BRP Pangasinan (PS-31)

BRP Pangasinan (PS-31) at CARAT Philippines 2011
History
United States
Name: PCE-891
Builder: Willamette Iron and Steel Works, Portland, Oregon
Laid down: 28 October 1942
Launched: 24 April 1943
Commissioned: 15 June 1944
Fate: transferred to the Philippine Navy, July 1948
History
Philippines
Name: Pangasinan
Namesake: Philippine province of Pangasinan
Acquired: 2 July 1948
Commissioned: 2 July 1948
Renamed:

RPS Pangasinan (PS-31) 1965-1966

BRP Pangasinan (PS-31), June 1980
Status: in active service
General characteristics
Class and type: PCE-842-class patrol craft (in U.S. Navy service)
Class and type: Miguel Malvar-class corvette (in Philippine Navy service)
Displacement: 914 Tons (Full Load)
Length: 184.5 ft (56.2 m)
Beam: 33 ft (10 m)
Draft: 9.75 ft (2.97 m)
Installed power: 2,200 hp (1,600 kW)
Propulsion:
  • Main: 2 × GM 12-278A diesel engines
  • Auxiliary: 2 × GM 6-71 diesel engines with 100KW gen and 1 × GM 3-268A diesel engine with 60KW gen
Speed: 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) (maximum),
Range: 6,600 nmi (12,200 km; 7,600 mi) at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Complement: 85
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)11 Surface Search / Navigation Radar[1]
  • Furuno navigation radar
Armament:

BRP Pangasinan (PS-31) is a Miguel Malvar-class corvette of the Philippine Navy. She was originally built as USS PCE-891, a PCE-842-class patrol craft for the United States Navy during World War II. She was decommissioned from the U.S. Navy and transferred to the Philippine Navy in July 1948 and renamed RPS Pangasinan (E-31). The ship is in active service. Along with other World War II-era ships of the Philippine Navy, Pangasinan is considered as one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world today.[2]

History

Commissioned in the US Navy as USS PCE-891 in 1944, and was decommissioned after World War II.

She was then transferred and commissioned into the Philippine Naval Patrol and was renamed RPS Pangasinan (E-31) in 1948. She was carried on to the Philippine Navy in 1950, and between 1965-1966 she was renamed as RPS Pangasinan (PS-31) using a new classification system. Again in June 1980 she was renamed BRP Pangasinan (PS-31) using a new localized prefix.[3]

Between 1990 and 1991 the Miguel Malvar underwent major overhaul, weapons and radar systems refit, and upgrade of communications gear.[4]

She is currently assigned with the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet.[5]

Notable Deployments / Exercises

On 16 July 1973, Pangasinan under the command of Lt. Cdr. Arturo Y. Capada (PN), dispatched a motor whale boat operated by ET3 Celso Rosario (PN) and rescued a Philippine Constabulary detachment of 9 troopers from Tandu Batu, Luuk, Sulu. ET3 Rosario died in the said rescue operation, which earned him the Philippine Medal of Valor.[6]

In August 2002, she was also one of the Philippine Navy ships which rescued Filipino refugees from Sabah beating the 24 August 2002 deadline imposed by the Malaysians for undocumented workers to leave.[7]

On 14 October 2003 while conducting patrol operations along the Philippine-Malaysian border, Pangasinan apprehended a motor launch carrying some R3.5 million worth of smuggled goods off Tawi-Tawi.[8]

Last 20 May 2008, as part of a composite team from the Philippine Army 53rd Infantry Battalion, Philippine Navy - Naval Forces Western Mindanao, and the Philippine National Police, she joined a raid on the island of Ticala, San Pablo, Zamboanga del Sur, in order to put an end to sea robberies and extortion in the waters of Illana Bay.[9]

On July 2011, Pangasinan, together with BRP Rizal (PS-74) and US Navy ships USS Howard (DDG-83) and USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93), took part in the sea phase bilateral exercises Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Philippines 2011.[10]

Technical details

There are slight difference between the BRP Pangasinan as compared to some of her sister ships in the Philippine Navy, since her previous configuration was as a patrol craft escort (PCE), while the others are configured as rescue patrol craft escort (PCER) and minesweepers (Admirable class) ships.[1]

Armaments

Originally the ship was armed with one forward Mk.26 3"/50 caliber dual purpose gun, three aft twin Mk.1 Bofors 40 mm guns, four Mk.10 20 mm Oerlikon guns, 1 Hedgehog depth charge projector, four depth charge projectiles (K-guns) and two depth charge tracks.[11] This configuration applies before its overhaul in the early 1990s.

During its overhaul and refit between 1990 and 1991,[4] the Philippine Navy removed her old anti-submarine weapons and systems, and made some changes in the armament set-up. Some sources claim the loss of its three Bofors 40mm cannons during the 1990-1991 overhaul and refit period,[1] but photos at of 2011 show the Bofors guns still present. Final armaments fitted to the ship are one Mk.26 3"/50-caliber gun (fore), three twin Mk.1 Bofors 40 mm cannons (aft), four Mk.10 Oerlikon 20 mm cannons (2 each on bridge wings), and four M2 Browning 12.7 mm/50 caliber machine guns (2 besides main bridge, 2 aft near the lower Bofors gun tub). This made the ship lighter and ideal for surface patrols, but losing her limited anti-submarine warfare capability.[1]

Electronics

Also during the refit the ship's RCA CRM-NIA-75 surface search radar[4] and RCA SPN-18 navigation radar[4] was replaced by a Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)11 surface search and navigation radar system.[1] Later modifications included the installation of an additional Furuno navigation radar , long range and satellite communications systems, and GPS system standard to all Philippine Navy ships.

Machinery

The ship is powered by two GM 12-278A diesel engines with a combined rating of around 2,200 bhp (1,600 kW) driving two propellers. The main engines can propel the 914 tons (full load) ship to a maximum speed of around 16 knots (30 km/h).[12]

Gallery

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 GlobalSecurity.org PS Miguel Malvar Class
  2. ↑ Manokski's Armed Forces of the Philippines Order of Battle. Philippine Navy.
  3. ↑ Philippine Navy Information Manual 1995 - Adoption of Pilipino Translation of "Bapor ng Republika ng Pilipinas"
  4. 1 2 3 4 Saunders, Stephen: Jane's Fighting Ships 107th Edition 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group Ltd, 2004.
  5. ↑ Philippine Fleet Official Website. Commissioned ships and crafts.
  6. ↑ Medal of Valor.
  7. ↑ eBalita News. Filipino Refugees from Sabah are today's Boat People.
  8. ↑ Manila Bulletin. P3.5 M worth of 'hot' goods seized.
  9. ↑ News and More... Navy, Army, and PNP Composite Team Raid Pirates’ Lair.
  10. ↑ Philstar.com. Phl-US joint naval exercise a success, says Navy.
  11. ↑ NavSource Online: Patrol Craft Escort Photo Archive. PCE-891.
  12. ↑ DLSU N-ROTC Office. Naming and Code Designation of PN Vessels.

External links


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