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| BRP Gregorio del Pilar |
By: Abigail Kwok
MANILA, Philippines - Newly-installed Navy flag officer in command Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano wants to retire the country's old and "antiquated" ships and replace them with new ones to better protect the country's territorial waters.
Alano, in his speech at the turnover ceremonies on Wednesday, said these old ships were deemed "excess baggage" for the country's naval force and he vowed to "rationalize current operational assets, review the modernization program, taking a deliberate look at the phase-in and phase-out scheme."
Alano replaced Vice Admiral Alexander Pama.
Alano, who once served as the head of the country's Navy Fleet, said he would recommend equipment that would make the Navy a "relevant" force in defending the country's territory, amid the ongoing dispute with China over islands in the West Philippine Sea.
Read the full story at InterAksyon