Philippine warship sinks prematurely, scuppering its use for Balikatan target practice

The 80-year-old BRP Miguel Malvar was supposed to be a target ship in the US-Philippines Balikatan drills – until it started taking on water

The BRP Miguel Malvar, old enough to have seen action in World War II, was scheduled to go out in a blaze of glory as a target ship during the annual US-Philippines “Balikatan” military exercises.

The 80-year-old vessel, however, would not quite make its own funeral.

Onlookers instead watched as the ship, which once chased Japanese submarines and ferried German prisoners as part of the US fleet, sank on Monday before the first volley could be fired.

“The Balikatan 25 maritime strike targets vessel sank off the west coast of the Philippines prior to the event commencing today,” Philippine Navy spokesman John Percie Alcos said in cancelling a planned media event.

“Due to rough sea conditions … and with its long service life … she took on a significant amount of water and eventually sank,” he said.

Praising it as one of the most-decorated ships in Philippine history, Alcos added that the country was proud to be “transitioning to a new and multi-capable navy”.

After more than 20 years of service, the vessel – then named USS Brattleboro – was sold to the Republic of Vietnam in 1966.

The Philippine Navy acquired and refurbished the ship after its crew fled Vietnam following the 1975 fall of Saigon.

Balikatan, three weeks of US-Philippine joint exercises aimed at deterring Beijing’s ambitions in the disputed South China Sea, is set to end on Friday.