BRP Sultan Kudarat

BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22) was a Miguel Malvar-class corvette of the Philippine Navy. She was originally built as USS PCE-881, a PCE-842-class patrol craft for the United States Navy during World War II. She was acquired by the Philippine Navy on April 1976, and was commissioned later on as RPS Sultan Kudarat (PS-22). The ship is in active service. Along with other World War II-era ships of the Philippine Navy, Sultan Kudarat was considered as one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world,[3] until her retirement in 05 July 2019.[1]

USS PCE-895
History
United States
Name: PCE-895
Builder: Willamette Iron and Steel Corp., Portland, OR
Laid down: 2 December 1942
Launched: 18 May 1943
Commissioned: 30 October 1944
Renamed: USS Crestview (PCE-895), 15 February 1956
Fate: transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Navy, 29 November 1961
History
South Vietnam
Name: Đống Đa II
Acquired: 29 November 1961
Fate: Escaped to the Philippines after the fall of South Vietnam, 1975
History
Philippines
Name: Sultan Kudarat
Namesake: Sultan Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat, a Sultan of Maguindanao from 1619 to 1671.
Acquired: 5 April 1976
Commissioned: 27 July 1976
Decommissioned: 05 July 2019[1]
Renamed: BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22), June 1980
General characteristics
Class and type: PCE-842-class patrol craft (in U.S. Navy service)
Class and type: Miguel Malvar-class corvette (in Philippine Navy service)
Displacement: 914 Tons (Full Load)
Length: 184.5 ft (56.2 m)
Beam: 33 ft (10 m)
Draft: 9.75 ft (2.97 m)
Installed power: 2,200 hp (1,600 kW)
Propulsion:
  • Main: 2 × GM 12-278A diesel engines
  • Auxiliary: 2 × GM 6-71 diesel engines with 100KW gen and 1 × GM 3-268A diesel engine with 60KW gen
Speed: 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) (maximum),
Range: 6,600 nmi (12,200 km; 7,600 mi) at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Complement: 85
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)11 Surface Search / Navigation Radar[2]
  • Furuno navigation radar
Armament:

History

Commissioned in the US Navy as USS PCE-895 in 1944, she was renamed USS Crestview (PCE-895) on 15 February 1956, named for the City of Crestview, Florida, "in accordance with a recent Navy decision to name its patrol vessels, previously known only by the hull number, by the names of cities of the United States with populations between 2,500 and 10,000".[4]

She was then transferred to the South Vietnam on 29 November 1961. She served the Republic of Vietnam Navy as RVNS Đống Đa II (HQ-07) up until her escape to the Philippines in 1975, together with other South Vietnamese Navy ships and their respective crew.[5]

She was formally acquired by the Philippine Navy on 5 April 1976 and was commissioned into the Philippine Navy on 27 July 1976 and was renamed RPS Sultan Kudarat (PS-22). She was renamed to BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22) in June 1980 using a new localized prefix.[6]

Between 1990 and 1991 the Sultan Kudarat underwent major overhaul, weapons and radar systems refit, and upgrade of communications gear.[7]

She was assigned with the Patrol Force, later on the Offshore Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet.[8] BRP Sultan Kudarat was decommissioned on July 5, 2019.[9]

Technical details

There are slight differences between the BRP Sultan Kudarat as compared to some of her sister ships in the Philippine Navy, since her previous configuration was as a patrol craft escort (PCE), while the others are configured as rescue patrol craft escort (PCER) and minesweepers (Admirable class) ships.[2]

Armaments

Originally the ship was armed with one Mk.26 3"/50 caliber dual purpose gun, three single Bofors 40 mm guns, one Hedgehog depth charge projector, four depth charge projectiles (K-guns) and two depth charge tracks.[5] Changes were made during its transfer to the South Vietnamese Navy, as it appears in photos show the removal of her anti-submarine weapons, and addition of four Mk.10 Oerlikon 20 mm guns.[5] This made the ship lighter and ideal for surface patrols, but losing her limited anti-submarine warfare capability. The same configuration applies when she was transferred to the Philippine Navy up until around 1990–1991.

During its overhaul and refit between 1990 and 1991,[7] the Philippine Navy made some changes in the armament set-up. Some sources claim the loss of its three Bofors 40mm cannons during the 1990–1991 overhaul and refit period,[2] but photos as of 2009 show the Bofors guns still present. Final armaments fitted to the ship are one Mk.26 3"/50-caliber gun (fore), three single Bofors 40 mm cannons (aft), four Mk.10 Oerlikon 20 mm cannons (2 each on bridge wings), and four M2 Browning .50 cal (12.7 mm) caliber machine guns (2 besides main bridge, 2 aft near the lower Bofors gun tub).[2]

Electronics

Also during the refit the ship's RCA CRM-NIA-75 surface search radar and RCA SPN-18 navigation radar[7] was replaced by a Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)11 surface search and navigation radar system.[2] Later modifications included the installation of an additional Furuno navigation radar, long range and satellite communications system and GPS system standard to all Philippine Navy ships.

Machinery

The ship is powered by two GM 12-278A diesel engines, with a combined rating of around 2,200 bhp (1,600 kW) driving two propellers. The main engines can propel the 914 tons (full load) ship to a maximum speed of around 16 knots (30 km/h).[10]

Recent photos show that air-conditioning was also installed on the Sultan Kudarat.

References
  1. Frances Mangosing / Inquirer.net (2019-07-04). "Navy to decommission BRP Sultan Kudarat". Retrieved 2019-07-04.
  2. GlobalSecurity.org PS Miguel Malvar Class
  3. Manokski's Armed Forces of the Philippines Order of Battle. Philippine Navy Archived 2008-04-12 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Crestview, Florida, "Navy Ship Named 'USS Crestview'", The Okaloosa News-Journal, Volume 42, Number 6, page 1.
  5. NavSource Online: Patrol Craft Escort Photo Archive. Crestview (PCE 895) ex-PCE-895.
  6. Philippine Navy Information Manual 1995 – Adoption of Pilipino Translation of "Bapor ng Republika ng Pilipinas"
  7. Saunders, Stephen: Jane's Fighting Ships 107th Edition 2004–2005. Jane's Information Group Ltd, 2004.
  8. Philippine Fleet Official Website. Commissioned Ships and Crafts.
  9. Nepomuceno, Priam (4 July 2019). "Navy to retire WW II-era ship BRP Sultan Kudarat July 5". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  10. DLSU N-ROTC Office. Naming and Code Designation of PN Vessels Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine.


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