The Japan Coast Guard Kunigami-class large patrol vessels. Photo c/o Chuck Hill's blog.









The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has started preparing for the limited tender to construct and deliver two (2) new 94-meter patrol vessels from Japanese shipbuilders, as part of the agency’s Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project Phase II programme.





The funds for these vessels will be provided via development soft loan from the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Among the agreements with the loan is to allow only Japanese shipbuilders to supply the ships.





According to the report of MaxDefense Philippines, Japan Marine United (JMU), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (MES) are competing for the project, which would be based on the Japan Coast Guard’s Kunigami-class large patrol vessel.





Delivery is expected to be made starting 2021, should the project be finalized within the year.





The ships will be around 94 meters long, 11.5 meters wide, weighs around 2,300 tons, can run a maximum of 24 knots and powered by 2 diesel engines with allocation for a possible use of electric drive motors. It will have a range of around 4,000 nautical miles and an endurance of more than 15 days.





It would have a helicopter landing deck and hangar for a medium helicopter, and two 8-meter boats lowered by davit cranes.





The PCG also required for a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to be included in the ship.







