Article by:
Priam Nepomuceno
MANILA - Philippine Navy (PN) guided missile frigate BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-6), which took part in the 3rd Indian Navy International Fleet Review (IFR) and Multilateral Naval Exercise MILAN 2026 last month, successfully detected an Indian Navy submarine during the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) phase of the maneuvers.
Only BRP Miguel Malvar detected the submarine during the ASW off the coast of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, reported during Tuesday's media briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
"During the conduct of Exercise MILAN wherein the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) sent one PN warship, one of the exercise scenarios was ASW. There were 33 warships from different nations involved," Trinidad said.
In any ASW exercise, the highlight of the drill is spotting or monitoring a submarine, considered one of the hardest tasks in naval warfare.
Trinidad said what made the feat more remarkable was that the BRP Miguel Malvar's ASW systems, while modern, are not yet as high-end as the other participating warships.
He praised the Filipino sailors who detected some "differences in sound propagation" that allowed them to locate the submarine.
"It was a highlight of the skill of the individual soldier and sailor," Trinidad said.
It was the first time the PN took part in Exercise MILAN. (PNA)
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