Manila: The Philippine navy is expected to improve the country’s capability to respond to natural disasters and emergencies with the impending arrival this year of the first of its two Strategic Sealift Vessel (SSV).
The new ship, to be named BRP Tarlac when it is commissioned in the navy in June this year, will be the biggest in the Philippine fleet at 11,583 tonnes and will serve as the navy’s floating command and control centre, especially during the conduct of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response missions.
Aside from this duty, the vessel will also serve as a sealift and military transport ship, moving troops and hardware in areas of the country where they are needed.
Categorised as an amphibious landing ship, the SSV was constructed at the of PT PAL Indonesia shipbuilding docks in Ujung, Tanjung Perak area in Surabaya, East Java.
Philippine Navy Vice-Admiral Caesar Taccad, together with Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin attended the January 17, 2016 launching of SSV.
The ship, which was constructed by PT Pal Indonesia in Surabaya and will be the first to be delivered of two such vessels ordered by the Philippine government at a cost of P4 billion (Dh307.64 million).
“These vessels are also critical assets for civil-military operations due to their capability of transporting large number of soldiers, logistics, and supplies,” the Philippine Navy said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
As an SSV, the vessel, will serve as landing platform for three Augusta Westland-109s helicopters. It is large enough to carry a landing craft utility vessel, tanks or armoured personnel carriers, as well as military trucks.
Sealift capability is crucial in the Philippines, an archipelagic country that is often battered by natural calamities such as devastating storms, typhoons and earthquakes.
Currently, the government had to rely on sealift assets of friendly countries such as the US to move people and equipment whenever calamity strikes. One the new SSVs are in service, the Philippines will have the capability of providing quick response to deliver aid and relief to the affected area.
Mohammad Firmansyah Arifin, president director of PT PAL Indonesia, was quoted by the Indonesian government news service Antara as saying the warship is the first to be exported by Indonesia.
“PT PAL Indonesia has received international recognition for the sophistication in its manufacturing process,” Firmansyah said.
At 11,583 tonnes, the SSV will be bigger than any other ships the Philippines has in its fleet. It is more than twice the size of the country’s two frigates, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar and the BRP Artemio Ricarte, which both displace at 3,250 tonnes, and the 4,570 tonnes replenishment tanker BRP Lake Caliraya.
Under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, the navy has significantly increased its fleet to include more ships such as patrol vessels, landing crafts and multi-purpose assault vessels.
The navy said it will be undertaking recruitment activities for personnel to man the ship.
