Del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessel
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Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | Gregorio del Pilar class |
Builders | Avondale Shipyards |
Operators | ![]() |
In commission | 2011– present |
Planned | 3 |
Completed | 3 |
Active | 2 |
Laid up | 1 (under repair) |
General characteristics | |
Type | Patrol Frigate |
Displacement | 3,250 tons |
Length | 378 ft (115.2 m) |
Beam | 43 ft (13.1 m) |
Draft | 8.75 ft (2.7 m) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 29 kn (53.7 kph; 33.4 mph) |
Range | 14000 nmi (25928 km) |
Endurance | 45 days |
Boats & landing craft carried | 2 × RHIB |
Complement | 80 |
Sensors and processing systems |
|
Electronic warfare & decoys | 2 × Mk 36 SRBOC Chaff and Decoy Launching System[6] |
Armament |
|
Aircraft carried | 1 × AW109E Power naval helicopter[2] |
Aviation facilities | retractable hangar and flight deck |
The Del Pilar class is a class of three offshore patrol vessels currently in service with the Philippine Navy and the foremost surface combatants of the fleet. These ships were formerly used by the US Coast Guard as Hamilton-class high endurance cutters. The ships were designed with a high level of habitability and provides fairly comfortable accommodations, including air conditioning, a first for the Philippine Navy.[7]
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/BRP_Goyo_Hawaii.jpg/220px-BRP_Goyo_Hawaii.jpg)
Early in 2011, the Philippine Navy announced the acquisition of an ex-US Coast Guard Hamilton-class high-endurance cutter under the "Ocean-going Escort Vessel" project through the US Excess Defense Article programme.[8][9] The ship acquired was the former USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715),[10] renamed BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15) which was officially turned over to the Philippine Navy on 13 May 2011 at Alameda Point in California. It was retrofitted and modified in the US, replacing systems removed by the USCG. The ship's arrival ceremonies were on 23 August 2011 in Manila,[11] and it was commissioned on 14 December 2011.[12]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Brp_Gregorio_del_Pilar_and_Brp_Ramon_Alcaraz.jpg/220px-Brp_Gregorio_del_Pilar_and_Brp_Ramon_Alcaraz.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/BRP_RAMON_ALCARAZ.jpg/220px-BRP_RAMON_ALCARAZ.jpg)
A second Hamilton-class cutter, the USCGC Dallas (WHEC-716), was turned over to the Philippine Navy on 22 May 2012[13] with ceremonies held at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Pier Papa in North Charleston, South Carolina.[14] The ship was named BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) in Philippine Navy service. Like its sister ship, it was retrofitted and modified in the US, replacing systems removed by the USCG.[15] It was expected to arrive in the Philippines by February 2013.[16][17][18] However, further training and unspecified upgrades on the ship pushed the arrival of the BRP Ramon Alcaraz to August 2013.[19] The ship's arrival ceremony was held at Subic Harbor on August 6, 2013, led by President Aquino.[20] It was commissioned on Nov. 22, 2013.[21]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/BRP_Andres_Bonifacio.jpg/220px-BRP_Andres_Bonifacio.jpg)
A third Hamilton-class cutter was turned over to the Philippine Navy after US President Barack Obama announced that another high endurance cutter will be transferred to the Philippines during his visit to the BRP Gregorio del Pilar on November 17, 2015.[22] The White House subsequently confirmed that the USCGC Boutwell (WHEC-719) will be the ship that will be transferred to the Philippines. The ship was commissioned into service on July 21, 2016 and was renamed BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF-17) unlike her sister ships which was given PF (Patrol Frigate) designation upon commissioning. This was because BRP Andrés Bonifacio entered service after the Philippine Navy made changes to their Ship Classification.[23]
The class, designated as Frigates (FF), would be re-designated as Patrol Ships (PS) to better reflect their limited capabilities.[24]
Design
Propulsion
The Del Pilar class are the first Philippine military vessels to employ the now common shipboard application of aircraft gas turbine jet engines with the use of controllable pitch propellers. The class are equipped with two 18,000 horsepower (13,000 kW) Pratt & Whitney[25] gas turbines and can propel the ship at speeds up to 28 knots (52 km/h). The class also has two 3,500 horsepower (2,600 kW) Fairbanks-Morse[25] diesel engines, capable of driving the ship economically at 17 knots (31 km/h) for up to 14,400 nautical miles (26,700 km) without refueling.[25] A retractable/rotatable bow propulsion unit provides manoeuvrability in tight situations.
