Brp News

The Philippines' coast guard (PCG) on Sunday accused China of "dangerous and blocking" manoeuvres while its vessel patrolled near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea this month.Manila's coast guard said in a statement that on a nine-day patrol near the shoal by its 97-meter (318-foot) vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua, four Chinese coast guard (CCG) vessels had shadowed the boat more than 40 times.Four Chinese maritime militia vessels were also present near the shoal, the PCG said.Located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ)…

The Philippines and China traded accusations on Sunday over a collision of their vessels near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea as tensions over claims in the vital waterway escalate.The Philippine coast guard accused China of firing water cannons and ramming resupply vessels and a coast guard ship, causing "serious engine damage" to one, while China's coast guard said the Philippine vessel intentionally rammed its ship.China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce…

The crew of the Philippine coastguard boat watch anxiously as an imposing Chinese vessel draws near and cuts off its path, coming within a metre of collision in a vast stretch of open water in the South China Sea.The captain of the BRP Sindangan shuts off the engine and activates the reverse throttle. China's coastguard issues a warning via megaphone to leave as the Filipino crew watch closely on a radar that shows two vessels side by side."In accordance with international and Philippine national laws we are proceeding…

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday reported a recent incident of "close distance maneuvering" by a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel in the disputed South China Sea that "constrained" the movement of a Philippine ship sailing nearby.The March 2 incident took place during the PCG's maritime patrol operations around the Scarborough Shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, the PCG said in a news release.It was yet unclear whether the Philippines had lodged a diplomatic protest for the incident.

A Vietnamese-flagged cargo ship ran aground near the Philippines' Antique province Thursday after the officer on watch fell asleep, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.The 90-meter, 2,551-gross-ton Globe 6 was transporting a rice cargo from Ho Chi Minh City to Davao City and had 25 crew members on board at the time of the incident. The ship's master Nguyen Hoai told the PCG that the officer on watch had been asleep when the grounding occurred.The PCG said its personnel were…

All 45 passengers and crew members have been rescued from a ferry that caught fire roughly 5.5 nautical miles east off Binongkalan Point, Cebu Thursday night.The Philippine-registered RoRo / passenger ship MV Filipinas Dinagat owned by Cokaliong Shipping Lines was traveling from Cebu City for Palompon, Leyte when the fire erupted on board.By the time the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) arrived on scene to conduct rescue operations, the stricken vessel had become totally engulfed in flames.Immediately…

The latest Philippine Navy frigate built by South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), BRP Jose Rizal, departed for the Philippines carrying masks and other quarantine supplies.The 2,600-ton frigate, with maximum speed of 25 knots, features the Philippine Navy’s first operation of guided missiles and torpedoes.The new ship set sail to Subic port in the Philippines following a sail-off ceremony held by HHI on Monday. The builder said the delivery comes four months ahead of the…

The Philippine Coast Guard's new offshore patrol vessel BRP Gabriela Silang arrived in Manila ready for service on Tuesday after several weeks of convoying and a first operational mission.Built by OCEA, the 84-meter type OCEA OPV 270 vessel left the French shipyard at the end of December with Philippine Coast Guard crew on board, for an arrival in the Philippines initially scheduled for January.The flagship of the Philippine Coast Guard fleet, shortly after leaving the French coast…

BRP has announced the completion of the previously-announced acquisition of 80% of the outstanding shares of Telwater Pty, Ltd ("Telwater"), Australia's leading manufacturer of aluminum boats and trailers.As BRP’s third boat acquisition, Telwater’s addition to the Marine Group is another step in helping create a strong offering and foundation to expand into new markets, with the objective of transforming the marine industry as it did for powersports.The Telwater commitment to…

MetalCraft Marine’s 10 Meter Interceptor model is a formidable workboat. Defined by the sum of its myriad parts, it really can be seen that ‘the equipment makes the boat.’ This month, we ask "What's in Your workboat?"In a business where there is rarely any shortage of pretty boats, cutting edge designs and equally impressively performing workboat tonnage, it is also true that the real value to any design is cemented by the very equipment that makes it run. Typically, however, comparing apples to apples when it comes to selecting your next patrol, fire, SAR or pilot boat is almost impossible. Until now.Kick the tires. Pop open the hood. Put this one up on the jacks. Spend a little time under the chassis.

Two new 50-meter multi-mission offshore vessels (MMOV) will soon help the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) fight illegal fishing in Philippine waters. The sister ships – DA BFAR MMOV 5001, named BRP Lapu-Lapu, and DA BFAR MMOV 5002, named BRP Francisco Dagohoy – were built by Manilla-based Josefa Slipways, and have recently completed speed and endurance trials ahead of their upcoming delivery. According to designer Incat Crowther, the new vessels will enhance law enforcement’s capability to patrol and protect territorial waters…

The U.S. and Philippine navies will participate in the Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama June 19-25 in the vicinity of Cebu. Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama is designed to enhance the complexity and diversity of training opportunities, while strengthening the longstanding alliance between the U.S. and the Republic of the Philippines. The exercise will focus on mutual security concerns that affect the Philippines including piracy and sea smuggling, maritime domain awareness and patrol, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness. "The training we will perform over the next week will provide excellent opportunities to deepen our long-time maritime partnership with the Philippine Navy," said Rear Adm. Don Gabrielson, commander, Task Force 73.

