The small, causing discomfort and wearying its
The small ratio of patrol boat to the coastline is oneof the handicaps faced by the maritime group. In return, the group heavilyrelied on intelligence report and community awareness to pinpoint the locationof illegal activities. The Seaborne Patrol Plan (SPP) is devised by the PNP MGto utilize their resources by patrolling the area during the duration of theplan. According to the interview, the Seaborne Patrol Plan runs for about 1week per location, in a month the group can cover four different locations.
Thecompliance of 8 seaborne operations per month makes it 2 seaborne operationsper one location in a week.However, Police Chief Inspector Jose B. Los Bañosasserted that the downside of the SPP was the vicinity of their boats reducesillegal activities such as dynamite fishing and then goes back to normal aslong as they move to other areas. Securing one location means leaving otherareas vulnerable to outlaws.The boats used during these operations were the PNPfast boats and the NAIAD gunboats. According to the interview, these 10 meterboats can run at high speed of over 40 knots that can outrun enemy surfacevessels in time. Below is the specification of the NAIAD gunboats used by theSpecial Operations Unit in Palawan and Tawi-Tawi. Table 5.
NAIAD Specifications (SUNSTAR, 2015) Specifications Length O/A 10 meters Breadth O/A 3.2 meters Beam Internal 2.1 meters Tube Diameter 550 mm Deadrise 23 degrees Weight Estimated 2600 kg Power 2 x 250 hp 4 stroke outboards Speed 30 – 35 knots cont. 43 knots max. Seating 4 persons Fuel Tank Capacity 1000 liters Range Approx 250 nautical miles It is said that contrary to its high speed it alsoconsumes a lot of fuel. Considering the range of 250 nautical miles, continuousspeed of 30 knots and a fuel tank capacity of 1000 liters; the NAIAD gunboatscan operate continuously for 8 hours consuming 120 liters per hour. With a limited fuel tank capacity, patrollingthe sea for a long period of time is impossible.
Its speed is attributed to its relatively smallweight, a shallow draft, and the use of twin 250 hp diesel engine. However, due to its shallow draft, theseboats are subject to wave slamming and heaving. The time it takes for theseboats to heave is very small, causing discomfort and wearying its officers.
