The Philippine Navy (PN) on Tuesday clarified that dry-docking is not the same as undergoing repair.
Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic, Navy spokesperson, issued this statement in wake of reports (not in the PNA) that the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) is now undergoing repair.
"It project a wrong information to the public (that the ship is unserviceable) BRP Ramon is in dry-dock for the changing of her white paint to haze gray and installation of additional armaments. It is not undergoing repair," he added.
Dry-docking refers to the procedure where the entire ship is place in a large basin which is then empty of water so that inspection and maintenance work can be done below the vessel's waterline.
This includes painting and removal of marine growth that may gained a foothold in the hull.
The BRP Ramon Alcaraz went into dry-dock last Aug. 16.
Fabic declined to comment on where the frigate is citing operational security reasons.
"We can't reveal the exact location of the dry-dock for operational security reasons," Fabic stressed.
But some sources said that BRP Ramon Alcaraz is now undergoing overhaul at the dry-dock of the Keppel Batangas Shipyard.
The latter is a major shipcare center in the
Keppel Batangas Shipyard specializes in the repair, conversion and building of various types of vessels as well as the fabrication of marine and industrial structures.
The PN earlier said that the ship will be put in commission by mid-October.
It added that additional weapons like the two Mark 38 Model 2 25mm "Bushmasters" autocannon and four to six light machine guns will be fitted during the dry-docking period.
The Filipino frigate is presently armed with a quick-firing 76mm Oto Melara main gun which has a range of 20 nautical miles.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=561506
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