The Philippine Territory

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines said Saturday it is purchasing a French Navy vessel to boost its forces in the South China Sea where it has an ongoing territorial dispute with China.

The 26-year-old “La Tapageuse” vessel is likely to be the first of several French ships that will be acquired by the Philippine coastguard as it contends with increasingly assertive Chinese forces.

The 54.8-meter (180-foot) patrol ship will cost six million Euros ($7.97 million) and is due to arrive in the country by April next year, a coastguard statement said.


The ship, which is armed with two cannon and two machine-guns, was inspected before acquisition and is good for 20 more years of service, the coastguard said.

“This French vessel is multi-functional and it would be a major contribution to our fleet, particularly in our search and rescue operations,” coastguard chief Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena was quoted as saying in the statement.

The Philippines is also “finalizing” with the French government the purchase of four brand-new 24-meter and one 82-meter multipurpose vessels, Isorena said.

These new ships would arrive in the first quarter of 2015, the statement added, without specifying their cost.

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