BRP Ramon Alcaraz to arrive on Aug. 2 -- PN

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 31): BRP Ramon Alcaraz to arrive on Aug. 2 -- PN

The Philippine Navy (PN) on Wednesday announced that BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) will be arriving on Aug. 2, a day earlier than the announced Aug. 3.

Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic, PN spokesman, said the Filipino frigate's homecoming was advanced to give time to the officers and crew to prepare the ship for the Aug. 6 welcoming ceremonies where the guest-of-honor will be President Benigno S. Aquino III.

Prior to this, meeting point procedures and sail past will be held in Casiguran, Aurora and Bolinao, Pangasinan on coming Aug. 3 and 4.

Fabic said the meeting point procedure will be conducted by the officers and crew of the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-15), the first Hamilton-class cutter in Philippine service and the sister-ship of BRP Ramon Alcaraz.

Sail past is naval tradition where small merchant ships or fishing boats steam in two columns to greet and cheer a home bound warship.

Meanwhile, the soon-to-arrive BRP Ramon Alcaraz is armed with two Mark 38 Model 2 25mm "Bushmaster" auto-cannons aside from its 76mm Oto Melara main gun.

The weapons are placed at the port (left) and starboard (right) side amidship of the vessel.

The Mark 38 Model 2 25mm is one of the most effective close-in weapon systems in the world.

The weapon was commissioned by the US Navy following the terrorist attack on the USS Cole in 2000, was designed to counter high-speed maneuvering surface targets and will be installed in almost all US surface ships by 2015.

The remotely controlled chain gun system can fire as many as 180 25mm rounds per minute at targets as far as two kilometers.

The new weapons systems are upgraded versions of the Mark 38 M242 Bushmasters that were removed from the vessel prior to its turnover to the Philippines.

The Philippine embassy in Washington earlier reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the purchase and installation of two Mark 38 Model 2 25mm auto-canon systems for the BRP Ramon Alcaraz is part of a USD24-million contract the Pentagon awarded to BAE.

Capt. Elson Aguilar, naval attaché at the Philippine embassy, said the BAE contract involves the purchase of 21 units of the remotely controlled naval gun systems and spare parts for both the US and Philippine navies.

“The Mark 38 Model 2 25mm 'Bushmaster' will allow the BRP Ramon Alcaraz and the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar to track and fire at targets automatically in both day and night using single shot, low speed or high-speed automatic fire,” Aguilar said.

He added the auto-canon can be fired manually if the sensors are damaged or if the vessels lose power.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=549985