Philippines Navy BRP Valentin Diaz Commissioned

The Philippine Navy commissioned BRP Valentin Diaz (PS-177), formerly the US Navy Cyclone-class patrol ship USS Monsoon (PC-4), on 11 September 2023 at its headquarters in Manila, Naval News reported, together with sister ship BRP Ladislao Diwa. The ships were transferred through the US Excess Defense Articles program in April 2023, shortly after US decommissioning, and were the last Cyclone-class ships in US Navy service. They join the Alvarez class in the Littoral Combat Force. The Defense Secretary called them a timely addition to the fleet.