Armaments
Prior to turn-over to the Philippine Navy, the Hamilton-class cutters were armed with a Mk 75 Oto Melara 76 mm Compact main gun, two Mk 38 M242 Bushmaster 25mm chain gun at midships, and a Phalanx CIWS system aft. The CIWS and chain guns were removed by the United States Coast Guard prior to turn-over, with the Mk 75 gun remaining.
The Philippine Navy installed a Mk 38 Mod 1 25mm chain gun and two Mk 16 20mm Oerlikon autocannons to the PS-15, and six .50-caliber machine guns on both the PS-15 and PS-16.[4][26][27]
The Philippines ordered two new Mk 38 Mod 2 25mm chain gun systems in 2012, and these are expected to be installed to the ships of the class.[28] On Feb. 17, 2014, it was reported that said chain guns were in the Philippines, waiting for the U.S. Coast Guard armament team for installation.[29] As of January 25, 2015, 2 Mk. 38 Mod. 2 25mm guns had been installed on PF-16.[5]
Another set of Mk 38 chain guns, this time in Mod 3 variant were ordered in October 2015,[30] and another contract for 2 units of Mk 38 Mod 3 25mm chain guns were ordered in September 2016.[31][32] The first set of 2 units was installed on BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15) on early June 2019.[33]
Flight Support
The Del Pilar class has a flight deck and hangar capable of handling helicopters. A BO-105 light surveillance helicopter was initially assigned to BRP Gregorio del Pilar, and was replaced by the newer AW109E Power helicopter.[34] The helicopters first made their shipboard deployment on May 21, 2014.
Modernization
It was also reported that the Philippine Navy is planning further upgrades for the entire ship class. The upgrades will feature upgrades for navigation, propulsion, communication, surveillance, and weapons systems.[35]
Several systems were acquired through US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF), which includes the BAE Systems Mk 38 Mod 2 chain guns, the SAAB AN/SPS-77 Sea Giraffe AMB 3D air/surface search radar,[36] and the FLIR Systems SeaFLIR 230 Electro-Optical/Infra-Red Camera.[37]
Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy will launch a program to acquire, install and integrate several other sensors into the ship, as part of the Horizon 2 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program. Among those to be acquired are new Combat Management System (CMS), Hull Mounted Sonar (HMS), and a Radar Electronic Support Measures (R-ESM).[37] In 2019, the DND, together with the Hanwha Group signed a contract for the Del Pilar-class Frigate Upgrade Project, which will install the Hanwha Systems Naval Shield Baseline 2 ICMS, the same CMS of the Jose Rizal-class frigates, along with the integration of a Hull Mounted Sonar, the Radar Electronic Support Measures, and the navigation and existing weapon systems (Oto Melara 76 mm, and Mk 38 chain guns).
On February 21, 2020, the navy plans to install a Mark 46 torpedo system in the ships to complement with the Hull Mounted Sonar for anti-submarine operations.[38]
Ships in Class
Pennant number | Ship name | Launched | Commissioned | Service | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PS-15 | BRP Gregorio del Pilar | 18 December 1965 | 14 December 2011 | Offshore Combat Force | Out of service until the end of 2021[39] |
PS-16 | BRP Ramon Alcaraz | 1 October 1966 | 22 November 2013 | Offshore Combat Force | Active |
PS-17 | BRP Andres Bonifacio [40] | 17 June 1967 | 21 July 2016[41] | Offshore Combat Force | Active |
See also
References
- ^ a b Saunders, Stephen: Jane's Fighting Ships 107th Edition 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group Ltd, 2004.
