BRP Quezon (PS-70)

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BRP Quezon (PS-70)
Career (United States of America) United States Navy ensign
Name: USS Vigilance (AM-324)
Ordered: 1942
Builder: Associated Shipbuilding Corp.
Laid down: 28 November 1942 as HMS Exploit (BAM-24)
Launched: 5 April 1943
Commissioned: 28 February 1944
Decommissioned: 30 January 1947
Struck: 1 December 1966
Fate: Transferred to Philippine Navy in 1967, in active service as of 2008.
Career (Philippines)
Name: BRP Quezon (PS-70)
Namesake: Manuel Quezon y Molina (1878 - 1944) was the first Filipino president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines under U.S. occupation rule in the early period of the 20th century.
Operator: Philippine Navy
Commissioned: 19 August 1967
Fate: In service with the Philippine Navy
General characteristics
Class and type: Rizal class
Type: Patrol Corvette
Displacement: 890 tons standard, 1,250 tons full load
Length: 221.67 ft (67.57 m)
Beam: 32.67 ft (9.96 m)
Draft: 10.75 ft (3.28 m)
Installed power: 5,800 shp
Propulsion: 2 x EMD 16V-645E6 Diesel Engines
Speed: 18 knots (maximum)
Range: 5,000 mi at 14 knots
Complement: 80
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Raytheon SPS-5C G/H-band Surface Search Radar
  • DAS 3 I-band Navigation Radar
  • SQS-17B hull-mounted Sonar (high frequency)[1]
Armament:

The BRP Quezon (PS-70) is one of two Rizal class ships in service with the Philippine Navy. She is formerly an ex-USN Auk class minesweeper that were produced during World War II, and is now classified as a patrol corvette protecting the vast waters of the Philippines. 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

USS Vigilance (AM-324) was originally laid down for the Royal Navy under the lend-lease program as HMS Exploit (BAM-24). However the United States Navy decided to keep the ship and renamed her Vigilance (AM-324) on 23 January 1943.

as USS Vigilance circa 1946
as USS Vigilance circa 1946

Commissioned in the US Navy in 1944, her first duties included screening of transport convoys between Pearl Harbor and the Marshall Islands and local escort duties between Guam, Peleliu, and Ulithiat. She also did minesweeping duties and anti-submarine patrols near Okinawa, was able to assist in anti-aircraft duties with other vessels, and assisting in firefighting and treatment of wounded from USS Whitehurst (DE-634) and USS England (DE-635). She was able to shoot a number of attacking Japanese aircraft during this period. She continued on minesweeping and patrol duties in Leyte, Philippine Islands, and in the Japanese home islands before and after Japan surrendered. With her service during World War II, she was awarded with three battle stars.[3]

She was then transferred to the Philippines in 19 August 1967 and was commissioned to the Philippine Navy as the RPS (now BRP) Quezon (PS-70), and together with her sister ship, was one of the Navy's main warships during the 1960s up to the present.

Further minor refits were made between 1995 and 1996. Some of her weapons were also removed, mainly its anti-submarine equipments. This includes the five Mk6 depth charge projectors and two depth charge racks. This move totally removed her anti-submarine warfare capabilities, which is in fact outdated at present conditions.

[edit] Present Status

Her current classification is Patrol Corvette. She is currently assigned to the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet.[4]

[edit] Gallery

The 2 Rizal class corvettes @ Balikatan 2000 exercises.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jane's Fighting Ships 2004-2005
  2. ^ Armed Forces of the Philippines Order of Battle. Philippine Navy.
  3. ^ Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Vigilance page.
  4. ^ Philippine Fleet Official Website. Commissioned ships and crafts.

[edit] External links


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Rizal class corvette
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