On October 13, the Philippines gathered 100 illegal vessels to provoke near the Scarborough Shoal and the Subi Reef. Two Philippine frigates appeared near the Subi Reef, one being the Antonio Luna, a newly purchased frigate from South Korea, and the other being the old American-made Ramon Alcaraz. The Canadian Coast Guard's polar patrol ship Max Bernis followed closely behind. However, despite such a large show of force, the Chinese coast guard ships managed to drive them back.

Antonio Luna

The Philippines used its latest missile frigate, does it really intend to use force to resolve the South China Sea issue? Anyone with common sense knows this is impossible. In June 2024, when the Philippine military and police jointly stormed the Ren'ai Reef, we saw the true colors of the Philippine government and military. At that time, the Philippines sent its most elite naval special forces, but these people never dared to draw their guns from the waterproof bags, and were eventually seized by the Chinese coast guard.

Therefore, this time, the deployment of the missile frigate is just for show to their own people, letting them know that the Philippine navy also has warships equipped with missiles. It gives fishermen more courage to attack the Chinese coast guard's defense line.

However, in the reports from all sides, there is no mention of the missile frigate directly facing the Chinese side. It can be inferred that the Philippine navy did not have the courage to put the missile frigate on the front line of the conflict. This is due to two factors. First, the missile frigate is not a law enforcement vessel, usually not equipped with non-lethal weapons such as loudspeakers or high-pressure water cannons, which are unsuitable for the South China Sea confrontation scenario. Second, the Philippine navy has recently acquired some new missile frigates, and if they were damaged during a collision, it would be a big loss. Moreover, the Philippines may not have the capability to repair them. If they were sent back to South Korea, it would not only cost a lot, but also cause a few months of combat power gap.

Ramon Alcaraz

We need to note a fact: although the combat power of naval warships is much greater than that of coast guard ships, they are also more delicate. This delicacy refers to the fact that warships are equipped with a lot of complex radar, optical, and communication equipment. If used for long-range operations, they can fully exert their power. But if they are involved in collisions, the losses will be greater. At least, calibrating the radar and optical equipment is a very complicated task.

In the process of converting some naval warships into coast guard ships, China has removed a lot of high-power remote intelligence reconnaissance and weapon equipment that is no longer needed. Therefore, it is not afraid of collision tactics. The coast guard ships made based on the basic design of warships do not carry many high-value radar, optical, and electronic systems. They mainly focus on being able to collide and afford to collide. The Philippine navy does not have such luxury.

Even if they dare to push these two missile frigates to the front line, what awaits the Philippine navy would be an embarrassing situation. According to the numbers provided by the Philippines, China has deployed 11 coast guard ships, 11 fishing boats, 1 airborne helicopter, and 3 naval vessels in the Scarborough Shoal area. Near the Subi Reef, China has deployed 10 coast guard ships, 10 fishing boats, 1 airborne helicopter, 2 naval vessels, and 1 high-speed speedboat. Even when comparing naval strength, China has an absolute advantage.

Max Bernis

It is worth noting that behind the over 100 ships of the Philippines, there was an unexpected guest from Canada. The Canadian Coast Guard's polar patrol ship "Max Bernis" is one of the Harry DeWolf class, normally used for Arctic region patrols. From the perspective of the Philippine coast guard, the "Max Bernis" is a towering giant ship. Its displacement reaches 6,615 tons, more than twice that of the Philippine Antonio Luna. To adapt to the sea conditions of the Arctic, the "Max Bernis" uses a tall and sturdy hull, with a thick and strong bow that leaves a deep impression. From the deck of the Philippine coast guard ship, it looks like a steel castle at sea. Most of the Chinese coast guard ships in the South China Sea are not as large as the "Max Bernis".

Struggle situation near the Subi Reef

Perhaps, from the perspective of the Philippine coast guard, the arrival of this giant ship would give them more confidence to shout louder at China. However, the Canadian Coast Guard is just there to make a show. Behind the Chinese coast guard, there are larger-tonnage 054 missile frigates and 052D missile destroyers. In the air, there are Chinese maritime patrol aircraft and multi-purpose fighters. In the distance, in Beijing, the Chinese commerce department is holding the import permit for Canadian canola oil. The Canadian Coast Guard would not dare to risk the $900 million "Max Bernis" ship, and just came to take a photo to complete the task given by the Americans.

The arrival of this Canadian patrol ship also means that the US seriously lacks the ability to invest and cannot provide substantial support to the Philippines in the South China Sea. Not only do they rely on allies, but even force Canada to send its Arctic patrol ship to the tropical seas for show. It is unknown whether this polar patrol ship has been emergency modified with air conditioning facilities. If not, the Canadian crew members might be cursing in the hot cabin.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7561798261817967167/

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