{{Short description|Philippine Navy Base in Cavite City}} {{Infobox military installation | name = Naval Station Pascual Ledesma | location = [[Fort San Felipe (Cavite)|Fort San Felipe]], San Roque, [[Cavite City]] | nearest_town = | country = the [[Philippines]] | image = Philippine Navy Special Warfare Group(SWAG).jpg | image_size = 300px | caption = A member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Naval Special Operations Group participates in a battlefield exercise during a combat medic subject matter expert exchange at Naval Base Cavite, Philippines. | pushpin_map = Philippines | pushpin_label_position = left | pushpin_label = Naval Base Cavite | pushpin_mapsize = 270 | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_map_caption = Location in the Philippines | coordinates = {{coord|14|28|54|N|120|54|58|E|region:PH-CAV_type:landmark_scale:3000|display=inline,title}} | type = Naval base | code = | site_area = {{convert|9|ha}} | height = | ownership = [[Armed Forces of the Philippines]] <!-- | ownership = Government of the Philippines --> | controlledby = {{navy|Philippines}} | open_to_public = No | condition = Active | built = late 16th century | builder = [[Spanish East Indies]] | used = Spanish shipyard: late 16th century – early 19th century<br>Spanish naval station: early 19th century – 1898<br>U.S. Naval facility: 1898–1971<br>Philippine Naval facility: 1971–present | materials = | demolished = | battles = [[Battle of Manila Bay]] | events = [[1872 Cavite mutiny|Cavite Mutiny of 1872]] | current_commander = Cmdre. Romeo Santiago Nebres | past_commanders = <!-- past notable commander(s) --> | garrison = Naval Sea Systems Command<br>Naval Logistics Center | occupants = <!-- squadrons only --> | website = }} '''Naval Station Pascual Ledesma''', also known as '''Cavite Naval Base''' or '''Cavite Navy Yard''', is a [[military installation]] of the [[Philippine Navy]] in [[Cavite City]].<ref>{{Cite journal |date=September 1930 |title=Historic Cavite Navy Yard |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1930/september/historic-cavite-navy-yard |journal=Proceedings |volume=56 |issue=9 |pages=331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250416061205/https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1930/september/historic-cavite-navy-yard |archive-date=16 April 2025 }}</ref>
In the 1940s and '50s, it was called Philippine Navy Operating Base. The {{convert|9|ha|adj=on}} [[naval base]] is located at the easternmost end of Cavite Point in the San Roque district (specifically Fort San Felipe) of the city. Via traffic lane, this naval establishment is next to the famous Samonte Park. It was the former extension of U.S. [[Naval Station Sangley Point]] (transferred to the Philippines in 1971) which is now Naval Station Heracleo Alano. In 2009, it was named after Cmdre. Pascual Ledesma (b. May 17, 1843 – d. June 6, 1917), a leader of the [[Philippine Revolution]] and the first Officer-In-Command of the Philippine Navy.
== History == ===Spanish period=== The port town of Cavite Nuevo was established after the Spanish colonizers found that the deep waters around the tip of Cavite Point ''(Cavite la Punta)'' are suitable for large ships and established the ''Astillero de Rivera'' (Rivera Shipyard). [[Cavite City]] became the main seaport of [[Manila]] and the staging port for the [[Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade]]. After the demise of the galleon trade, the shipyard became the Spanish Arsenal.<ref name=muog>[http://muog.wordpress.com/2008/01/28/fueza-de-san-felipe-neri-%E2%80%A2-cavite-naval-station-cavite-city/ "Fuerza de San Felipe Neri"]. Muog.</ref>
=== American period === When the sovereignty of the Philippines was ceded to the Americans after the [[Spanish–American War]], the U.S. took over all the military stations left by the Spaniards including the Cavite Naval Yard. The Americans made several modifications and improvements, but also included the demolition of Fort Guadalupe and partially of Fort San Felipe.
It was the US Navy's only ship repair facility in the western Pacific before [[World War II]]. [[Naval Station Sangley Point|Sangley Point]] was a component of the navy yard. Sangley Point was a subordinate command of the Yard and where the naval radio transmitting facility and the naval hospital was located.
In 1941, the [[16th Naval District]] was established in the navy yard during the American colonial period. At the beginning of World War II, the Cavite Navy Yard was destroyed by Japanese bombers. It was abandoned and the Japanese used the yard for small boat repair. It is the same place the Japanese forces used as a headquarters after they conquered Cavite during the Second World War.<ref name=muog />
In 1945, the yard was retaken by the combined Filipino and American forces and recommissioned, but it was turned over to the Philippine government in 1947 for the Philippine Navy.
=== After independence === Early in December 1970, it was officially announced that U.S. Naval Station Sangley Point would be closed. On July 1, 1971, Sangley Point changed status from active to inactive in preparation for the turnover of the facility to the government of the Philippines. On-the-job-training sessions were conducted for Philippine naval personnel to ensure the safe and proper operation of all base industrial facilities. On September 1, 1971, the base was officially turned over to the government of the Philippines, ending 73 years as a U.S. naval facility. It is currently used as a facility of the [[Philippine Navy]] and the [[Philippine Air Force]]. William J. Mitzel and his wife Barbara were the last US personnel to occupy quarters on the installation. Mr. Mitzel was responsible for the final turn over and lived on the installation with his wife, when the turn over was completed.
