BRP Pangasinan (PS-31)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


BRP Pangasinan (PS-31)
Career (United States of America) United States Navy ensign
Name: USS PCE-891
Builder: Willamette Iron and Steel Works, Portland, Oregon
Laid down: 28 October 1942
Launched: 24 April 1943
Commissioned: 15 June 1944
Fate: Transfered to the Philippines on July 1948.
Career (Philippines)
Name: BRP Pangasinan (PS-31)
Namesake: Pangasinan is one of the provinces in the Northern Philippines.
Operator: Philippine Navy
Commissioned: July 1948
Reclassified: Patrol Corvette
Fate: in service with the Philippine Navy
General characteristics
Class and type: Miguel Malvar class
Type: Patrol Corvette
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
Propulsion: Main: 2 x GM 12-278A diesel engines
Auxiliary: 2 x GM 6-71 diesel engines with 100KW gen and 1 x GM 3-268A diesel engine with 60KW gen
Speed: 16 Knots (maximum),
Range: 6,600 nmi at 11 knots
Complement: 85
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • CRM-NIA-75 Surface Search Radar
  • RCA SPN-18 I/J-band Navigation Radar
    [1]
Armament:

The BRP Pangasinan (PS-31) is one of several Miguel Malvar class Patrol Corvettes in service with the Philippine Navy. She is formerly an ex-USN Patrol Craft Escort based on the Admirable class minesweeper hull that were produced during World War II, and is now classified as a corvette protecting the vast waters of the Philippines. She is actually one of the first of her class in service with the Philippine Navy (as other ships of her class were commissioned in 1975). Along with other ex-World War II veteran ships of the Philippine Navy, she is considered as one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world today.[2]


Contents

[edit] History

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

She was then transferred and commissioned into the Philippine Navy and was renamed RPS (now BRP) Pangasinan (PS-31) in 1948. She is currently assigned with the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet.[3]

[edit] Notable Operations

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.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6]

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.[7]

[edit] Technical details

Originally the ship was armed with one 3"/50 caliber dual purpose gun, three twin Bofors 40 mm guns, four 20 mm Oerlikon guns, 1 Hedgehog depth charge projector, four depth charge projectiles (K-guns) and two depth charge tracks.[8]

The same configuration applies up until the late 1980s when the Philippine Navy removed most of her old anti-submarine weapons and systems, and added four 12.7 mm general purpose machine guns, making her lighter and ideal for surface patrols, but losing her limited anti-submarine warfare capability.

The ship is powered by two GM 12-278A diesel engines with a combined rating of around 2,200 bhp 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).[9]

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, while the others are configured as minesweepers and patrol craft escort rescue ships.

[edit] Gallery

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jane's Fighting Ships 2004-2005
  2. ^ Manokski's Armed Forces of the Philippines Order of Battle. Philippine Navy.
  3. ^ Philippine Fleet Official Website. Commissioned ships and crafts.
  4. ^ Medal of Valor.
  5. ^ eBalita News. Filipino Refugees from Sabah are today's Boat People.
  6. ^ Manila Bulletin. P3.5 M worth of 'hot' goods seized.
  7. ^ News and More... Navy, Army, and PNP Composite Team Raid Pirates’ Lair.
  8. ^ NavSource Online: Patrol Craft Escort Photo Archive. PCE-891.
  9. ^ DLSU N-ROTC Office. Naming and Code Designation of PN Vessels.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Miguel Malvar class corvette