BRP has appointed Olivier Pierini to fill the position of director of global marketing and strategic planning for the Marine Propulsion Systems Division (MPS). In this new role, Pierini is responsible for leading the MPS team to deliver its marketing strategy that includes reinvigorating the Evinrude brand and helping to define its mission, vision and purpose in the marketplace. His primary focus includes identifying the most impactful commercial marketing strategy for the company’s groundbreaking design efforts…

BRP today marked the opening of its state-of-the-art technician training institute within its Sturtevant, Wisconsin manufacturing facility. This new institute will train dealers and their employees to maintain and repair all BRP vehicles, engines and accessories. Alain Villemure, vice president and general manager of BRP’s Marine Propulsion Systems division and Martin Soucy, vice president of its global after-sales function, participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony before employees, media and the general public. “BRP’s seven product lines are sold in over 100 countries through 4,200 dealers,” said Soucy.“We continue to implement a series of initiatives that allow BRP to remain a reference in the powersports industry worldwide.

BRP continues its North American expansion of the Evinrude sales network by signing 16 new dealers and four premium OEM boat builders to its portfolio – a clear indication of the excitement surrounding its Evinrude brand and the continued momentum of its industry-leading engines. These four OEMs are Calypso Skiff, Chaparral Boats, Polar Kraft Boats and Mowdy Boats of Texas. division. “We introduced our new E-TEC G2 150 HP to 200 HP offering in June, which has garnered significant attention. Combining thrilling performance with the most intelligent design and the cleanest outboard engine combustion technology available, Evinrude E-TEC G2 engines deliver up to 30% more torque…

BRP (TSX:DOO)announced today the release of the next generation of Evinrude E-TEC G2 models with horsepower ranging from 150 to 200, the E-TEC G2 150, 150 H.O., 175 and 200. Building on the success of the 200 High Output (H.O.) to 300 horsepower models launched in 2014,the introduction of the new mid-range models will usher ina new era of outboard engines to even more boaters. Combining thrilling performance with the most intelligent design and the cleanest outboard engine combustion technology available,the new Evinrude E-TEC G2 models deliver up to 30% more torque, up to 15% better fuel efficiency, and up to 75% fewer total regulated emissions compared to leading four-stroke outboard engines.

BRP’s Rotax Intelligent Shift and Throttle (iST) system was recognized by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) with an Innovation Award in the Jet Boat category at the 2016 Miami International Boat Show. The game-changing iST option for Rotax jet propulsion systems brings electronic control to formerly mechanical functions. Now available on nearly all Scarab jet boat models and Chaparral Vortex models, iST allows boaters to optimize low-speed maneuverability in a variety of environmental conditions. Whether cruising, pulling, fishing or docking, the iST system gives boaters the confidence of being in full control so they can enjoy their time on the water.

BRP has added 19 new Evinrude dealers and four boat builders in its North American network in the third quarter of fiscal year 2016. The performance and breakthrough design of the award-winning Evinrude E-TEC G2 engine, as well as the entire Evinrude product line, continues to draw interest from the world’s top dealers and boat builders. “We’re excited to be able to offer our customers the power and customizability of the Evinrude E-TEC G2 engines,” said Jeff Junker, general manager, Wher-Rena Boatland in North Carolina, U.S., one of the leading dealers in the North American market. “The Evinrude E-TEC G2 outboard is not only the best performing and most fuel efficient engine on the market, but it has garnered praise for its bold, breakthrough design and stylish good looks.

Following a visit aboard Philippine naval ship BRP Gregorio Del Pilar on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama said the American government plans to transfer two ships to the Philippine Navy, bolstering what Obama called an “ironclad commitment” to the defense of treaty ally the Philippines. Obama said the two vessels – a Hamilton-Class Coast Guard Cutter and research ship – are part of the U.S. effort to increase maritime security assistance to its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, where tensions with China have heated up over recent years.

Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, AO, CSC, RAN, was joined at HMAS Cairns today by his Philippine counterpart, Flag Officer in Command Philippine Navy, Vice Admiral Jesus Millan, at a ceremony to gift two decommissioned Australian Balikpapan class landing craft to the Government of the Philippines. Super Typhoon Haiyan caused significant devastation to the Philippines in November 2013 and approximately 500 Australian Defence Force personnel, including the crew of HMAS Tobruk and a deployment of Army Engineers, provided in-country support to the relief effort, at the request of the Philippines Government. “The relief effort highlighted the importance of regional sea lift options due to numerous airfields being inaccessible and land infrastructure impassable…

China warned it can take "further actions" after the Philippines confirmed it is fortifying the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded ship on Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in the South China Sea. Beijing has hit out at Manila for repairing a crumbling ship serving as its outpost in the disputed South China Sea, branding the Philippines as a "hypocritical troublemaker and rule breaker". The Philippines said Tuesday it would repair the Sierra Madre which is at a shoal also claimed by China. A Reuters report said the Philippines also plans to revive a former US naval base in Subic Bay. The Philippines officially announced that it was repairing a crumbling ship serving as its lonely outpost in the disputed South China Sea as China deploys more vessels and builds new islands nearby.

Members of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps along with their Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) counterparts kicked off the 2015 Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series during an opening ceremony in Puerto Princesa, Philippines, June 22. The AFP have participated in CARAT since the exercise series began in 1995 and this year's training reflects more than two decades of increasingly sophisticated training ashore, at sea, and in the air. "CARAT remains a practical way to address shared maritime security priorities, enhance our capabilities, and improve interoperability between our forces," said Rear Adm. William Merz, commander, Task Force 74.

Two Japanese warships arrived in the Philippines on Saturday to take part in the first naval drill between the two countries in the disputed South China Sea. The May 12 maritime safety exercise in the South China Sea near a disputed shoal claimed by China, which will practice the code for unplanned encounters at sea, known as CUES, is part of an agreement signed by Japan and the Philippines in January aimed at tightening security cooperation. State-run Philippines News Agency reported the Philippine Navy and the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force will hold exercises off the waters of Subic Bay, Zambales and Corregidor Island on May 12. It quoted Navy public affairs office chief Cmdr.