Del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessel

The Del Pilar-class are offshore patrol vessels currently in service with the Philippine Navy and previously in service with the US Coast Guard as Hamilton-class high endurance cutters. The Department of National Defense is currently in the process of upgrading the their systems and capabilities under a modernization project awarded to Hanwha Systems of South Korea.[9]

Class overview
NameGregorio del Pilar class
BuildersAvondale Shipyards
Operators Philippine Navy
In commission2011– present
Planned3
Completed3
Active3
General characteristics
TypeOffshore Patrol Vessel
Displacement3,250 tons
Length378 ft (115.2 m)
Beam43 ft (13.1 m)
Draft15 ft (4.6 m)
Propulsion
Speed29 kn (53.7 km/h; 33.4 mph)
Range14000 nmi (25928 km)
Endurance45 days
Boats & landing
craft carried		2 × RHIBs
Complement80
Sensors and
processing systems
  • CMS:
    Naval Shield Baseline 2 integrated combat management system
  • Main radar:
    SeaGIRAFFE AMB (USN designation: AN/SPS-77) multi-role 3D air-&-surface search-&-track (awaiting installation on PS-17)
  • Secondary Radars:
  • (Hull 15 & 16):
    SharpEye™ Mk.2 X-band (25kW) & S-band (200W) solid-state pulse-Doppler navigation & surface-search
  • (Hull 17):
    Furuno FAR3220BB X-band (25kW) & S-band (200W) solid-state navigation & surface-search
  • FCS:
    USN Mk.92 Mod.1 Fire Control System by Sperry[1]
  • EOIR Sensors:
    SeaFLIR®230 Electro-Optical & Infra-Red search-&-track system (awaiting installation on PS-15 & 17)
  • Sonar:
    ELAC Hunter 2.0 hull-mounted sonar
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • 2 × Mark 36 SRBOC (Super Rapid Blooming Offboard Countermeasures) mortar-type countermeasures launching system by BAE Systems[2]
  • RESM: contract implementation stage
Armament
Armour
  • CBRNE defense system [7]
  • Steel hull, aluminium superstructure
Aircraft carried1 × AW109E Power naval helicopter[8]
Aviation facilities
  • Helideck
  • Partly-fixed & partly-retractable hangar

History
BRP Gregorio del Pilar

Early in 2011, the Philippine Navy announced the acquisition of an ex-US Coast Guard Hamilton-class high-endurance cutter under the "Ocean-going Escort Vessel" project through the US Excess Defense Article programme.[10][11] The ship acquired was the former USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715),[12] renamed BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15) which was officially turned over to the Philippine Navy on 13 May 2011 at Alameda Point in California. It was retrofitted and modified in the US, replacing systems removed by the USCG. The ship's arrival ceremonies were on 23 August 2011 in Manila,[13] and it was commissioned on 14 December 2011.[14]

BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz
BRP Ramon Alcaraz

A second Hamilton-class cutter, the USCGC Dallas (WHEC-716), was turned over to the Philippine Navy on 22 May 2012[15] with ceremonies held at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Pier Papa in North Charleston, South Carolina.[16] The ship was named BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) in Philippine Navy service. Like its sister ship, it was retrofitted and modified in the US, replacing systems removed by the USCG.[17] It was expected to arrive in the Philippines by February 2013.[18][19] However, further training and unspecified upgrades on the ship pushed the arrival of the BRP Ramon Alcaraz to August 2013.[20] The ship's arrival ceremony was held at Subic Harbor on August 6, 2013, led by President Aquino.[21] It was commissioned on Nov. 22, 2013.[22]

BRP Andres Bonifacio

A third Hamilton-class cutter was turned over to the Philippine Navy after US President Barack Obama announced that another high endurance cutter will be transferred to the Philippines during his visit to the BRP Gregorio del Pilar on November 17, 2015.[23] The White House subsequently confirmed that the USCGC Boutwell (WHEC-719) will be the ship that will be transferred to the Philippines. The ship was commissioned into service on July 21, 2016, and was renamed BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF-17) unlike her sister ships which was given PF (Patrol Frigate) designation upon commissioning. This was because BRP Andrés Bonifacio entered service after the Philippine Navy made changes to their Ship Classification.[24]

The class, designated as Frigates (FF), would be re-designated as Patrol Ships (PS) to better reflect their limited capabilities.[25]

Design

Accommodations

The ships were designed with a high level of habitability and provides fairly comfortable accommodations, including air conditioning.[26]

Propulsion

The Del Pilar class are the first Philippine military vessels to employ the now common shipboard application of aircraft gas turbine jet engines with the use of controllable pitch propellers. The class are equipped with two 18,000 horsepower (13,000 kW) Pratt & Whitney[27] gas turbines and can propel the ship at speeds up to 28 knots (52 km/h). The class also has two 3,500 horsepower (2,600 kW) Fairbanks-Morse[27] diesel engines, capable of driving the ship economically at 17 knots (31 km/h) for up to 14,400 nautical miles (26,700 km) without refueling.[27] A retractable/rotatable bow propulsion unit provides manoeuvrability in tight situations.

