BRP General Mariano Alvarez ( PS - 38 ) The BRP " General Mariano Alvarez " ( PS - 38 ) is the lone ship of the same class of coastal patrol ships in service with the Philippine Navy . Historically , she is the lead ship of the " Cyclone " class ( a class of US Navy patrol ship s ) prior to being transferred to the Philippine Navy , thereby making it the only navy other than the US Navy to operate a Cyclone - class ship . Today she is considered as one of the newest active fighting ships in the Philippine Navy . History . Launched as the first of fourteen ships of Cyclone class patrol ship s , the primary mission of the " Cyclone " was to serve as a platform for conducting maritime special operations , including interdiction , escort , noncombatant evacuation , reconnaissance , operational deception , intelligence collection , and tactical swimmer operations . Her small size , stealthy construction and high speed were tailored to performing long - range Special Operations Forces ( SOF ) insertion and extraction as well as other SOF support duties as needed . As good a design as it is , the " Cyclone " had barely gone into service in the mid - 1990s when the Special Operations Command rejected them as too big for commando missions , and the regular surface Navy dismissed them as too small for any of its missions . The Navy began looking for ways to phase out the " Cyclone " and her sister ships , so on 28 February 2000 , the " Cyclone " was decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list . It was then transferred to the United States Coast Guard the next day , being re - commissioned as the USCGC " Cyclone " ( WPC 1 ) . The Coast Guard lacked an effective vessel sized between its 110 ' patrol cutter and the 210 ' Medium Endurance Cutter , so there was considerable interest in " Cyclone " at first . However , her high operating costs were prohibitive and thus she sat largely inactive . " Cyclone " was eventually sold under FMS to the Philippine Navy on January 2004 , as part of a US military aid package to the Philippines , in an effort to bolster interdiction and counterterrorism capabilities . She was rechristened BRP " General Mariano Alvarez " ( PS - 38 ) on 8 March 2004 , in honor of a revolutionary general in the Philippine war of independence against Spain . She is currently assigned to the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet . On March 13 , 2013 while she was conducting maritime patrol together with BRP Jose Andrada along the seawater off Omapoy Island and Bulo - Bulo Island , all of Sitangkai , Tawi - Tawi , they intercepted 2 watercraft loaded with 35 evacuees . Technical details . Performance . The ship ' s operational capabilities were designed to meet the unique requirements of its Special Warfare missions . Operationally , the ship is capable of accelerating from stop to in under three minutes , then move from full ahead to astern in 60 seconds . In high - speed , hard - over turns , the ship barely heeled as the automatic stabilizers engaged . Weapons . Originally armed with two Mk38 25 mm chain guns fore and aft , several pintle mounts for attaching . 50 caliber machine guns or Mk 19 grenade launcher s , and a position for launching Stinger shoulder - fired SAMs ( although this was removed when the ship was transferred to the Philippine Navy and is currently unavailable ) , the ship , along with others of her class still in the US Navy , were upgraded early on by replacing the after Mk . 38 mount with the new Mk . 96 platform . The Mk . 96 combines both a M242 Bushmaster 25 mm chain gun and a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher on a single stabilized platform . The Mk . 96 features an electro - optical fire control system with 27x zoom , infrared and low - light modes , a laser rangefinder , and an array of environmental sensors , which feed data into the ballistics computer to produce an accurate firing solution even while maneuvering at high speed . The computer can also interface with Stinger SAMs ( which are currently unavailable ) . The US Navy was positive about the performance of the Mk . 96 and briefly considered up - gunning the 25 mm Bushmaster cannon to a 30 mm or even 35 mm cannon , but due to the high price this never came to pass . Sensors . The Sperry Vision 2100M combat system employs the navigational radars and the Sperry Voyage Management System integrated navigation and control system as a combat data suite . The radar intercept equipment was developed for use on helicopters . Has a Sperry Marine automated Integrated Bridge System ( IBS ) . Each Mk 52 decoy rocket launcher carries 12 ready - service rounds , and 15 more rockets per launcher are carried in adjacent lockers . Ammunition supply includes 2 , 000 rounds 25 - mm , 2 , 000 rounds . 50 cal , 2 , 000 rounds 7 . 62 - mm , and 1 , 000 40 - mm grenades . Navigation systems include Global Positioning System and Loran receivers . Radio gear includes LST - 5C SATCOM / line - of - sight UHF transceiver , A5 Spectra VHF radio , ICM120 Marine Band radio , and RF 5000 HF , VRC - 92A VHF , and VRC - 83 ( V ) 2 VHF / UHF transceivers . AN / SAT - 2A infrared signaling systems are fitted , and the Marconi Vistar stabilized FLIR sensor with integral low - light - level television camera is mounted on the mast . Have IFF transponder but no interrogation capability , although it may be added later . The sonar transducer is retracted within the hull at speeds above 14 kts . Structure . The hull was constructed using BS - 4360 Grade 43A steel , the superstructure was constructed using 5086 aluminum alloy . Main propulsion is generated by four Paxman Valenta 16CM - 16RP200M diesels , developing 3 , 350 bhp , driving 12 . 8 cm six - blade highly skewed , variable pitch and rake , NI - AL bronze MIL - B24480A , alloy 1 amendment 3 ( nickel - aluminum - bronze alloy ) propellers , with pitch ratio of 1 . 465 at 0 . 7 radius and designed by USN NSWCCD ( Code 544 drawing number P - 5237B ) . Four Reintjes WVS - 2232 reduction gearbox , with a reduction ratio : 2 . 025 : 1 . Fuel capacity is 47 , 772 liters ( 12 , 620 gallons ) . Oil capacity is 568 liters ( 150 gallons ) . Total air conditioning plants production , 83 . 33 kW . They can refuel at sea , using astern fueling rigs . Fully operational at Sea State 3 with cruising speed of , with 50 % fuel capacity . Ship can survive up to Sea State 5 . Maximum ship endurance at 10 days . Electricity supplied by two Caterpillar Model 3306 DIT Series B , rating 150 kW @ 1 , 800 rpm . Reverse osmosis desalinators , having a 1 , 514 liters ( 400 gallons ) capacity per day . Fresh water capacity is 4 , 701 liters ( 1 , 242 gallons ) . Equipped with Vosper fin stabilization system and a stern wedge to improve trim at high speeds . Kevlar armor is fitted to the command space . Upgrades . Refitted by Bollinger Machine Shop and Shipyard prior to delivery and received a stern ramp modification upgrade known as the Combat Craft Retrieval System ( CCRS ) which had the ship ' s stern extended by nine feet to accommodate a deck ramp - which extends down to below the water line , for a 20 feet Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat ( RHIB ) .