Tarlac-class landing platform dock

Launching of BRP Tarlac (LD-601)
Class overview
Name: Tarlac-class landing platform dock
Builders: PT PAL (Persero), Surabaya, Indonesia
Operators:  Philippine Navy
Cost: $46 million (without weapons and sensors)
In service: Expected in 2016
Building: 1
Planned: 4
Laid up: 1
General characteristics
Type: Landing Platform Dock
Displacement:
  • Standard load: 7,200 tons
  • Full load: 11,583 tons[1]
Length: 123 m (404 ft)
Beam: 21.8 m (72 ft)
Draft: 5 m (16 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed: 16 knots (30 km/h) maximum
Range: 9,360 nautical miles (17,300 km)
Endurance: 30 Days
Boats & landing
craft carried:
  • 2 × LCU or LCM at floodable well docks
  • 2 × RHIB or LCVP at boat davits
Capacity: 500 troops and associated vehicles & equipment
Complement: 121
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Navigation Radar
  • Surface & Air search radar
  • Electro-Optical Fire Control System
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
Electronic Warfare Suite
Armament:
  • 1 × 76mm main gun on the foredeck
  • 2 × 25mm secondary guns, one each on the port and starboard sides
  • Unspecified number of 50-caliber Machine guns
Aircraft carried: 2 × medium (10-ton) naval helicopters
Aviation facilities: hangar and flight deck for 2 medium helicopters

Tarlac class is a ship class of landing platform docks, based on the Indonesian Navy Makassar-class, that will be commissioned under the Philippine Navy. In order to meet the military and logistic requirements four ships are needed by the navy[2] but only two ships were ordered and constructed by the Indonesian state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL (Persero).[3] The first of the two ships and the lead ship was launched on 17 January 2016[4] as BRP Tarlac (LD-601).[5] The class was initially called the "Strategic Sealift Vessel" before the class was formally named.

Construction of the first unit already started in January 2015 and is expected to be delivered by July 2016, while the second unit will start a few months after and will be delivered by the 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2017.[6] These ships would be the first of its kind to be operated by the Philippine Navy, and are meant to be used for amphibious operations and transport duties in support of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but will double as a support platform for Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Search & Rescue (SAR) operations.

Design

The design will be closely based on the Makassar class of Landing Platform Dock used by the Indonesian Navy, which in turn were actually based on a low-cost LPD design from Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering / Daesun Shipyard.

A scale model of Strategic Sealift Vessel presented by PT PAL during ADAS 2014.

Communication Equipment

The communication equipment will be supplied by the Portuguese company EID Naval Communications specifically the ICCS5 communications control system, and Harris RF Communications VLF-HF and V/UHF radios.[7]

Propulsion

The ships will have a Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) layout and will be using similar engines as those used by their Indonesian counterparts, the MAN 9L28/32A medium speed engines. Combined power from the two engines will produce 6,000 bhp transferred to two controllable pitch propellers.[8]

Armaments

PT PAL confirmed that the SSVs will be designed to support one 76 mm gun on the foredeck as the main armament. Two stern-facing 25 mm guns will also be fitted, one each on the port and starboard sides.[9]

It is still unconfirmed if the weapons systems will be installed by PT PAL before delivery, or will be installed in Philippine shipyards after delivery.

Flight Support

Originally the ships were designed with a hangar and helicopter landing deck for two medium-sized helicopter, with the specifications emphasizing the US-made Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter as basis. But changes in the Philippine Navy's requirement later on changed the design to have a hangar for two medium helicopters.

Construction

SSV-1 officially started its construction on January 22, 2015 where a 1st steel cutting ceremony was held in PT PAL's facility in Surabaya, Indonesia.[10] It has entered keel laying works as of June 5, 2015, and was launched as BRP Tarlac (LD-601) on January 18, 2016. Further works and testing will be made until the ship is delivered to the Philippine Navy by May 2016.[11][12]

The second ship, SSV-2, has undertaken its first steel cutting ceremonies also on June 5, 2015 in PT PAL's Surabaya shipyard.[12] It's keel laying ceremonies was held together with the launching of the lead ship on January 18, 2016, and was given a hull number LD-602. It is expected that the ship will be delivered to the Philippine Navy by May 2017.[11]

References

  1. "PT PAL outlines weapons fit for Philippine Navy SSVs". IHS Jane's. 2015-08-13. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
  2. "PT PAL cuts steel on first Philippine Navy sealift vessel | IHS Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  3. "Indonesia's PT PAL signs contract to supply strategic sealift vessels to the Philippines". IHS Jane's. 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2015-01-28.
  4. "First of 2 new vessels for PH Navy to be launched in Indonesia". globalnation.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  5. "LOOK: PH Navy’s first strategic sealift vessel". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  6. "PT PAL cuts steel on first Philippine Navy sealift vessel". IHS Jane's. 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2015-01-28.
  7. "Portugal's EID to supply communications systems for Philippine sealift ships". IHS Jane's 360. 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  8. "A clearer picture on the Strategic Sealift Vessel of the Philippine Navy". MaxDefense. 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2015-01-28.
  9. Ridzwan Rahmat (2015-07-13). "PT PAL outlines weapons fit for Philippine Navy SSVs". Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  10. "PT PAL Mulai Garap Kapal Perang untuk Filiphina". Suarasurbaya.net. 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  11. 1 2 "LOOK: PH Navy’s first strategic sealift vessel". Inquirer.net. 2016-01-18. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  12. 1 2 "PAL sudah 25% garap kapal perang Filipina". Antara News. 2015-06-05. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
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