BAP Unión

BAP Unión (BEV-161)
History
Peru
Name: Unión
Owner:  Peruvian Navy
Ordered: 23 December 2010
Builder: SIMA, Callao, Peru
Laid down: 8 December 2012
Launched: 22 December 2014[1]
Commissioned: 27 January 2016[2][3]
Status: In active service
General characteristics
Type: Barque
Displacement: 3,200 t[4][5]
Length: 115.75 metres (379.8 ft)[4][6]
Beam: 13.5 metres (44 ft)
Draft: 6.5 metres (21 ft)
Speed: 12 knots[7]

The BAP Unión is a training ship of the Peruvian Navy.[8] It is a four-masted steel hulled full rigged barque built in 2014 by Shipyard Marine Industrial Services of Peru, known as SIMA.[9] The ship's name is a reference to a Peruvian corvette that participated in the War of the Pacific as part of a naval squadron under the command of Miguel Grau, the most important hero of the Peruvian Navy.[9]

Like other similar ships, the Unión has been conceived not only for training purposes, but also to be a sailing ambassador for her home country.[10] Due to its features and dimensions, it has been considered as the largest sail vessel in Latin America.[6][11]

History

BAP Unión in SIMA's dry dock

For a long time, the Peruvian Navy had desired a training ship to be used in the instruction of its cadets. Accordingly, the Peruvian government enacted in 1985 Law N° 24094[12] which declared as a public necessity the navy having this kind of ship. However, due to the economic crisis Peru suffered at the end of the 1980s, and later for public spending restraints, the project was constantly postponed.

It was not until 2010 that the project was finally approved and the building authorized.[13] On 2012 the Peruvian government announced its decision to order the ship's construction to the Shipyard Marine Industrial Services of Peru, known as SIMA; in cooperation with the Government of Spain,[14] through the contractors CYPSA and Navantia, which were responsible for the ship´s structural design.[15] On December 8, 2012 Unión's construction began with a keel laying ceremony in presence of the Peruvian president Ollanta Humala.[16] The hull was finished two years later and launched on December 22, 2014.[17]

In June 2015, the ship received its masts and propeller; and the interior fitout began in charge of contractors Acopafi and MO Contract. Also, according to an agreement between SIMA and Navantia, the ship was provided with an "Integrated Control System Platform, Navigation and Communications".[18][19]

While the ship was under construction, the Peruvian government arranged training for the future Unión's crew with the help of an instructor of the Spanish Navy[20] and by sending personnel to serve on training ships of other countries, such as the Mexican sailing ship ARM Cuauhtémoc.[21] Also, a Peruvian delegation was sent to take part in maintenance and repair works on Colombian sailing ship ARC Gloria.[22]

On January 27, 2016 the BAP Unión was commissioned in an official flag raising ceremony held on its deck and attended by Peruvian president Ollanta Humala, the Minister of Defense and the General Commander of the Navy. This act meant the ship was placed in active service.[2][23][24]

Characteristics

Unión's figurehead

Specifications

The BAP Unión is a four-masted steel hulled full rigged barque composed of 38 blocks of steel structure.[25] It has a total length (including bowsprit) of 115.75[4][6] m; a beam of 13.5 m; a draft of 6.50 m; an air draft of 53.5 m; a displacement of 3,200[4][5] metric tonnes; a speed of 12 knots and a crew of 250 between officers and trainnes.

The ship´s propulsion is supported by a diesel Caterpillar 3516H engine,[26] a BERG propeller and a Rolls Royce maneuver propeller. Its sail rig is composed of 24 wienecke sails arranged in bowsprit mast (5), foresail mast (9), main mast proel (9), main mast popel (8) and spanker mast (3), with an aproximately total sail area of 4,324 m2.[26]

Figurehead

The ship's figurehead was made of bronze by the Peruvian sculptor Pilar Martínez Woodman, and it is composed by several iconographic symbols of peruvian ancient culture. As the main element it shows the image of the Inca Tupac Yupanqui, known as «The Shining», who appears placed over the figure of the archeological remain called the twelve angle stone with his right arm raised to the image of the sun god. The Inca wears a clothe with a draughtboard design and a cape that depict the ocean waives. Also he shows the figure of a cougar, sacred animal that symbolizes the Inca power, as a knee pads. Over his head the Inca uses the mascapaicha and the shield he holds has the image of two rhombus that represent the Tawantinsuyu.[27][28]

