The Philippine Navy’s plan to blow up a retired warship in a grand live-fire exercise during the Philippines-US Balikatan military exercises on Monday was unceremoniously scuttled — by the ship itself.
The BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19), a decommissioned corvette meant to be the star of the Navy’s Maritime Strike (MARSTRIKE) ship-sinking demo, sank before a single shot was fired.
The old warhorse slipped beneath the waves at about 7:20 a.m., roughly 30 nautical miles west of San Antonio, Zambales — right on target, just not on schedule.
Captain John Percie Alcos, Navy spokesperson, delivered the news with all the composure one might expect after a ship sinks itself before the big show.
“No personnel were injured. Prior to towing the target vessel to the operational area, the BRP Miguel Malvar underwent environmental cleaning and preparation for the MARSTRIKE,” he said in a media briefing at the Navy headquarters in Manila.
“As is common, the vessel was selected because it exceeded its service life and was no longer suitable for normal operations,” Alcos added.
But apparently, the ship didn’t feel like waiting around to be torpedoed or shelled by friendly forces.
Instead, after decades of loyal service — including tours in World War II for the US as the USS Brattleboro and the Vietnam War — the BRP Miguel Malvar decided to clock out early.
“However, due to rough sea conditions that we are currently experiencing in the exercise box, and with its long service life, as it’s expected, she took on a significant amount of water, and eventually sank,” Alcos explained.