BRP Alcaraz under repair

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Navy's newly-purchased BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) has been placed into dry-dock for repair and maintenance, a Navy official said Tuesday.

Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic said that the ship entered dry-docking at an undisclosed location last August 16 and will remain under wraps.

"We can't reveal the exact location of the dry-dock for operational security reasons," Fabic told the state-run news agency.

However, the Navy vessel is reportedly in a major shipyard in Batangas where local and international ships undergo conversion and overhaul.

Dry-docked ships are removed from water for exterior repair using keel blocks to set them into position and keep them in place, leaving the hull accessible for repairs, painting or construction.

The Alcaraz was to be painted haze gray to match the other ships of the Philippine Navy.

It was also scheduled to be fitted with a new piping system, gaskets, bearings, and hydraulics during the two-month dry-docking.

Two Mark 38 Model 2 25mm "Bushmasters" autocannon and four to six light machine guns, moreover, will be fitted onboard, Fabic said.

Fabic earlier said that the Alcaraz will be put into commission this October and will reportedly patrol disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea where Chinese ships have been sighted.

Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano clarified earlier this month that the BRP Ramon Alcaraz is not yet a warship, contrary to what many believed it was.

"This is part of our upgrade capability ... It has naval guns, but for it to perform its job we’re looking at providing it with greater capabilities," Alano said in a previous report.

The Alcaraz was acquired by the Department of National Defense from the United States Coast Guard in 2012.