Interior equipment for training

Due to its nature of training ship, the Unión's interior includes an auditorium, a library, a computing platform and class rooms to provide naval cadets with knowledge about astronomic sailing, meteorology, oceanography, hydrography and naval operations and maneuvers.[29][30]

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Peru President attends Training Ship "Unión" launching event". andina.com.pe. December 22, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Peruvian Navy set to receive BAP Union". janes.com. January 24, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Peruvian Navy, in collaboration with the Spanish Navy, has commissioned their new training ship Unión". navaltoday.com. January 31, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Peruvian Navy commissions new training ship". naval-technology.com. February 1, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Peru commissions training sail ship as local naval shipbuilding progresses". janes.com. January 28, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 "New Peruvian Training Ship Unión Largest of its Kind in Latin America". latinpost.com. January 28, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Defense minister oversaw the latest advances in the construction of Sailing Ship "Unión"" (in Spanish). marina.mil.pe. November 20, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Peru continues to rejuvenate its naval capability". janes.com. December 8, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "The Peruvian Navy takes charge". peruthisweek.com. October 5, 2015.
  10. ↑ "BAP Tacna y Buque Escuela Unión: dos naves para el Perú" (in Spanish). elperuano.com.pe. December 16, 2014.
  11. ↑ "The Pride of the Peruvian Navy: The BAP Unión". peruthisweek.com. July 20, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Law N° 24094" (PDF) (in Spanish). Peruvian Congress. February 8, 1985.
  13. ↑ "La Marina de Guerra del Perú realizó la botadura del buque escuela a vela BAP "Unión"" (in Spanish). July 1, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Government of Spain will cooperate in Peruvian training ship construction" (in Spanish). larepublica.pe. November 12, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Empresa de vigo diseña mayor buque escuela" (in Spanish). lavozdegalicia.es. November 7, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Humala justifica retraso a ceremonia por medidas que va a tomar" (in Spanish). diariocorreo.pe. December 8, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Ollanta Humala participó en lanzamiento a mar de buque escuela a vela Unión" (in Spanish). peru21.pe. December 23, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Acuerdo de colaboración de NAVANTIA y el Astillero de la Marina de Guerra del Perú" (in Spanish). navantia.es. January 22, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Navantia Signs Partnership Agreement with Navy of Peru Shipyard". defense-aerospace.com. January 22, 2015.
  20. ↑ "España completa entrenamiento de la primera tripulación de buque escuela del Peru" (in Spanish). infodefensa.com. July 23, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Buque escuela mexicano adiestra a oficiales de armada peruana" (in Spanish). andina.com.pe. June 30, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Militares del Perú se instruyen en Colombia en el mantenimiento de buques a vela" (in Spanish). andina.com.pe. January 27, 2015.
  23. ↑ "The Navy of Peru officially incorporates Sailing Ship BAP Union". defensa.com. January 21, 2016.
  24. ↑ "President: Union BAP confirms Peruvian progress on navy engineering". andina.com.pe. January 27, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Nota de Prensa Nro 086 - Bautizo y Lanzamiento BAP Unión" (in Spanish). marina.mil.pe. December 22, 2014.
  26. 1 2 "Launch sailing ship Union of the Navy of Peru". defensa.com. December 23, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Túpac Yupanqui, el mascarón de proa del buque escuela vela Unión" (in Spanish). larepublica.pe. January 19, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Visita del Premier y el Ministro de Defensa al Buque Escuela a Vela" (in Spanish). sima.com.pe. January 2016.
  29. ↑ "Autoridades de 11 países asistirán hoy a botadura de buque a vela" (in Spanish). diario16.pe. December 2014.
  30. ↑ "Afirmado del Pabellón Nacional del Buque a Escuela a Vela "Unión"" (in Spanish). marina.mil.pe. January 25, 2016.

External links

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