The Coast Guard Just Deployed Its Two Largest and Most Advanced Vessels
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The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has officially deployed two of its newest, largest, and most advanced vessels in its fleet, the Japan-made BRP Teresa Magbanua and the BRP Melchora Aquino, which are now the flagships of the Coast Guard.
The two 97-meter multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) and their sailing crew participated in training exercises in Manila Bay on handling emergency towing gear, selecting the correct tow line, and throwing tow lines properly to get hold of the ship.
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According to BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701)'s Commanding Officer, CG Commander Erwin Tolentino, the sailing crew needs to know how to properly conduct “emergency towing of ships” as the ship's towing gear may part due to improper and/or unsafe connection.
"This error may cause towing lines to fall into the propellers. We need to avoid this incident because towing equipment will malfunction if this happened," CG Commander Tolentino added.
CG Commander Patrick Babag of the BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702) shared that the joint towing exercise also assessed the individual capacity of the newly acquired PCG vessels.
"Towing exercises are part of the continuous training provided by the shipbuilder, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. to simulate high-risk operations," CG Commander Babag furthered.
Representatives from the Japan Coast Guard - Mobile Cooperation Team and United States Coast Guard - Mobile Training Team were also present to observe the joint towing exercise and provide points for improvement.
