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Photo Courtesy || Naval Force West
Cordillera - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has said that the Philippine Navy's BRP Benguet (LS-507) has warned off and issued consecutive radio challenges to a Chinese navy PLAN 621 near the Pag-asa Island on October 13.
"The Philippine Navy (PN)'s BRP Benguet warned off and issued consecutive radio challenges to China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy 621 (PLAN 621) after it shadowed the former at an 80-yard distance and attempted to cross LS-507's bow with a CPA (closest point of approach) of 350 yards at 5.8 nautical miles southwest of Pag-asa Island on Friday, October 13," AFP public affairs office chief, Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto, said in a news release Sunday.
The AFP said that the BRP Benguet was en route to Rizal Reef Station for its regular rotation and resupply or RoRe mission when the tailing occurred between 1:40 p.m. and 5:04 p.m. Friday.
What is BRP Benguet?
BRP Benguet (LS-507), a landing ship tank of the Philippine Navy named after Benguet Province. It is currently in active service under the Sealift Amphibious Force of the Philippine Fleet.
Formerly known as USS Daviess County (LST-692), it was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri, it was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
It served in World War II and during the Korean War. The US Government transferred Daviess County to the Philippine Navy in 1976, which renamed her BRP Benguet (LT-507). A new classification system implemented in April 2016 changed her hull number from LT-507 to LS-507.
BRP Benguet was used to transport relief goods donated by the different government and private agencies to the affected Filipinos of the Zamboanga City Crisis in 2013. In April 2018, LS-507 accompanied a fisherman who was rescued in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea to Headquarters Naval Forces West in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
LS-507 was named after Benguet Province and is currently in active service under the Sealift Amphibious Force of the Philippine Fleet.