Armaments

Prior to turn-over to the Philippine Navy, the Hamilton-class cutters were armed with a Mk 75 Oto Melara 76 mm Compact main gun, two Mk 38 M242 Bushmaster 25mm chain gun at midships, and a Phalanx CIWS system aft. The CIWS and chain guns were removed by the United States Coast Guard prior to turn-over, with the Mk 75 gun remaining.

The Philippine Navy installed a Mk 38 Mod 1 25mm chain gun and two Mk 16 20mm Oerlikon autocannons to the PS-15, and six .50-caliber machine guns on both the PS-15 and PS-16.[4][28][29]

The Philippines ordered two new Mk 38 Mod 2 25mm chain gun systems in 2012, and these are expected to be installed to the ships of the class.[30] On Feb. 17, 2014, it was reported that said chain guns were in the Philippines, waiting for the U.S. Coast Guard armament team for installation.[31] As of January 25, 2015, 2 Mk. 38 Mod. 2 25mm guns had been installed on PF-16.[6]

Another set of Mk 38 systems, this time in Mod 3 variant were ordered in October 2015,[32] and another contract for 2 units of Mk 38 Mod 3 25mm chain guns were ordered in September 2016.[33][34] The first set of 2 units was installed on BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15) on early June 2019.[35]

Flight Support

The Del Pilar class has a flight deck and hangar capable of handling helicopters. A BO-105 light surveillance helicopter was initially assigned to BRP Gregorio del Pilar, and was replaced by the newer AW109E Power helicopter.[36] The helicopters first made their shipboard deployment on May 21, 2014.

Modernization

It was also reported that the Philippine Navy is planning further upgrades for the entire ship class. The upgrades will feature upgrades for navigation, propulsion, communication, surveillance, and weapons systems.[37]

In August 2019, the Department of National Defense (DND) signed a deal with Hanwha Systems Co., Ltd. to supply and install the Naval Shield Baseline 2 Integrated Combat Management System (CMS), a Hull Mounted Sonar (HMS), and a Radar Electronic Support Measure (R-ESM).[9][38] The project contract also covers system integration of Hanwha-supplied equipment with Government-supplied equipment (through US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) ), which includes the AN/SPS-77 Sea Giraffe AMB 3D air/surface search radar,[39] a new Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), the SeaFLIR 230 electro-optical/infra-red (EO/IR) system, and two (2) Mk 38 25mm guns. The contract also include integration of Hanwha-supplied equipment with the existing ship subsystems including navigation, situational awareness, AIS, weapons and guns, countermeasures, and other systems.[9]

On February 21, 2020, Rear Adm. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo stated that additional weapons systems were planned to be installed to complement the ships' upgraded sensors. He suggested that anti-submarine weapons might be installed to complement the sonars to be installed on the class.[40]

In 2020 October 14, Navy chief Giovanni Carlo Bacordo revealed the completion of the 3D modeling program for the class' cabling systems to be used for their electronic upgrades (CMS + 4 sensors).[41]

Ships in Class
Hull number Ship name Launched Commissioned Service Status
PS-15 BRP Gregorio del Pilar 18 December 1965 14 December 2011 Offshore Combat Force Active[42]
PS-16 BRP Ramon Alcaraz 1 October 1966 22 November 2013 Offshore Combat Force Undergoing pierside upgrade.
PS-17 BRP Andres Bonifacio 17 June 1967 21 July 2016[43] Offshore Combat Force Active

