BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11)

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Career (United States of America)
BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11)
Name:	USS Atherton (DE-169)
Ordered:	1942
Builder:	Federal Drydock & Shipbuilding Co.
Laid down:	14 January 1943
Launched:	27 May 1943
Commissioned:	29 August 1943
Decommissioned:	10 December 1945
Struck:	15 June 1975
Fate:	Transferred to JMSDF in 1955, reverted back to US Navy in 1975. Transferred to Philippine Navy in 1976.^[1]
Career (Japan)
Name:	JDS Hatsuhi (DE-263)
Operator:	Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Commissioned:	1955
Decommissioned:	1975
Fate:	reverted back to US Navy in 1975.
Career (Philippines)
Name:	BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-78) - original Philippine penant number.
Namesake:	Rajah Humabon was the main Raja of Cebu island in the Philippines at the time of Ferdinand Magellan's arrival in the archipelago in 1521.
Operator:	Philippine Navy
Commissioned:	27 February 1980
Renamed:	BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-6) / (PF-11) - current
Fate:	In service with the Philippine Navy
General characteristics
Class and type:	Datu Kalantiaw class
Type:	Destroyer Escort / Frigate
Displacement:	1,390 tons standard, 1,620 tons full load
Length:	306 ft (93 m)
Beam:	36.66 ft (11.17 m)
Draft:	8.75 ft (2.67 m) 8.75 ft
Installed power:	5,800 hp
Propulsion:	2 x EMP 16-645E7 (Turbo) Diesel Engines 4 generators 2 motors 2 shafts
Speed:	21 knots (maximum)
Range:	10,800 mi at 12 knots
Complement:	165
Sensors and processing systems:	Raytheon SPS-5 G/H-band Surface Search Radar RCA/GE Mk26 I-band Navigation Radar SQS-17B Hull mounted Sonar Mk52 GFCS with Mk41 Rangefinder for 3 in. guns 3 Mk51 GFCS for 40 mm.
Armament:	3 × 3"/50 caliber gun Mk22 dual purpose guns 3 × Mk1 Twin Bofors 40 mm gun 4 × Mk4 Oerlikon 20 mm cannon 2 x 50 caliber machine guns

The BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11) is the current flagship, and the largest capital warship of the Philippine Navy. It is also the last Destroyer Escort / Frigate in its fleet, and is considered as one of the oldest active ships of the fleet, and in the world. She is one of three ex-USN Cannon-class destroyer escorts that served the Philippine Navy, the others being BRP Datu Sikatuna (PF-5/PS-77) and BRP Datu Kalantiaw (PS-76).

1 History
2 Present Status
3 Technical details
4 Notable Operations
- 4.1 International
5 Notable Popular Culture
6 Gallery
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

as USS Atherton circa 1945

Commissioned in the US Navy as the USS Atherton (DE-169) in 1943, she was mostly assigned at the Atlantic theatre doing patrols and anti-submarine missions. She was credited of having destroyed a German U-boat, the U-853, in 9 May 1945. She served in the Pacific theatre in the middle of 1945 until she was decommissioned and put on reserves on 10 December 1945. With her service during World War II, she was awarded with one battle star.

as JMSDF Hatsuhi circa 1967

She was transferred to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as Hatsuhi (DE-263) from 1955 until 1975, wherein she was returned to the US Navy.^[2]

as BRP Rajah Humabon

She was then transferred to the Philippines in September 1976 and was towed to South Korea for an extensive refit. During this period South Korea turned over 2 of their own US-supplied Cannon class ships to the Philippines in 1977, namely the Kyong Ki (DE-71) /USS Muir (DE-770) and Kang Won (DE-72) / USS Sutton (DE-771), which were cannibalized for use as parts hulk, it was possible that these 2 ships were used to upgrade and repair the Rajah Humabon, and provide her with additional guns and improve her machinery. ^[3]^[4]

With these upgrades, she was commissioned to the Philippine Navy in 1980 as the RPS Rajah Humabon (PS-78), and formed the backbone of the Philippine Fleet together with 2 of her sister ships and other ex-US Navy destroyer escorts. She was reclassified as BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11), now using the "BRP" ship naming standard and carrying a "Frigate" classification, and served until 1993 when she was retired. But due to pressing needs, she was later called back into service in 1995.

Further minor refits were made between 1995 and 1996. Some of her weapons were also removed, mainly its anti-submarine equipments. This includes the Mk6 depth charge projects aft and Hedgehog Mk10 anti-submarine projectors forward, as well as Mk38 anti-submarine torpedoes in two triple tube amidships. This move totally removed her anti-submarine warfare capabilities, which is in fact outdated at present conditions. It was reported in 2004 that her fore Hedgehog ASW is still operational, together with her 8 K-gun Mk6 depth charge projectors and SQS-17B sonar.^[5]

She had been experiencing hull problems but was repaired with the assistance of the US Navy crew of USS Salvor during CARAT 2002 dive training operations held in Manila Bay.^[6].^[7]

[edit] Present Status

Her current classification is Patrol Frigate. As recent as 2008 she was still spotted and confirmed to operate from the Philippine Navy's main naval base in Cavite and visits the Navy Headquarters in Manila. She is currently assigned to the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet, and is assigned as the current flagship of the Philippine Navy.^[8]

[edit] Technical details

Although fairly armed, most of her weapon systems are manually operated and are of World War II origin.

The three Mk22 3"/50 caliber guns, the ships' primary weapons, have a range of up to 14,600 yards (13,400 m) yards and are also capable of anti-aircraft warfare.

In addition to the abovementioned guns, she also carry a total of three twin Mk1 Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, four Mk4 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, and two 50 caliber machine guns.^[9]

The ship is powered by two EMD 16-645E3 turbo-blown diesel engines with a combined power of around 6,000 bhp driving two propellers. The main engines can propel the 1,620 ton (full load) ship at a maximum speed of around 21 knots (39 km/h). It has a maximum range of 10,800 nautical miles (20,000 km) at a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h).^[10]

[edit] Notable Operations

[edit] International

On 2 February 2000, the Rajah Humabon fired warning shots at two Chinese fishing boats near Scarborough Shoal. According to Navy chief Vice Admiral Luisito Fernandez, the Rajah Humabon was forced to fire warning shots to avert a collision with two Chinese fishing boats and only after the Chinese boats refused to respond to radio contact, loudspeaker, sirens, and flashing lights.^[11]

On 22 June 2002, Rajah Humabon together with BRP Rizal visited Shanghai, China for a goodwill visit.^[12]

[edit] Notable Popular Culture

BRP Rajah Humabon was among the Philippine Navy ships who battled invading People's Liberation Army - Navy ships in Dale Brown's 1991 novel Sky Masters. In this novel, she was classified as a PF class frigate, and was equipped with a four-shot Mk141 Harpoon missile launcher.^[13]