air warning radar, no CIWS, no SSM, no SAM. Hand it over to the Coast Guard where they are of more use.
DeleteI feel sorry for our navy, we cant fight with this bully's in our hood. I wish we can donate $500.00 all Filipino base on overseas and buy weapons and aircraft for military. Like the F-18 hornets, land base missile battery, RBS 15, 200 mile range. Just to protect our sea boundary, and the bully's will think twice before crossing the lines. Somebody has to create a foundation for the cause of our military before they will grab a mother land. We only need $2 billion and we are now secured. 24 F-18 hornets, 12 Sukhoi 35, 10 missile battery, mobile. f-18 @ $40 mil, Sukhoi 35 @ $45 mil, missile battery @ $18 mil . For 10 million Filipinos abroad base @ $200.00-$500.00. it will help a lot. Our govt has a will to provide but congress and senate holds the ball. They are so cheap to get a approval only P75 billion for 5 years. not enough. They wasted more money in the drain by corruption than providing military hardware and weaponry to protect our territory.
ReplyDeleteVery disgusting don't you know that.
OUR MILITARY TOP GUYS ARE SMART, NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT, BUT THE PROBLEM IS OUR CULTURE AS A FILIPINO, NO ONE WANTS TO STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID TO LOOSE THERE JOB, EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO BY THE FLOW TO KEEP THE JOB. THAS WHY WE CAN'T BLAME THOSE GUYS TOO.
ReplyDeleteWE ARE LUCKY THAT WE HAVE PINOY A PRESIDENT A U.S. WILL EDUCATED , WHO HAS A GUTS TO FIGHT WHAT IS RIGHT, BUT STILL NOT ENOUGH, HE IS SORROUNDED WITH A CENTURY OLD CULTURE OF CORRUPTION SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE PILIPINO BORN WITH THAT KIND OF LIFE.
AT LEAST THERE IS A BEGINNING, WHO KNOWS THE MAGIC WILL STAY AS IT IS. PINOY IS THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY, HOPE HE WILL BE RE-ELECTED FOR ANOTHER TERM, JUST TO FINISH THE PROMISED STRONG NAVY AND AIR FORCE THAT PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR. EVEN US IN THE U.S. BASED FILIPINO ARE ALSO EAGER AND PROUD TO SEE THE FUTURE OF OUR AIR FORCE AND NAVY,WITH HIGHLY ADVANCE AND MODERN WARFARE EQIPMENT.
IF THE BRP HAS LYNX OR NH60 ANTI SUB HELICOPTER SOON? THE NAVAL SHIP BRP DOESNT NEED TORPEDOS NO MORE JUST TO SAVE SOME MONEY AND DEAD WEIGHT OF THE SHIP,RIGHT, THE MOST IMPORTANT IF THE NAVY SHOULD JUST GO WITH THE HARPOONS AND ANTI-AIR MISSILE, THE MANPADS RBS 70 NG, BOLLIDES
ReplyDeleteWhich BRP? If you mean the Gregorio del Pilar-class, then I'm hate to burst your bubble but Super Lynx / Wildcat and NH90 ASW can't fit these ships because of the small hangar. The PN is looking at smaller helicopters to fit the ship's hangar. See the previous blogs for more information.
DeleteMr. Max. Aside from the AW109 what other helis can fit in Goyo's hangar?
Delete