Pentagon Awards Contract to Upgrade Philippine Naval Base Near South China Sea

The Pentagon awarded a contract to upgrade the Philippine Navy’s primary base near the South China Sea to support small boats and unmanned surface vessels. New Mexico-based contractor Ace Builders, Inc. was selected last week for a $975,000 design-build project of a small boat maintenance facility at Naval Detachment Oyster Bay in Western Palawan. The project was initially announced in May to increase the Philippine Navy’s sustainment capabilities amid operational challenges in the South China Sea, USNI News previously reported. Manila relies on the base for its military operations in the South China Sea, launching American-provided Cyclone-class patrol boats and