Posted on 07/17/2011 9:43:23 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Philippine Navy acquires biggest warship
By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The biggest ship ever to be acquired by the Philippine Navy, the renamed BRP Gregorio del Pilar, will begin its three-week journey to the Philippines from California on Monday.
The 378-foot Hamilton-class cutter is a decommissioned United States Coast Guard patrol vessel that the Philippines was able to acquire under the United States Excess Defense Act.
(The cutters are called “Hamilton class” after their lead ship, the Hamilton, named after Alexander Hamilton, the first US Secretary of the Treasury.)
Armed Forces Chief Eduardo Oban Jr. earlier said the transfer cost to the government was around P450 million.
The money used for its acquisition came from the Department of Energy’s Malampaya project funds, according to Lieutenant Colonel Omar Tonsay, chief of the Navy’s public affairs office.
While the ship—until recently the largest class of vessel in the US Coast Guard—was designated as a “weather high-endurance cutter” in the USCG, in the Philippine Navy it is classified as a “surface combatant ship” or a warship, said Tonsay.
It will be used for, among other purposes, defending the country’s interests in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), particularly in waters near the disputed Spratly Islands, according to the Navy.
The send-off in San Francisco will be attended by Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Alexander Pama and Philippine Deputy General Consul to San Francisco Wilfredo Santos.
“The send-off will signal the last leg of activities for BRP Gregorio del Pilar in the US and will start the first leg of its journey to the Philippines,” said Pama.
Long trip home
“All preparations have been made for this long trip home as the actual send-off takes place on July 18 at 4 p.m.,” he said in a statement.
The journey will include stopovers in Hawaii and Guam for replenishment.
The Del Pilar, or PF-15, was turned over to the Philippine government on May 13 during turnover rites led by Jose L. Cuisia Jr., the Philippine ambassador to the United States, and Vice Admiral Manson K. Brown, the US Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Force West Commander.
The vessel, whose two 1,800 horsepower gas turbines can propel it to speeds of up to 28 knots, was renamed the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, or PF-15 (the type code designating it as a patrol frigate).
It is the biggest ship ever to be acquired by the Philippine Navy at 378 feet long, with displacement weight of 3,390 long tons. It can stay at sea for 30 days without refueling, and has a crew capacity of 180.
Powerful facilities
It is powered by combined diesel engines and gas turbines and equipped with a helicopter flight deck, a retractable hangar, and other facilities to support helicopter operations.
The Del Pilar will replace the 306-ft BRP Rajah Humabon, a Cannon-class destroyer-escort built during World War II, as the country’s biggest warship, said Tonsay.
The Hamilton-class cutter was largely used by the US Coast Guard for “drug and migrant interdiction, law enforcement, search and rescue, living marine resources protection, and defense readiness,” Tonsay said.
“The Philippine Navy, on the other hand, intends to use this multimission vessel for operations such as maritime security patrols and search and rescue,” he said.
“But more specifically, it will be deployed to aid in the maritime security of the Malampaya Project west of Palawan,” Tonsay said.
In a forum in May, Oban said the Del Pilar would be deployed to the Palawan area, “purposely to patrol our maritime area there and protect our territorial waters as well.”
Military modernization
The Philippines has sought to modernize its military following a series of incidents with China, particularly in the Spratlys, a reputedly oil- and gas-rice chain of islets claimed wholly or in part by the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan.
The Philippines has accused China of repeated intrusions into Philippine-claimed territories in the West Philippine Sea that lie well within its exclusive economic zone.
On Friday, Oban said the AFP had recorded no new foreign intrusions in the area since June.
“That means we’re doing good in terms of our presence,” he said.
“What I’m saying is there are fewer incidences of intrusion unlike the first four to five months of the year when we have seen increased level of intrusion,” he said.
He said the AFP would maintain “vigilance on all fronts” in protecting Philippine waters.
“Our mandate is to patrol our exclusive economic zone. Whether there is threat or not we have to enforce maritime and environmental laws,” Oban said.
Nice looking ship. Wish the Philippines had a bit more muscle available, and maybe a reopened US Navy base to counter China.
If they are going to challenge the Red Chinese, to quote Roy Schneider in “Jaws”, “you’re gonna need a bigger ship”, by the dozen.
I read the local Tagalog rags (my brother is married to one) and even though some in the RP govt want us there, the VFA disallows the return of American troops.
The funny thing is, we have a SF FOB in the Southern Philippines. True story/article: when the Phil. Congress were up in arms because there were pictures of US Spec Ops guys in Basilan where they are NOT supposed to be, then president Arroyo said “no, no,...these are Photoshopped.”
Strange that there is no mention of what name it served under while a Coast Guard vessel.
USCGC Dallas
Wikipedia says USCGC Hamilton
Very under-armed for those waters.
Not that its worse than what the Philippine Navy already has, its just that as a fighting ship its really no better.
It is a MUCH better ship, as a ship, than anything now in the PN, but still.
Its got no weapons that can threaten any Naval craft from any other country in the area, nor can these (some Harpoon launchers, say) be easily fitted, as this ship also lacks the fire control systems and radars.
Forget the PRC.
The Philippines Navy wouldn’t last more than one engagement against either the Navies of Taiwan or Vietnam.
The Philippines Navy is nothing more that a maritime police force.
They have no ability to enforce any claims with the Spratly Islands.
PI Ping
The most important strategic ability the Philippine Navy supplies is military transport around the Philippine islands.
Its their amphibious vessels (also mostly very old) that make it possible for the Philippines to move significant ground forces (well, significant in Philippine terms).
They have vessels that can uniquely deliver significant cargoes to many islands and small ports with primitive facilities.
This is the principal value of a Navy in support of a basically counter-insurgency military in the context of the Philippines.
The patrol part of the Navy is indeed just a coast guard.
It would not really have an “engagement” with any enemy with semi-modern aircraft or antiship missiles. Its patrol ships would just be targets.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.