New Navy chief rallies personnel to work as one

From Malaya Business Insight (Dec 22): New Navy chief rallies personnel to work as one

ACTING Navy chief Rear Adm. Robert Empedrad asked Navy personnel “to work as a team” in the wake of the unceremonious relief of his predecessor, Vice Adm. Ronald Joseph Mercado.

Empredad also said the Navy’s frigate acquisition program, which caused the controversy, is proceeding as scheduled.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he lost trust and confidence in Mercado’s integrity   and recommended his relief to President Duterte.

Lorenzana said Mercado had been favoring a combat management system manufactured by Thales Group of France to be be installed in the two frigates being built by Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea.

Lorenzana said Mercado had been insisting on the installation of the Thales Group equipment despite three directives to abandon this stance. He said Mercado’s insistence was tantamount to insubordination.

Lorenzana added it is up to Hyundai Heavy Industries to decide on the CMS brand that would be installed. Anyway, he said, the CMS would be checked if they passed the specifications set in the contract signed.

The two frigates are being built by the Korean firm for P18 billion, including the weapon systems, under the AFP’s modernization program. The firm bagged the contract last year.

Many officers have expressed support for Mercado, saying he was merely pushing for a superior CMS produced by Thales Group.

“He is only after the better equipment for our frigates,” one of the officials said.

Sources said Hyundai Heavy Industries was planning to install CMS produced by Hanwha of South Korea. Hanwah’s CMS is reportedly less capable than that of the Thales Group but is cheaper.

“The Navy is a very dynamic organization and I am happy to be at the helm of the Navy. And I would ask the all the members of the Navy, sailors and marines, let’s work as a team so that we can move on with our vision for the Navy which is to be a strong Navy and credible Navy that we can be proud of,” said Empedrad.

Empedrad also said that the frigate acquisition program is on track, contrary to Lorenzana’s earlier pronouncement that it is four months delayed due to Mercado’s fixation.

“The frigate (acquisition) is not delayed. It’s continuing and the delivery time is still the same and we are going to process that. It should be delivered first quarter of 2020...It’s within the timeline,” he said.

Empedrad said the Navy is making preparations in the handling of the frigates upon delivery.

“There are a lot of problems that goes with the frigate -- how to prepare the Philippine Navy for the frigate is the most important one,” he said.

Empedrad said another challenge they are trying to address is where to dock the frigates once they arrive and where to source the missiles and torpedoes that would be loaded to the warships.

Empedrad expressed gratitude to President Duterte for choosing him to be the acting Navy chief, saying: “I am happy and I am going to do my job, as a soldier, as the flag-officer-in-command.”

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/new-navy-chief-rallies-personnel-work-one