According to a press release published on November 26, 2020, Naval Group, a world leader in naval defense announce the opening of a representative office in the Philippines to be operated in Manila. The opening signifies the first step of a long-term commitment of cooperation and partnership in developing naval capabilities for the country.
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Indian Navy's Scorpene design INS Khanderi submarine at sea. (Picture source Wikimedia)
Naval Group, which is based in France, is a reputable naval systems provider and integrator with a history of more than 400 years in the defense industry. Partnering with more than 50 navies around the world, Naval Group aims to bring to the Philippines its breadth of experience and unrivaled technical expertise in ships and submarines with combat systems and all critical equipment and services necessary to engage naval power in a theatre of operations.
“We are the only provider with previous experience in helping a country develop a submarine force from scratch and we stand ready to assist the Philippines Navy by providing the submarines but also setting up the training, facilities and supply chain required to operate a fully operational submarine fleet,” says Alain Guillou, Naval Group Senior Executive Vice President Development.
The company’s extensive portfolio opens many opportunities to address the entire range of Filipino naval needs from the development of the naval forces to the constitution of a world-class submarine force. Naval Group has demonstrated in many countries such as in Malaysia, India and Australia its capability to support military capabilities and economic growth of its partners. The opening of the representative office enables them to identify synergies and partners to support the needs of the Philippine Navy.
“The creation of the submarine force is a fantastic opportunity for us to develop long term partnerships with the local industry where there will be transferring of knowledge and technology that will also create hundreds of jobs for the program and beyond,” emphasizes Anne Clausard, Country Head of Naval Group.
The creation of the submarine force is part of the Armed Forces of the Philippine modernization program aiming to protect the nation maritime sovereignty and interests.
Naval Group is one of the most experienced submarine designers and builders in the world, having built more than 100 submarines for nine navies. The company has developed both conventional and nuclear submarines ranging from 2,000 tones up to 14,000 tones.
For the French Navy, Naval Group design and build the formidable Barracuda – a sophisticated submarine created to contest an ever-growing array of challenges. The first-in-class, the SSN Suffren, achieves integration of all of its equipment in the 2017 French summer, after which testing will begun, with sea trials commencing in 2019. The second boat, the Duguay Trouin, will follow the Suffren into assembly. Between 2017 and 2029, six Barracudas are set to replace the six Rubis/Améthyste-class boats currently in service.
The Scorpène submarine is capable of carrying out all types of missions, such as anti-surface vessel warfare, anti-submarine warfare, long-range strikes, special operations or intelligence gathering. It is extremely stealthy and fast, and is equipped with a comprehensive range of weapons (torpedoes, missiles, mines).
The Scorpène-class submarines are a class of diesel-electric attack submarines jointly developed by the French Company Naval Group (formerly DCNS) and the Spanish company Navantia. The Scorpène class of submarines has four subtypes including the CM-2000 conventional diesel-electric version, the AM-2000 air-independent propulsion (AIP) derivative, the downsized CA-2000 coastal submarine, and the enlarged S-BR for the Brazilian Navy, without AIP. The Scorpéne-class submarines are in service with Chile, Malaysia, India, and Brazil. Over fourteen Scorpène submarines were sold by Naval Group internationally.
