MANILA, PHILIPPINES—French shipbuilder OCEA is planning to increase its footprint in the Philippines to support the maintenance and construction of patrol boats for the country’s beleaguered Coast Guard.
Last month, OCEA secured a €400 million government-to-government contract for 40 35-meter-long patrol boats to the Philippine Coast Guard. The maritime security project is one of the largest undertaken between France and the Philippines, bolstering Manila’s white hull fleet of 13 oceangoing patrol vessels. Before the contract, the agency’s blue water workhorses were 12 Japanese-made patrol vessels funded by Tokyo’s official development assistance loans. Previous vessels provided by OCEA include BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301), the world’s largest aluminum-hulled offshore patrol vessel, and four smaller 72-meter-long fast patrol boats.
The new patrol vessels, derived from the company’s existing Fast Patrol Boat 110 design, incorporate demands and experiences from the Philippine Coast Guard. Aside from the agency’s demand for 30 knot speeds and an increased crew complement, OCEA also cited the incorporation of lessons from working with Nigerian and Kuwaiti customers in developing the Philippine design.
A company official highlighted the ease of embarking and disembarking during rigid-hulled inflatable boat operations through 1.2-meter recessed deck areas on the port and starboard sides. The vessels also feature expanded storage spaces and enhanced air conditioning, which are essential for their projected missions in the South China Sea and across the Southeast Asian archipelago. While the patrol boats have provisions for remote-controlled weapon systems, including storage areas behind the mounting for ammunition, they will come in a fitted for but not with configuration.
Seating for 12 passengers was also depicted on the Philippine FPB-110 variant, which was likely inspired by the Coast Guard’s use of patrol boats to ferry personnel between outposts. When asked about the durability of the hull against potential rammings, of which the Philippine Coast Guard has endured during incidents with their Chinese counterparts, a company official stressed that OCEA’s aluminum hulls were as, if not more, durable as those made from steel or other alloys.
OCEA officials at Philippine Marine 2025 expressed their excitement at the upcoming projects in support of the patrol boat contract and prospects in the Southeast Asian nation. The company’s main effort in the Philippines is the construction of a locally based shipyard to maintain and construct vessels. This yard is set to expand OCEA’s holdings into the Indo-Pacific, joining the company’s existing facility portfolio in France, French territories, and the United Kingdom.
20 of the 40 patrol boats will be fabricated at the local yard. While company officials did not reveal the shipyard’s location, they confirmed to Naval News that the site has been identified and investments were underway to get the facility operational. Maintenance of larger vessels, such as Gabriela Silang, will be possible at this yard. OCEA’s Philippine subsidiary previously worked with Bataan-based Herma Shipyard Inc. to maintain the 83-meter-long offshore patrol vessel. A company pamphlet claimed that Gabriela Silang’s minimum life expectancy is forecast to be up to 80 years. A company official also noted that Manila’s choice to unilaterally fund the logistics support with the Coast Guard’s budget proved that OCEA could deliver for its customers.
The first Philippine Coast Guard FPB-110 is set to hit the water between 2026 and 2027, while the rest of the class will follow in the next seven years. Integrated logistics support is slated to cover the vessels for nine years. Equipment for the operation of the patrol boats at three Coast Guard bases will be turned over, although OCEA officials said that these sites will be at the discretion of the Philippine government.
Despite the maritime security focus of their Philippine offerings, OCEA is looking to produce ferries, offshore vessels, and other civilian-focused vessels at the upcoming shipyard for international customers. Unmanned surface, underwater, and aerial vehicle integration with OCEA patrol boats was also highlighted by company staff at Philippine Marine.
With the shipyard, OCEA expects to hire 200-250 local staff and invest €20-25 million in the Philippines. The subsidiary was initially created in 2019 and has since maintained a staff of 20 employees.
The deal is one of the most intensive to date for France in the Philippines, following increased defense engagement and plans for a military training pact. French support to the Philippines came amid tensions between Beijing and Manila over disputed maritime features in the South China Sea. The defense relationship took off in 2023 following pledges for further cooperation, which materialized in Paris’ maiden Balikatan participation in 2024 and the Charles De Gaulle carrier strike group leading the first-ever joint patrol with Philippine forces earlier this year.
“In the framework of its Indo-Pacific strategy, France has progressively expanded its presence in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, this is demonstrated by the establishment of a full-fledged defense missions, the ongoing negotiation on a VFA, the training of Filipino officers at various French military schools, the multiplication of port calls and the recent participation of French forces in the Balikatan exercise,” Dr. Benjamin Blandin, a non-resident research fellow at the Korean Institute for Maritime Strategy, told Naval News.
Blandin also highlighted OCEA, Naval Group, and Thales in marketing advanced systems to the Philippine government as a potential path to defense industrial base cooperation. Coast Guard patrol boats, Scorpene-class attack submarines, and maritime and aerial radars have been pitched in recent years amid Manila’s military modernization efforts, which aim to bolster the dated Armed Forces of the Philippines against Chinese aggression in its exclusive economic zone.
