BRP Andrés Bonifacio (FF-17)

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BRP Andres Bonifacio at RIMPAC 2018 Sea Phase 001.jpg
BRP Andrés Bonifacio during Exercise RIMPAC 2018 sea phase.
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
Name: BRP Andrés Bonifacio
Namesake: Andrés Bonifacio (1863–1897), revolutionary and founder of the Katipunan movement
Acquired: July 21, 2016 [1]
Commissioned: July 21, 2016 [1]
Identification:
Motto:Semper Paratus (Always Ready)
Status: In active service
Badge: FF17 Badge.jpg
General characteristics
Class and type: Del Pilar-class frigate
Displacement: 3,250 tons, probably less due to removal of several weapons & sensors system
Length: 378 ft (115 m)
Beam: 43 ft (13 m)
Draft: 8.75 ft (2.67 m)
Propulsion:
Speed: 29 knots (54 km/h)
Range: 14,000 nautical miles (25,900 km)
Endurance: 45 Days
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 2 × RHIB
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 2 × Mk.36 Super Rapid Blooming Offboard Countermeasures (SRBOC) Chaff and Decoy Launching System
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 × AgustaWestland AW109EPower naval helicopter
Aviation facilities: retractable hangar and flight deck

BRP Andrés Bonifacio (FF-17) is a frigate of the Philippine Navy and the third Del Pilar-class frigate in commission. She is the second ship of the Philippine Navy to be named after Andrés Bonifacio, a Filipino revolutionary leader, regarded as the "Father of the Philippine Revolution" and one of the most influential national heroes of the Philippines. [4]

Frigate Type of warship

A frigate is a type of warship, having various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.

Philippine Navy naval warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

The Philippine Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an estimated strength of 24,000 active service personnel, including the 7,500-strong Philippine Marine Corps. It shares the responsibility of patrolling the maritime borders with the Philippine Coast Guard, its former attached unit until the latter became a separate maritime law enforcement agency on 1998.

<i>Del Pilar</i>-class frigate

The Del Pilar class is a class of three frigates currently in service of the Philippine Navy, and are currently the foremost surface combatant of the fleet. These ships were formerly used by the US Coast Guard as Hamilton class high endurance cutters.

Contents

Design

The ship was designed with a high level of habitability and provides fairly comfortable accommodations, including air conditioning. [5]

Propulsion

The Andres Bonifacio employs the shipboard application of aircraft gas turbine jet engines with the use of controllable pitch propellers. She is equipped with two 18,000 horsepower (13,000 kW) Pratt & Whitney [6] [6] gas turbines and can propel the ship at speeds up to 28 knots (52 km/h). Ramon Alcaraz also has two 3,500 horsepower (2,600 kW) Fairbanks-Morse [6] 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. [6] A retractable/rotatable bow propulsion unit provides manoeuvrability in tight situations.

Pratt & Whitney aircraft engine manufacturer

Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies (UTC). Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut. As one of the "big three" aero-engine manufacturers, it competes with General Electric and Rolls-Royce, although it has also formed joint ventures with both of these companies. In addition to aircraft engines, Pratt & Whitney manufactures gas turbines for industrial and power generation, and marine turbines. As of 2014, the company reported having 31,500 employees supporting more than 11,000 customers in 180 countries around the world. In 2013, Pratt & Whitney's revenue totaled $14.5 billion.

Gas turbine Type of internal combustion engine

A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of continuous combustion, internal combustion engine. There are three main components:

  1. An upstream rotating gas compressor;
  2. A downstream turbine on the same shaft;
  3. A combustion chamber or area, called a combustor, in between 1. and 2. above.
Fairbanks-Morse company

Fairbanks Morse and Company was an American manufacturing company in the late 19th and early 20th century. Originally a weighing scale manufacturer, it later diversified into pumps, engines, windmills, coffee grinders, farm tractors, feed mills, locomotives and industrial supplies until it was merged in 1958. It used the trade name Fairbanks-Morse.