See also

References
  1. Saunders, Stephen: Jane's Fighting Ships 107th Edition 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group Ltd, 2004.
  2. "Navy flagship sheds US identity; videoke onboard". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2011-09-03. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  3. "Navy ship to get new weapons systems". The Philippine Star. 2012-10-29. Retrieved 2014-06-16.
  4. Saunders, Stephen (2013). IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2013-2014. IHS. p. 614. ISBN 978-0-7106-3048-3.
  5. Montero, Max (16 June 2019). "Installed Mk 38 Mod 3 25mm RCWS to PS-15". facebook.com/MaxDefense. Retrieved 28 November 2021. making use of ship's downtime
  6. "Finally, the Philippine Navy's BRP Ramon Alcaraz got its Mk 38 Mod 2 Guns". 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2015-01-26.
  7. "BRP Jose Rizal crew protected from chemical, nuclear attack". pna.gov.ph. 28 February 2020. This ability is also present in the 3 Del Pilar-class
  8. PNA with Camille Diola (June 25, 2014). "New Navy attack helicopters to join first naval maneuvers". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  9. "S. Korean firm bags PH frigate upgrade deal". Philippine News Agency. August 23, 2019.
  10. "Philippine Navy eyeing purchase from US". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2011-01-24. Archived from the original on 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  11. "PHL Navy to acquire largest ship in inventory". GMA News. 2011-01-23. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  12. "Philippines builds anti-China muscle". Asia Times Online. 2012-03-02. Archived from the original on 2012-03-01. Retrieved 2012-06-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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  14. "Noy inaugurates 2 newly commissioned ships". The Philippine Star. 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
  15. "AFP chief to receive 2nd US patrol ship". ABS-CBN News. 2012-05-19. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  16. "Decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter Dallas being transfered [sic] to Philippine navy". The Digitel Charleston. 2012-05-18. Archived from the original on 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  17. "Philippines to get 2nd US coast guard ship". Xinhua-ANI c/o Yahoo! News. 2012-05-21. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  18. "Gazmin assures Navy of brand-new gear, assets showcased on Navy Day". InterAksyon.com. 2012-05-22. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  19. "DND puts on hold plan to get third warship from US". The Philippine Star. 2012-11-01. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
  20. Romero, Alexis (2013-03-04). "Arrival of new Phl warship delayed". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2013-05-25.
  21. "PHL attempts to 'modernize' Navy with 46-year-old warship BRP Ramon Alcaraz". GMA News. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  22. "Maiden voyage of PH's most capable warship". Rappler. 2013-11-22. Retrieved 2013-11-30.
  23. "Obama Hones Focus on Trade, Economy at APEC Summit".
  24. "PH top recipient of US naval aid among Asian allies–White House". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 18 November 2015.
  25. "Del Pilar-class frigates redesignated as patrol ships". Philippine News Agency. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  26. "History of USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715)". USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715) official web site. United States Coast Guard. 2008-06-20. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  27. "WHEC 378' Hamilton class". GlobalSecurity.org. 2005-04-27. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  28. "Re: Retitled: BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15) - ex USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715)". Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-07-20.
  29. "PN Capital Ships".
  30. "No. 721-12 Contracts". U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs). Retrieved 2012-09-09.
  31. "BRP Ramon Alcaraz fitted with 'Bushmaster' auto cannons soon". PTV News. 2014-02-17. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  32. "Contracts for Oct. 29, 2015". U.S. Department of Defense. 2015-10-29. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  33. "Contracts for Sept. 29, 2016". U.S. Department of Defense. 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  34. "Philippine Navy Expecting 4 New Mk. 38 Mod. 3 Gun Systems from 2 Contracts". MaxDefense Philippines. 2017-03-12. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  35. MaxDefense Philippines PN Installs Mk.38 Mod.3 guns on PS-15
  36. Alexis Romero (December 19, 2013). "AFP commissions 3 brand-new naval choppers". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  37. Grevatt, Jon (2013-12-16). "Philippines plans further upgrades to ex-US Coast Guard cutters". IHS Jane's 360. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  38. Orpiano, Pitz (11 February 2019). "In-Details: Upgrading the Del Pilar-class Frigates". Pitz Defense Analysis. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  39. "U.S. Green Lights FMS of AN/SPS-77 Sea Giraffe Radar for Philippines Navy Hamilton-class Cutters". Navy Recognition. 2016-12-14. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
  40. "Navy patrol vessels to get weapons upgrade". Philippine News Agency. 22 February 2020.
  41. Nepomoceno, Priam (14 October 2020). "3D modeling for Del Pilar vessels upgrades now completed: Navy". PH: Philippine News Agency (PNA).
  42. Nepomuceno, Priam (September 19, 2022). "Gregorio Del Pilar ready to sail 4 years after Hasa-Hasa mishap". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  43. "Philippine Navy's third frigate set to sail home". Philstar Global. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
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