ABNTB-PNBAC1-2025-01 Harbor Tugboat Acquisition Project of the Philippine Navy

As part of plans to modernize its port and port handling facilities, the Philippine Navy plans to procure several new harbor tugboats to replace ageing assets while also improving its capabilities.

In line with this plan, the Philippine Navy raised a requirement to procure one new harbor tugboat under the ABNTB-PNBAC1-2025-01 Harbor Tugboat Acquisition Project.

This resource page will tackle this specific acquisition, although we expect similar projects to be raised in the near future.

The Philippine Navy's YT-027, a RAmparts 2700 harbor tugboat. Photo credits to Riviera.

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Project Summary:

ABNTB-PNBAC1-2025-01 Harbor Tugboat Acquisition Project:

Note: Edited as of 31 August 2025.

* End User: Philippine Navy 

* Quantity: 1 unit

* Modernization Phase: Philippine Navy GAA Capital Outlay Funds for FY2025 

* Project ABC: Php487,302,000.00

* Acquisition Mode: Public Bidding

* Source of Funding: Philippine Navy GAA Capital Outlay Funds for FY2025

* SARO Release/s: N/A

* Winning Proponent: TBA

* Product for Delivery: TBA

* Contract Price: TBA

* Residual Amount: TBA

* First post by MaxDefense: 31 August 2025 (this post)

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PNHarborTugboat2025Acquisition

* Status: The project is a follow-on to the earlier Tugboats Acquisition Project of the Philippine Navy, to fulfill their target numbers of having at least 6 harbor tugboats by 2028. Tender was opened on 26 July 2025, and SOBE is scheduled on 01 August 2025, which was moved twice to 13 August 2025, then to 08 September 2025.

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Overview:

In its proposed plans to improve its overall capabilities by 2028, the Philippine Navy included the need for at least 6 new tugboats to replace ageing assets and to support new bases.

In 2021, it raised a requirement for a new Harbor Tugboat and a new Oceangoing Tugboat, in which local shipbuilder Josefa Slipway Inc. partnered with Canada's Robert Allan Ltd. was selected to build and deliver the boats.

The shipyard delivered the boats in 2024 and was inducted to the Philippine Navy on the same year. Feedback from the Philippine Navy was said to be positive, and now they are looking to pursue the acquisition of more units.

Since the project is not pursued under the Re-Horizon 3 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program, the plan is to procure them using capital outlay funds of the Philippine Navy as provided in annual GAA funding.

With the Philippine Navy planning to pursue several projects under this system for FY2025, it only raised the acquisition of one harbor tugboat, with more to follow in succeeding years.

The budget allocated for this project is surprisingly large compared to the budget back in 2021 for two tugboats, which brings us to the possibility that a larger tugboat might be requested.

With the project still being tendered, it remains to be seen what design will be pursued. But since the Philippine Navy already operates the RAmparts 2700 design, it is possible that the specifications provided in the project would closely follow those of the RAmparts 2700 design, although it is also possible for the specifications to require for a larger tugboat like the RAmparts 3000 design used in the Oceangoing Tugboat requirement.

The YT-027 (left) and AT-010 (right). The size difference between the RAmparts 2700 and RAmparts 3000 design can be seen here. Photo credits from Robert Allan Ltd.

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First edit and release: 31 August 2025
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines / Philippine Defense Resource