Acero-class patrol gunboat

In 2019, the Philippine Navy raised a requirement to procure a new class of coastal patrol interdiction craft (CPIC) that would be missile-capable and are based on Israel's Shaldag V patrol boat design, and would replace the Tomas Batilo-class fast attack crafts that have been retired in service.[4][5]

Israel Shipyards Ltd. has been offering the Shaldag V design to the Philippine Navy since 2016, but the proposal was not given too much attention as funding has not been made available only until after a few years later.[5]

The Israeli design was proven to be more capable as an interdiction craft than the smaller Multi-Purpose Attack Craft that were originally designed by a Taiwanese shipbuilder as a troop insertion assault boat, and modified in Philippine Navy service to be used as a small missile boat. Thus, when the Philippine Navy raised the requirement for a Fast Attack Interdiction Craft (FAIC), the Philippines' Department of National Defense (DND) made a decision to procure them based on the Israeli proposal, and would be acquired under a Government-to-Government (G2G) deal with Israel.[6][5]

A contract was signed between the (DND), Israel Shipyards Ltd. and Israeli Ministry of Defense on 9 February 2021, with the Notice to Proceed to start the effectivity of the contract released on 27 April 2021.[7][5]

The first boat of the class, the BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901), was launched on 26 June 2022, and became the basis for the class' name.[8][5] The hull number's use of "PG" indicates that the boats are classified as Patrol Gunboats based on Philippine Navy's 2016 naming classification standards.

In November 2022, the Philippine Navy's Flag Officer in Command Rear Admiral Toribio Acaci indicated that the service plans to acquire a total of 15 more Acero-class / Shaldag Mk. V patrol gunboats in the near future.[9][10][11]

Two more Acero-class gunboats have delivered into the country on 11 April 2023,[3][5] and were christened into service on 8 May 2023.[12][13] |Littoral Combat Force, Philippine Fleet

The Philippine Navy's Naval Sea Systems Command shared a video on their realization to restart their naval shipbuilding capability with the reopening of the Naval Shipbuilding Center (previously called the Cavite Naval Yard) which was refurbished and retooled as part Israel Shipyard's contract to supply fast attack interdiction crafts to the Philippine Navy.

The new facility will be building/assembling some of the Acero-class FAICs (Shaldag Mk. V) that were procured by the DND under the FAICM Acquisition Project, and will likely to the same once additional orders are made.[14]

The ship class was designed to carry one bow-mounted Mk.44 Bushmaster II autocannon mounted on Rafael Typhoon Mk 30-C remote-controlled weapon station, and two M2HB Browning 12.7 mm/50-cal. heavy machine guns mounted on Rafael Mini Typhoon remote-controlled weapon stations.

At least four of the ships would be installed with a Rafael Typhoon MLS-NLOS missile launcher for Spike-NLOS surface-to-surface missiles, although all other boats are fitted for but not with the system, and can be installed separately at any time.

A 5.2-meter rigid inflatable boat (RHIB) is stowed in the aft, and is deployed using a 1,000-kilogram crane.[1]

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  BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901)