In line with [[Philippine Navy]] General Order number 229 dated July 7, 2009, the naval installations were renamed to honor esteemed predecessors in the military/naval service who fought for the protection of the nation's sovereignty, territorial integrity, democracy, and the maritime interests of the country. With this, the Naval Base Cavite, the naval station in Fort San Felipe, was assigned the name '''Naval Station Pascual Ledesma'''.<ref>Arevalo, Lt. Col. Edgardo A. (2009-08-20). [https://web.archive.org/web/20110108165037/http://www.navy.mil.ph/news.php?news_id=147 "Navy Renames Bases and Stations After Predecessors"]. The Philippine Navy Today. Retrieved on 2014.(Article is truncated.)</ref>
Naval Base Cavite provides support services to the Philippine Navy and other [[Armed Forces of the Philippines]] tenant units in the base complex, such as refueling, re-watering, shore power connections, berthing, ferry services, tugboat assistance, sludge disposal services and housing.
=== Naval Sea Systems Command === Formerly the Naval Support Command, the Naval Sea System Command operates the country's military shipyards providing repair and maintenance of all navy [[ships]] and [[aircraft]] and their [[weapons]]. They develop new technologies for the Navy and maintains their [[communications]] and [[Electronics|electronic equipment]] in order to sustain the naval [[Defense (military)|defense]] capability of the Philippine Navy. It is the biggest industrial complex of the [[Armed Forces of the Philippines]].
The Philippine Navy's Naval Sea Systems Command shared a video on their realization to restart their naval shipbuilding capability with the reopening of the Naval Shipbuilding Center (previously called the Cavite Naval Yard) which was refurbished and retooled as part Israel Shipyard's contract to supply fast attack interdiction crafts to the Philippine Navy.
The new facility will be building/assembling some of the [[Acero-class patrol gunboat|Acero-class]] FAICs (Shaldag Mk. V) that were procured by the DND under the FAICM Acquisition Project, and will likely to the same once additional orders are made.
Israel Shipyard turned over the upgraded shipyard to the Philippine Navy in 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hilotin |first1=Jay |title=Philippines to scale-up building its own warships |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/philippines/philippines-to-scale-up-building-its-own-warships-1.1720543171089 |access-date=20 May 2025 |work=Gulf News |date=10 July 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=PH Navy gets upgraded shipyard from Israeli firm |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196413 |access-date=20 May 2025 |agency=Philippine News Agency |language=en}}</ref>
=== Naval Logistics Center === The Naval Logistics Center began as the OSP{{clarify|What do these letters mean?}|date=June 2019}} supply center under the finance branch of the Philippine Army for supporting the few vessels turned over by the US Navy. In October 1947, the supply center was elevated to a regular division and paved the way to the establishment of the general supply depot named as the Naval Supply Center in 1950. It was placed under control of the Commander, Naval Shore Establishment, later called the Fleet Support Command and the Naval Support Command in 1967.
It is now called the Naval Logistics Center. The depot procures and maintains, manages supplies and [[raw materials]], operates equipment and facilities and render related services in support of the [[logistics]] requirement of Philippine Navy units.<ref>(2012-11-15). [https://kalasagnglahi.angelfire.com/main_pn.html Philippine Navy (Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas)"]. Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas.</ref>
=== Hospital === Located within the base is the Cavite Naval Hospital, a medical facility that provides hospital and out-patient services to Philippine Navy personnel and their dependents. It is located on P. Zamora Extension/Reynoso Road,({{coord|14|28|58.6|N|120|54|52.5|E|display=inline|name=Cavite Naval Hospital|scale:200}}) adjacent to the navy chapel. The other naval hospital, Manila Navy Hospital is located in [[Fort Bonifacio]] in [[Taguig City]].<ref name=PNO>Pike, John. [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/philippines/navy-org.htm "Philippine Navy Organization"]. GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved on 2014-10-21.</ref>
=== Education === [[Sangley Point National High School]] is located at Naval Station Heracleo Alano. It is situated along La Naval Rd, Naval Station Heracleo Alano, [[Danilo Atienza Air Base|Sangley Point]], San Antonio, Cavite City; not at Naval Base Pascual Ledesma regarding the above topic.
=== Chapel === Naval Base Cavite is served by the Stella Maris Chapel, a [[Roman Catholic]] [[military chaplain]]cy located on P. Zamora Ext. (or Reynoso Rd)({{coord|14|28|59.3|N|120|54|50.4|E|display=inline|name=Stella Maris Chapel|scale:200}}) inside the base in Fort San Felipe, Cavite City.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/stellamarischapel/info "Stella Maris Chapel"]. Facebook. Retrieved on 2014-10-21.</ref>
== See also == *[[US Naval Base Philippines]] * [[Naval Base Manila]] *Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui ([[Naval Station San Miguel]]) *[[Danilo Atienza Air Base]], the former US Naval Station Sangley Point located across [[Cañacao Bay]] *[[Fort San Felipe (Cavite)]] *[[United States Navy submarine bases]] *[[World War II United States Merchant Navy]]
== References == {{commons category|Cavite Naval Base}} {{Reflist}} {{Ports and Seaports in the Philippines}} {{Military Bases of the Philippines}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pascual Ledesma}} [[Category:Naval installations of the Philippines]] [[Category:Military installations established in 1898]] [[Category:Military installations in Cavite]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Cavite City]] [[Category:Former installations of the United States Navy]]