2 PN MPACs with missile armament provisions to arrive soon

“These two MPACs will be delivered by this third quarter and will have provisions for missile armament,” he added in Filipino. (Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines/ Facebook)

MANILA–Two of the multi-purpose assault craft (MPAC), with provisions for missile armament, will be delivered by the third quarter of this year.

This was confirmed by PN spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna in an interview with the Philippine News Agency Tuesday.

“These two MPACs will be delivered by this third quarter and will have provisions for missile armament,” he added in Filipino.

These MPACs are the so-called Mark IIIs and far more advanced and capable that the earlier ordered Mark Is and IIs currently in service.

The PN is operating around six gun-armed MPACs as of this posting.

They will be armed with the Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd’s Spike ER (extended range) in anti-ship mode.

It is capable of penetrating 1,000 mm (39 inches) of rolled homogeneous armor and has a maximum range of five miles.

The PN’s missile-armed MPACs, of which three are in the pipeline, has a budget of PHP270 million.

The fund will be sourced from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act Trust Fund of 2000.

The contract includes mission essential equipment.

Mission essential equipment includes day/night electronic navigation systems, communication suites, safety-of-life-at-sea, propulsion system and seamanship and ship-handling gears