BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS37)

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Career (United Kingdom)
BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS-37)
Name:	HMS Starling (P241)
Builder:	Hall Russell
Laid down:	1982
Launched:	7 September 1983
Commissioned:	1984
Decommissioned:	1 August 1997
Fate:	Transferred to Philippine Navy in 1997.
Career (Philippines)
Name:	BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS37)
Namesake:	Gen. Artemio Ricarte (1866-1945), a Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution and Philippine - American War. He is also considered to be the "Father of the Philippine Army".
Operator:	Philippine Navy
Commissioned:	1 August 1997
Fate:	In service with the Philippine Navy
General characteristics
Class and type:	Jacinto class (also known at Tatlong Bayani class)
Type:	Patrol Corvette
Displacement:	712 tons full load
Length:	205.4 ft (62.6 m)
Beam:	32.8 ft (10.0 m)
Draft:	8.9 ft (2.7 m)
Installed power:	14,188 bhp
Propulsion:	2 x APE-Crossley SEMT-Pielstick 18 PA6 V 280 diesels
Speed:	25 knots (sustained speed)
Endurance:	2500 nmi at 17 knots
Boats and landing craft carried:	Rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) aft
Complement:	31
Armament:	1 × 76 mm Oto Melara Compact DP 2 × 7.62 mm GPMG 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon guns 1 x 25 mm M242 Bushmaster on MSI mount
Armor:	Belted Steel

The BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS-37) is one of the three Jacinto class of corvettes, and are considered as one of the most modern ships in the Philippine Navy. She was originally called HMS Starling (P241) during her service with the British Royal Navy. She is currently assigned with the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet.

1 History
2 Technical details
3 Upgrades
4 Gallery
5 References
6 External links
7 See also

[edit] History

Launched as the third of five ships of Peacock class patrol vessels, she was originally part of the Hong Kong Squadron of the British Royal Navy. The ships were built by Hall Russell in the United Kingdom and were commissioned into Her Majesty's British Royal Navy service from 1983 to 1984. The class was designed specifically for patrol duties in Hong Kong waters. As well as ‘flying the flag’ and providing a constant naval presence in region, they could undertake a number of different roles including Seamanship, Navigation and Gunnery training and Search-and-Rescue duties for which they had facilities to carry divers (including a decompression chamber) and equipment to recover vessels and aircraft. They also worked with the Marine Department of the Hong Kong Police and with Customs & Excise in order to prevent the constant flow of illegal immigrants, narcotics and electronic equipment into the Colony.^[1]

Out of the five ships in its class, three of them, HMS Peacock (P239), HMS Plover (P240), and HMS Starling (P241), were left in Hong Kong until 1997. They were sold to the Philippines as a sign of goodwill, and were officially turned over to the Philippine Navy on 1 August 1997 when Hong Kong was ceded back to China.

[edit] Technical details

The ships under this class are characterized by a low freeboard, an Oto-Melara 76 mm gun turret located forward, large funnel amidships and a crane and rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) aft.

The Oto Melara 76 mm Compact DP, the ships' primary weapon, has a range of up to 10 nautical miles (20 km) and can be used against ships, aircraft or off and on-shore ground targets. It is remotely controlled from within the Combat Information Center by the gunnery officer and has no crew within the gun itself. The gun can fire 80 rounds in 60 seconds without reloading its magazine. The ship has load capacity for up to 450 rounds.

Its secondary weapon located at the stern, a MSI Defense System mount for a M242 Bushmaster 25 mm cannon, is integrated with the 76mm primary weapon via an Ultra Electronics Command and Control System and a Radamec 1500 Electro-Optical Tracking/Fire Control System. This new system was installed as part of Phase 1 of the Philippine Navy JCPV upgrade program.

In addition to the abovementioned guns, these ships also carry two 7.62mm general purpose machine guns at the bridgewings, and two Oerlikon 20 mm cannons at the midships.

The ships are powered by two APE-Crossley SEMT-Pielstick diesels (14,188 bhp combined) driving two three-bladed propellers. It has a drop down loiter engine with a shrouded prop of 181 bhp used to keep station and save fuel. The main engines can propel the 664 ton (712 tons full load) ship at over 28 knots (52 km/h), with a sustained speed of 25 knots (46 km/h). Its range is 2,500 nautical miles (4,630 km) at 17 knots (31 km/h).

These corvettes were specifically designed for Asian service, having air-conditioned crew spaces and have been designed to stay at sea during typhoons and other strong weather anomalies common to Asian seas. The ships were modified soon after entering Royal Navy service with deeper bilge keels to alleviate a propensity to roll during moderate and heavy seas.^[2]

[edit] Upgrades

Aside from the new M242 Bushmaster 25 mm cannon and upgrade of its Command and Control & Fire Control Systems as part of the ship's Phase 1 upgrade, the Philippine Navy also installed a new Gyro Compass, Navigation Radar, GPS, Anemometer, and EM log. These were integrated with the ship's existing systems. The Phase 1 upgrade was completed last 2005.

The Phase 2 of the upgrade program include the the repair and remediation of the hull, overhaul and improvement of the Main Propulsion including control and monitoring systems, electrical plant, auxiliary systems, outfitting and hull furnishings and training the navy crew in the operation and maintenance of the new plant.^[3]