Armament

Prior to turn-over to the Philippine Navy, the ship was armed with a Mk.75 Oto Melara 76mm/62cal Compact main gun, two Mk.38 25 mm Bushmaster chain guns at midships, and a Phalanx CIWS system aft. [7] The CIWS and chain guns were removed prior to its turn-over, with the Mk.75 gun remaining.

M242 Bushmaster chain gun

The M242 Bushmaster is a 25 mm (25×137mm) chain-driven autocannon. It is used extensively by the U.S. military, as well as by NATO's and some other nations' forces in ground combat vehicles, such as the Bradley fighting vehicle and various watercraft. Originally the weapon was designed and manufactured by Hughes Ordnance in Culver City, California, which was acquired by McDonnell Douglas ; however it is now produced by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.

Phalanx CIWS Close-in weapon system

The Phalanx CIWS is a close-in weapon system for defense against anti-ship missiles, helicopters, etc. It was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division. Consisting of a radar-guided 20 mm Vulcan cannon mounted on a swiveling base, the Phalanx has been used by multiple navies around the world, notably the U.S. Navy on every class of surface combat ship with the exception of the San Antonio-class LPD, by the Canadian Royal Canadian Navy, the British Royal Navy, and by the U.S. Coast Guard aboard its Hamilton and Legend-class cutters. The Phalanx is used by 15 other allied nations.

Flight support

Andres Bonifacio has a flight deck and hangar capable of handling helicopters.

The Philippine Navy uses the AgustaWestland AW109E Power naval helicopter as its standard helicopter for the entire class.

AgustaWestland AW109 utility helicopter family by AgustaWestland

The AgustaWestland AW109 is a lightweight, twin-engine, eight-seat multi-purpose helicopter built by the Italian manufacturer Leonardo S.p.A.. The rotorcraft had the distinction of being the first all-Italian helicopter to be mass-produced.

Modernization

The Philippine Navy plans to modernize the entire ship of the class, with an initial program to upgrade the ship's sensors, and another program to improve its weapon systems.

Several systems were acquired through US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF), which includes the BAE Systems Mk. 38 Mod. 2 machine gun system, the SAAB AN/SPS-77 Sea Giraffe AMB 3D air/surface search radar, [8] and the FLIR Systems SeaFLIR 230 Electro-Optical/Infra-Red Camera. [9]

Typhoon Weapon Station

The Typhoon is a type of remote weapon station manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, and it shares similar design principles and common technologies with Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station, a land-based system manufactured by the same developer. Like Samson RCWS, Typhoon is also multi-configurable.

Giraffe radar family of early warning radar systems

The Saab Giraffe Radar is a family of land and naval two- or three-dimensional G/H-band passive electronically scanned array radar-based surveillance and air defense command and control systems tailored for operations with medium- and Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) missile or gun systems or for use as gap-fillers in a larger air defense system. The radar gets its name from the distinctive folding mast which when deployed allows the radar to see over nearby terrain features such as trees, extending its effective range against low-level air targets. The first systems were produced in 1977. By 2007, some 450 units of all types are reported as having been delivered.

FLIR Systems

FLIR Systems is the world's largest commercial company specializing in the design and production of thermal imaging cameras, components and imaging sensors. Based in Wilsonville, Oregon, United States and founded in 1978, the company makes thermal cameras and components for a wide variety of commercial and government applications. FLIR is a component of the S&P 500 index with annual revenues in excess of $1.5 billion annually as of 2014. In the spring of 2013, Andrew C. Teich became FLIR's chief executive officer and president after the retirement of Earl Lewis. FLIR employs 2,741 people worldwide.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy will launch a program to acquire, install and integrate several other sensors into the ship, as part of the Horizon 2 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program. Among those to be acquired are new Combat Management System (CMS), Hull Mounted Sonar (HMS), and a Radar Electronic Support Measures (R-ESM). [9]

Future upgrades are planned to install defensive and offensive missile systems and torpedo launchers, although funding is still being secured and might only be included in the next phase of the Navy's moderization program.

