BRP Bacolod City (LC-550)

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Career (Philippines)
BRP Bacolod City (LC-550)
Name:	BRP Bacolod City (LC-550)
Namesake:	Bacolod City is the capital and largest highly urbanized Philippine city of the province of Negros Occidental.
Operator:	Philippine Navy
Builder:	Halter/Moss Point Marine, Escatawpa, MS.
Commissioned:	1 December 1993
Fate:	in service with the Philippine Navy
General characteristics
Class and type:	Bacolod City class
Type:	Logistics Support Vessel
Displacement:	4,265 Tons (Full Load)
Length:	273 ft (83 m)
Beam:	60 ft (18 m) (folded)
Draft:	12 ft (3.7 m)
Installed power:	5,800 hp
Propulsion:	2 x GM EMD 16V-645E6 diesel engines
Speed:	12 Knots (maximum), 10 knots (sustained)
Range:	8,300 nmi at 10 knots
Boats and landing craft carried:	2 LCVPs on davits
Capacity:	2,280 tons (900 tons for amphibious operations) of vehicles, containers or cargo, plus 150 troops
Complement:	(30) 6 - Officers/ 24 - Enlisted Personnel
Sensors and processing systems:	Raytheon SPS-64(V)2 I-band Navigation Radar^[1]
Armament:	2 x 20 mm Oerlikon Mk10 cannons 2 x 7.62 mm general purpose machine guns^[2]
Aviation facilities:	Helipad at aft deck

The BRP Bacolod City (LC-550) is the lead ship of two Bacolod City class of Logistics Support Vessels, and is based on a helicopter capable variant of the US Army's Frank S. Besson class. She is also considered as one of the most modern transport ships in the Philippine Navy, having been commissioned during the early 1990s.

1 History
2 Technical details
3 Gallery
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

The BRP Bacolod City was built by Halter/Moss Point Marine of Escatawpa, Mississippi in the United States and was commissioned into Philippine Navy in 1993. Both ships of its class were purchased brand-new by the Philippine government through the FMS program of the United States. Since its commissioning, both ships of its class were rigorously used in military and peacetime operations, and has been joining joint military exercises with foreign navies as well.

Presently it is assigned with the Service Force of the Philippine Fleet.^[3]

[edit] Technical details

The ship is powered by two General Motors-EMD 16-645EZ6 diesel engines with a combined power of around 5,800 hp driving two propellers. The main engines can propel the 1,400 ton (4,265 tons full load) ship at a maximum speed of around 12 knots (22 km/h). At a sustained speed of 10 knots (19 km/h), it range is at around 8,300 nautical miles (15,370 km).^[4]

As a amphibious transport, it is fairly armed for defensive purposes, and carries four 7.62mm general purpose machine guns at the front side decks, and two Oerlikon 20 mm cannons near its two LCVPs.

The prime mission of the ship is the direct transport and discharge of liquid and dry cargo to shallow terminal areas, remote under-developed coastlines and on inland waterways.

The ship does not require external cranes or port facilities, and even in only four feet of water under full load, the ship is still able to land. This capability expands the choice of landing locations, and at the same time reduces the potential enemy impact on the logistics support operations.

The ships have a capacity to transport up to 48 TEU or 2,280 tons vehicles/general cargo, or up to 900 tons on Logistics Over The Shore (LOTS) / amphibious operations. Its ramps and the main deck are able to withstand roll-on/roll-off operations of even heavy main battle tanks.^[5]