- ^ a b c Saunders, Stephen (2013). IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2013-2014. IHS. p. 614. ISBN 978 0 7106 3048 3.
- ^ a b "Finally, the Philippine Navy's BRP Ramon Alcaraz got its Mk 38 Mod 2 Guns". 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2015-01-26.
- ^ "Navy flagship sheds US identity; videoke onboard". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2011-09-03. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
- ^ "History of USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715)". USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715) official web site. United States Coast Guard. 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
- ^ "Philippine Navy eyeing purchase from US". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2011-01-24. Archived from the original on 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- ^ "PHL Navy to acquire largest ship in inventory". GMA News. 2011-01-23. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- ^ "Philippines builds anti-China muscle". Asia Times Online. 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- ^ "US Government to turnover USGC Hamilton to Philippine Navy". Naval Public Affairs Office, Philippine Navy. 2011-05-12. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
- ^ "Noy inaugurates 2 newly commissioned ships". The Philippine Star. 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
- ^ "AFP chief to receive 2nd US patrol ship". ABS-CBN News. 2012-05-19. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
- ^ "Decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter Dallas being transfered [sic] to Philippine navy". The Digitel Charleston. 2012-05-18. Archived from the original on 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
- ^ "Philippines to get 2nd US coast guard ship". Xinhua-ANI c/o Yahoo! News. 2012-05-21. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
- ^ "Gazmin assures Navy of brand-new gear, assets showcased on Navy Day". InterAksyon.com. 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
- ^ "DND puts on hold plan to get third warship from US". The Philippine Star. 2012-11-01. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
- ^ "Philippines' Second Warship to Arrive in June". April 30, 2013.
- ^ Romero, Alexis (2013-03-04). "Arrival of new Phl warship delayed". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2013-05-25.
- ^ "PHL attempts to 'modernize' Navy with 46-year-old warship BRP Ramon Alcaraz". GMA News. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
- ^ "Maiden voyage of PH's most capable warship". Rappler. 2013-11-22. Retrieved 2013-11-30.
- ^ http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-in-philippines-for-apec-summit/3061271.html
- ^ http://m.inquirer.net/globalnation/131551
- ^ "Del Pilar-class frigates redesignated as patrol ships". Philippine News Agency. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
- ^ a b c "WHEC 378' Hamilton class". GlobalSecurity.org. 2005-04-27. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
- ^ "Re: Retitled: BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15) - ex USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715)". Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-07-20.
- ^ http://kalasagnglahi.angelfire.com/content06.html
- ^ "No. 721-12 Contracts". U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs). Retrieved 2012-09-09.
- ^ "BRP Ramon Alcaraz fitted with 'Bushmaster' auto cannons soon". PTV News. 2014-02-17. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
- ^ "Contracts for Oct. 29, 2015". U.S. Department of Defense. 2015-10-29. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ^ "Contracts for Sept. 29, 2016". U.S. Department of Defense. 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ^ "Philippine Navy Expecting 4 New Mk. 38 Mod. 3 Gun Systems from 2 Contracts". MaxDefense Philippines. 2017-03-12. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ^ MaxDefense Philippines PN Installs Mk.38 Mod.3 guns on PS-15
- ^ Alexis Romero (December 19, 2013). "AFP commissions 3 brand-new naval choppers". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ Grevatt, Jon (2013-12-16). "Philippines plans further upgrades to ex-US Coast Guard cutters". IHS Jane's 360. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
- ^ "U.S. Green Lights FMS of AN/SPS-77 Sea Giraffe Radar for Philippines Navy Hamilton-class Cutters". Navy Recognition. 2016-12-14. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
- ^ a b Montero, Max (2018-05-23). "MaxDefense Philippines 23 May 2018". MaxDefense Philippines. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
- ^ Nepomuceno, Priam (19 May 2020). "Completion of BRP Gregorio Del Pilar repairs moved to 2021". ADAS. Singapore. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
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value (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Adel, Rosette (2016-11-01). "Philippine Navy's third frigate set to sail home". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
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