History

From 1967–2016 the ship was a Hamilton-class high endurance cutter of the United States Coast Guard that was named USCGC Boutwell (WHEC-719). The U.S. decommissioned the cutter in early 2016 and the Philippines acquired it under the Excess Defense Articles and the Foreign Assistance Act. [4] [10]

BRP Andrés Bonifacio was designated as "FF-17" when she was commissioned into the Philippine Navy, following the new designation scheme adapted in mid-2016. It would have been designated "PF-17" under the old designation scheme. [11]

The frigate was formally received by the Philippine Navy on July 21, 2016, and commissioned to service on the same day at the USCG base at Alameda, California. [12] [1] She arrived in Manila on December 9, 2016 [13] after port visit in Guam on December 5, 2016. [14]

Notable Operational Deployments

BRP Andres Bonifacio was sent to Malaysia for its first international deployment as a Philippine Navy ship, to be the Philippines' representative in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2017 (LIMA 2017) from March 21 to 26, 2017. [15] The ship also had a port call at the Lumut Naval Base in Perak, Malaysia and conducted joint exercises with the Royal Malaysian Navy, [16] before docking at Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia for a goodwill visit from March 30 to April 3, 2017. [17]

BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF-17) arrives in Hawaii for RIMPAC 2018. BRP Andres Bonifacio Arrives in Hawaii for RIMPAC 2018 001.jpg
BRP Andrés Bonifacio (FF-17) arrives in Hawaii for RIMPAC 2018.

From June to early August 2018, the BRP Andres Bonifacio participated in the Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2018 together with the BRP Davao del Sur (LD-602) Landing Platform Dock. This is the first time that the Philippine Navy sent ships to the world's largest International Maritime Exercise which is held in Hawaii during even numbered years. [18] Among the events the ship participated at RIMPAC were:

Stern view of BRP Andres Bonifacio during TDT Operation in the RIMPAC 2018. TDT Operation on BRP Andres Bonifacio at RIMPAC 2018 002.jpg
Stern view of BRP Andrés Bonifacio during TDT Operation in the RIMPAC 2018.

See also

Related Research Articles

USCGC <i>Morgenthau</i> (WHEC-722)

The United States Coast Guard cutter Morgenthau, was the eighth of twelve 378-foot dual-powered turbine/diesel Hamilton-class high endurance cutters (WHECs) built by Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Coast Guard commissioned the Morgenthau on March 10, 1969. After 48 years of continuous distinguished service the U.S. Coast Guard decommissioned the Morgenthau on April 18, 2017, and the ship was sold to Vietnam. On 27 May 2017 the Vietnam Coast Guard commissioned the former cutter as patrol craft CSB-8020.

<i>Hamilton</i>-class cutter

The Hamilton-class cutter was the largest class of vessel in the United States Coast Guard until replaced by the Legend-class cutter, aside from the Polar-class icebreakers. The hull classification symbol is prefixed WHEC. The cutters are called the Hamilton class after their lead ship, or "Secretary class" because most of the vessels in the class were named for former Secretaries of the Treasury.

USCGC <i>Hamilton</i> (WHEC-715)

USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715) was a US Coast Guard high endurance cutter and the lead ship of its class. Hamilton was based in Boston MA from commissioning until 1991 and then out of San Pedro, CA before it was moved to its last home Port in San Diego, California. Launched December 18, 1965 at Avondale Shipyards near New Orleans, Louisiana and named for Alexander Hamilton, the first United States Secretary of the Treasury and founder of the United States Revenue Cutter Service. She was commissioned March 18, 1967.

USCGC <i>Boutwell</i> Ship

USCGC Boutwell (WHEC-719) was a United States Coast Guard high endurance cutter based out of San Diego, California. Named for George S. Boutwell, United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Ulysses S. Grant. Boutwell engaged in many CG missions, including Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement, Maritime Security, and National Defense.

USS <i>Bering Strait</i> (AVP-34)

USS Bering Strait (AVP-34) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1946. She tended seaplanes during World War II in the Pacific in combat areas and earned three battle stars by war's end.

BRP <i>Rajah Humabon</i> (PS-11)

The BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-11) is a former destroyer escort of the United States Navy and a former frigate of the Philippine Navy. It was the last World War II-era destroyer escort/frigate active in its fleet, and one of the oldest active warships in the world, until 15 March 2018 when it was formally decommissioned after 75 years. She was 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).

