The BRP Antonio Luna Places Third in Gunnery Exercises at the World's Largest Naval Drill
After weeks of training in the Hawaiian Islands, the Philippines’ most advanced warship, the BRP Antonio Luna, is sailing home. But not after besting some of the world’s most powerful navies in gunnery exercises during the RIMPAC 2022, which is the world’s largest military and naval exercises.
The BRP Antonio Luna placed third out of 17 warships that participated in gunnery exercises. The P8-billion missile-guided destroyer is the sister ship of the BRP Jose Rizal, the flagship of the Philippine Navy. They were built by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries or HHI. It is the most advanced warship the Philippines has ever deployed to any naval exercise with other countries.
According to the U.S. Navy, its Pacific Missile Range Facility used an automated and computerized evaluation system to assess the performance of the participating warships in the rapid-fire exercises.
ALSO READ:
WATCH: 26 Countries Including the Philippines Flex Massive Naval Might at RIMPAC 2022
The Philippines' Most Advanced Warship Goes to Pearl Harbor
The BRP Antonio Luna activated its main battery, the OTO Melara 76MM Super Rapid Gun, during the rapid-fire exercise part of the Naval Surface Fire Support Rodeo, in which it ranked third. It also fired its 30MM Smash Aselsan and Caliber 50 machine gun and aimed at a Hammerhead Unmanned Surface Vehicle—a robotic speedboat used as a target for warships.
“This achievement manifested that the Philippine Navy is capable of being at par with the best navies in the world, which Rimpac 2022 has helped validate by providing resources and environment that permit multinational participants to achieve their individual and collective training objectives,” the Philippine Navy was quoted in an Inquirer report.
26 Countries Participating in RIMPAC 2022
RIMPAC is the world's largest naval exercise, and is held every two years. “It provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans,” the U.S. Navy wrote.
RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971. It aims to enhance the interoperability among the navies of America’s allies. There are 26 countries participating in the RIMPAC 2022 naval exercises. These include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Peru, the Philippines, the U.S., and the U.K. More than 25,000 personnel will be involved in the exercises.
