2 Anti Submarine Chopper; US Warship Anew make a portcall in Manila Bay

USS Gridley (DDG-101) is the fifty-first Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy | Displacement: 9,200 long tons (9,300 t) |  Length: 509 ft 6 in (155.30 m) | Beam: 66 ft (20 m) |  Draught: 31 ft (9.4 m) |  Propulsion: 4 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, 2 shafts, | 100,000 shp (75 MW) |  Speed: >30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph) |  Complement: 380 officers and enlisted |  Armament: One 32-cell and one 64-cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems, with 96 RIM-66 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk, or RUM-139 VL-Asroc, missiles |  1 × 5 in (127 mm)62 cal MK 45, 2 x 25 mm, 4 x 12.7 mm guns |  2 x Mk 46 triple torpedo tubes |  Aircraft carried: 2 x SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters

THE USS Gridley (DDG-101), an Arleigh-Burke Class Destroyer, on Monday arrived for a "routine port call" in Manila, the US Embassy in Manila said.

"This visit will allow the ship to replenish supplies as well as give the crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation," the embassy said in a statement.

It did not say how many days the warship will stay in the country but it is the fourth US destroyer that docked on Philippine shores so far.

A US destroyer docked at Manila Bay, increasing to more than 70 the number of ships from the United States which arrived in the country, most of which docked at the former US Naval Base in Olongapo, Zambales in northern Luzon.

The USS Gridley is part of the US Pacific Fleet and is homeported in San Diego, California. The ship is named after Capt. Charles Gridley, commander of the USS Olympia, which was famously told by Admiral George Dewey to "fire when you ready, Gridley" in the Battle of Manila Bay during Spanish-American War.

It is the fourth US destroyer that docked on Philippine shores. Previously, USS Cowpens (CG-63) and USS McCampbell (DDG-85) escorted the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group (CVN-73) in Manila; the destroyer USS Milius also visited the country.

Other ships such as USS Bonehomme Richard, a landing assault ship and submarine tender USS Frank Cable also made port of calls. Four nuclear-powered submarines – USS Olympia (SSN-717), USS North Carolina, USS Hawaii, and USS Louisville (SSN 724) also visited the Philippines.

They belong to the US Pacific Command (USPACOM).

Sources said before 2012 ended, 70 US Navy ships visited Subic, the site of the former US base in Olongapo. In 2011, 55 US ships arrived in the Philippines; in 2010, 51 ships.

Every year, more than 100 US planes use the runway of the former US Clark Air Base in Angeles, Pampanga, also in central, data showed. (http://is.gd/YbIQmc)

The visit of different warships of the US Pacific Command in the country have become frequent this year following the increased bullying of China over small countries in connection with the disputed Spratly Islands partly located in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The Philippines and US has an existing Mutual Defense Treaty  and a separate Visiting Forces Agreement  that allows visit of US warships and troops in the country including joint Philippines-US military exercises.

Because of the increasing tension in the WPS as well as the East China Sea, the US government said it will increase its presence in the Asia-Pacific to protect its political and economic interest in the region.

The WPS is host of the biggest economic sea lane in the world.

Aside from China and Philippines, the other claimant countries of the oil-rich maritime area are Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

The Philippines and China have also a separate dispute over the Panatag Shoal, a maritime area located within the territory of Masinloc, Zambales.

The Philippines and Vietnam have had encounters with China's presence in the contested sea lane.

China, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim the whole of the South China Sea, based on their historical rights. Brunei, Malaysia, and Philippines claim some parts of the Spratly Archipelago in the South China Sea, on the strength of the United Nations Convention on the law of the Sea which grants countries 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone started from their shores. (http://is.gd/wfY8U4)

Philippines plans to acquire 2 warfare choppers

SH-60 LAMPS MK III Seahawk Anti-Submarine Helicopter  | POWERPLANTS: SH-60B - Two 1415kW (1900shp) General Electric T700-GE-401 turboshafts, driving four bladed main and tail rotors. | PERFORMANCE: SH-60B - Dash speed at 5000ft 235km/h (126kt). Max vertical rate of climb at sea level 700ft/min. Operational radius with 3hr loiter 93km (50nm), or for a 1hr loiter 278km (150nm). | WEIGHTS: SH-60B - Empty for ASW mission 6190kg (13,648lb), max takeoff 9925kg (21,884lb). | DIMENSIONS: SH-60B - Main rotor diameter 16.36m (53ft 8in), length overall rotors turning 19.76m (64ft 10in), fuselage length 15.26m (50ft 1 in), height overall rotors turning 5.18m (17ft 10in), height to top of rotor head 3.79m (12ft 6in). Main rotor disc area 210.1m2 (2262sq ft). |  ACCOMMODATION: Pilot and airborne tactical officer on flightdeck, with sensor operator station in main cabin. |  ARMAMENT: Two Mk 46 or Mk 50 torpedoes or AGM-119 Penguin anti ship missiles, plus pintle mounted machine guns. |  OPERATORS: Australia, Greece, Japan, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, USA.

The Department of National Defense is looking into acquiring two new anti-submarine warfare helicopters for the Philippine Navy as part of the military's upgrade efforts.

"This is part of the modernization program that we will implement in the next five years," Department of National Defense Undersecretary Fernando Manalo told reporters Monday by phone.

The undersecretary noted, however, that Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin has yet to issue the consent for the acquisition of the helicopters pending the approval of the AFP Modernization Law.

"Without the modernization law we will have no budget (for this acquisition)," he explained.

The helicopters are planned to be assigned to the Maestrale-class missile-firing frigates from Italy that is to be acquired next year.

Report from Gulf News, Inquirer and business Mirror