The Philippines said Thursday its coast guard will acquire 40 fast patrol craft from France, with plans to deploy some of them in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
The deal is the "largest so far single purchase" in Manila's ongoing effort to modernize its coast guard, with deliveries set to start in four years, Philippine coast guard commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan told a news conference.
He declined to provide specifications for the vessels, which Manila said will cost about $440 million, to be funded by development aid from the French government.
He said some of the vessels will be deployed in the South China Sea, where Filipino maritime forces have figured in violent confrontations this year with China's coast guard — part of a festering territorial dispute over waters and land features.
China claims most of the sea including waters close to the shores of the Philippines and several other neighbors, ignoring an international tribunal ruling that its claims are without legal basis.
"It is a game changer for us," Gavan said, describing the vessels as "fast enough to reach the edges of our exclusive economic zone" for law enforcement and other missions.
"This will form part of the force mix that we need to address the threats in the area," he added.
Under the deal, 20 of the 40 vessels will be built in the Philippines through a technology transfer that Gavan said will provide a boost to Manila's shipbuilding industry.
"The new (fast patrol craft) will help deter smuggling and illegal activities while ensuring the enforcement of maritime sovereignty in critical marine areas," Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a statement.
The Philippine coast guard currently has a small fleet of modern vessels, including two 97-meter patrol ships and 10 44-meter patrol ships, all built by Japan.
The Japanese government is financing the construction of five additional 97-metre patrol vessels worth $418 million that will be delivered in 2027.
AFP has contracted the French embassy in Manila for details of the deal and the vessels. The mission did not immediately respond.
