Philippines eyes ‘game changer’ for maritime defence with French shipbuilding boost

French shipbuilder OCEA is looking for a local partner and site in the Philippines to establish its first shipbuilding venture in Asia, under a France-backed patrol boat programme that Philippine Coast Guard leaders say could be a “game changer” for maritime enforcement.The project, which combines local shipbuilding, French-backed financing and technology transfer, is expected to significantly expand the coastguard’s fleet at a time of growing operational demands in Philippine waters.“OCEA … is currently trying to find the best partner and the best place to build the shipyard” for the project, French Ambassador to Manila Marie Fontanel told reporters last week.A financial agreement underpinning the deal – involving French private banks, the French government and the Philippine government – was “now under discussion”, Fontanel told This Week in Asia.She said the arrangement would cover the local construction of 20 aluminium-hulled coastguard cutters, each measuring 35 metres, with another 20 to be built in France.French Ambassador to the Philippines, Marie Fontanel, has said the shipbuilding arrangement will cover the local construction of 20 aluminium-hulled coastguard cutters. Photo: Raissa RoblesThe financing, she said, would come from a consortium of French private banks. “It’s a financial sovereign loan from the French government but it will be coursed through private lenders.”