BRP <i>Andrés Bonifacio</i> (PF-7)

BRP Andrés Bonifacio (PF-7) was a Philippine Navy frigate in commission from 1976 to 1985. She was one of six ex-United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tenders/ex-United States Coast Guard Casco-class high endurance cutters received from the United States after the Vietnam War, two of which were acquired to supply spare parts for the other four. Andrés Bonifacio was considered the lead ship of her class in the Philippine Navy, and she and her three commissioned sister ships were the largest Philippine Navy combat ships of their time.

USS <i>Chincoteague</i> (AVP-24)

USS Chincoteague (AVP-24) was a United States Navy seaplane tender in commission from 1943 to 1946 that saw service in the Pacific during World War II. After the war, she was in commission in the United States Coast Guard as the cutter USCGC Chincoteague (WAVP-375), later WHEC-375, from 1949 to 1972. She was transferred to South Vietnam in 1972 and was commissioned into service with the Republic of Vietnam Navy as the frigate RVNS Lý Thường Kiệt (HQ-16), seeing combat in the Battle of the Paracel Islands in 1974. When South Vietnam collapsed at the conclusion of the Vietnam War in 1975, she fled to the Philippines, where she was commissioned into the Philippine Navy, serving as the frigate RPSAndrés Bonifacio (PF-7) from 1976 to 1985.

<i>Andrés Bonifacio</i>-class frigate

The Andrés Bonifacio class is a ship class of four frigates that served with the Philippine Navy from 1976 to the mid-1990s. These ships were formerly used by the US Navy as Barnegat-class small seaplane tenders and by the US Coast Guard as Casco-class Coast Guard High Endurance Cutters. Under the Philippine Navy, the four vessels have undergone upgrades and modification, and were categorized as frigates. During their time, they were considered as the largest Philippine Navy combat ships of her time.

BRP Diego Silang (PF-9) was an Andrés Bonifacio-class frigate of the Philippine Navy in commission from 1976 to 1990. She and her three sister ships were the largest Philippine Navy ships of their time.

The BRP Francisco Dagohoy (PF-10) was an Andrés Bonifacio-class frigate of the Philippine Navy that served from 1979 to 1985. She was one of six ex-United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tenders and ex-United States Coast Guard Casco-class high endurance cutters received from the United States after the Vietnam War, two of which were cannibalized for spare parts without entering service. She and her other three sister ships were the largest Philippine Navy ships of their time.

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-8) was an Andrés Bonifacio-class frigate of the Philippine Navy in commission from 1977 to 1990. She was one of six ex-United States Navy Barnegat-class seaplane tenders/ex-United States Coast Guard Casco-class high endurance cutters received from the United States after the Vietnam War, two of which were acquired to supply spare parts for the other four. She and her three commissioned sister ships were the largest Philippine Navy combat ships of their time.

USS <i>Castle Rock</i> (AVP-35)

USS Castle Rock (AVP-35) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1946 which saw service in the late months of World War II. After the war, she was in commission in the United States Coast Guard as the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Castle Rock (WAVP-383), later WHEC-383, from 1948 to 1971, seeing service in the Vietnam War during her Coast Guard career. Transferred to South Vietnam in 1971, she served in the Republic of Vietnam Navy as the frigate RVNS Trần Bình Trọng (HQ-05) and fought in the Battle of the Paracel Islands in 1974. When South Vietnam collapsed at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, Trần Bình Trọng fled to the Philippines, where she served in the Philippine Navy from 1979 to 1985 as the frigate RPSFrancisco Dagohoy (PF-10).

