PH to receive 2 landing craft heavy ships from Australia

FILE PHOTO

The Philippine Navy will be commissioning into service two ships to be donated by Australia next week.

The two landing craft heavy ships are a gift from the Australian government to the Philippines and will be turned over to the Philippine Navy on July 23.

Philippine Navy flag officer in command, Vice Admiral Jesus Millan said the ships have been scheduled to arrive in the country by the first week of August.

Millan said the commissioning would be done in Australia while the christening of the two ships would be done in the Philippines.

The Philippine Navy chief is scheduled to go to Australia on July 20 while the turnover will be on July 23.

The ships, to be manned by 16 sailors, will be used primarily for troop transport and humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts.

Millan said the two ships would bear the Philippine flag once they set sail into the country.

“It will boost our capability because of the increase in number of landing craft heavy ships,” the official said.

The Philippine Navy currently has five landing craft heavy ships, but only three are operational.