The Japanese government is set to provide a loan valued at approximately US$525 million exclusively for the purchase of five additional patrol vessels for operation by the Philippine Coast Guard.
The vessels will be near-identical sisters of the two Teresa Magbanua-class 97-metre multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) that the coast guard acquired in 2022, a spokesperson of the Philippines' National Economic and Development Authority has confirmed.
The two earlier MRRVs are variants of the Kunigami-class patrol vessels that were originally built by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding for the Japan Coast Guard.
The five additional MRRVs slated for the Philippines are scheduled to be delivered between 2027 and 2028. The acquisition also covers logistical support for the vessels over a span of five years.