USS <i>Wachapreague</i> (AGP-8)

USS Wachapreague (AGP-8) was a motor torpedo boat tender in commission in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946, seeing service in the latter part of World War II. After her Navy decommissioning, she was in commission in the United States Coast Guard from 1946 to 1972 as the cutter USCGC McCulloch (WAVP-386), later WHEC-386, the fourth ship of the U.S. Coast Guard or its predecessor, the United States Revenue Cutter Service, to bear the name. In 1972 she was transferred to South Vietnam and served in the Republic of Vietnam Navy as the frigate RVNS Ngô Quyền (HQ-17). Upon the collapse of South Vietnam at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, she fled to the Philippines, and she served in the Philippine Navy from 1977 to 1985 as the frigate RPSGregorio del Pilar (PF-8) and from 1987 to 1990 as BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-12).

<i>Barnegat</i>-class seaplane tender ship class

The Barnegat class was a large class of United States Navy small seaplane tenders (AVP) built during World War II. Thirty were completed as seaplane tenders, four as motor torpedo boat tenders, and one as a catapult training ship.

BRP <i>Gregorio del Pilar</i> (FF-15)

BRP Gregorio del Pilar (FF-15) is a frigate of the Philippine Navy and the lead ship of her class. She was the second ship of the Philippine Navy to be named after Gregorio del Pilar, a Filipino revolutionary general known for his role at the Battle of Tirad Pass. She was originally designated as "PF-15" from 2011 to mid-2016 when the PN adopted a new code designation system, re-designating her to "FF-15".

BRP <i>Ramon Alcaraz</i> (FF-16)

BRP Ramon Alcaraz (FF-16) is a frigate in the Philippine Navy and the second ship of the Gregorio del Pilar class. From 1968 to 2012, she was known as USCGC Dallas and served the United States Coast Guard as a high endurance cutter. She was decommissioned on 30 March 2012 and acquired by the Philippines under the Excess Defense Articles and the Foreign Assistance Act.

BRP <i>Davao del Sur</i> (LD-602)

BRP Davao del Sur (LD-602) is the second and last ship of her class of the Philippine Navy's landing platform docks. She is the second ship to be named after the Philippine province of Davao del Sur, one of the main provinces in Mindanao in Southern Philippines.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Adel, Rosette (2016-11-01). "Philippine Navy's Third Frigate Set to Sail Home". Philstar.com / The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  2. 1 2 Saunders, Stephen: Jane's Fighting Ships 107th Edition 2004–2005. Jane's Information Group Ltd, 2004.
  3. ↑ Saunders, Stephen (2013). IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2013-2014. IHS. p. 614. ISBN   978 0 7106 3048 3.
  4. 1 2 "US Ship to be Turned Over to PH Navy | Inquirer Global Nation". Globalnation.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  5. ↑ "History of USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715)". USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715) official web site. United States Coast Guard. 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "WHEC 378' Hamilton class". GlobalSecurity.org. 2005-04-27. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  7. ↑ "WHEC 378' Hamilton class". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
  8. ↑ "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.
  9. 1 2 Montero, Max (2018-05-23). "MaxDefense Philippines 23 May 2018". MaxDefense Philippines. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
  10. ↑ Jordan, Bryant (10 October 2015). "After Decades of Service, USCGC Boutwell Makes Final Fleet Week Cruise". Military.com. San Francisco: Military Advantage. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  11. ↑ "Naming And Code Designation Of PN Vessels" (PDF). Dlsu.edu.ph. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  12. ↑ "Formal Turn-over of US Ship to Ph Navy". Subic Bay News. July 27, 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  13. ↑ "BRP Andres Bonifacio Arrives in Manila" (Press release). Philippine Information Agency. December 10, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  14. ↑ "BRP Andres Bonifacio Docks at Guam on Bonifacio Day" (Press release). Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs. December 5, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Philippine Navy Participates in LIMA 2017" (Press release). The Manila Bulletin. 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  16. ↑ "BRP Andres Bonifacio's Kuala Lumpur Visit Highlights Deepening PH-Malaysia Partnership" (Press release). Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines. 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  17. ↑ "Phl Navy Frigate on Goodwill Visit to Port Klang, Malaysia on March 30" (Press release). Embassy of the Philippines Kuala Lumpur. 2017-03-28. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  18. ↑ "PHL Navy Contingent Sails to Hawaii for World’s Largest Maritime Exercise"
  19. ↑ "PH Ships in RIMPAC Opened for Public Tour"

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