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BRP Dagupan City (LC-551)
Encyclopedia
The BRP Dagupan City (LC-551) is the second and last ship of two Bacolod City class of Logistics Support Vessel, and is based on a helicopter capable variant of the US Army Frank S. Besson class. She is also considered as one of the most modern transport ships in the Philippine Navy
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, literally, "Sea Force of the Philippines"....
, having been commissioned during the early 1990s.
History
The BRP Dagupan City was built by Halter/Moss Point Marine of Escatawpa, MississippiEscatawpa, Mississippi
Escatawpa is a census-designated place in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,566 at the 2000 census.-History:...
in the United States and was commissioned into Philippine Navy
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, literally, "Sea Force of the Philippines"....
in 1994. Both ships of its class were purchased brand-new by the Philippine government through the FMS program of the United States. Since its commissioning, both ships of its class were rigorously used in military and peacetime operations, and has been joining joint military exercises with foreign navies as well.
Presently it is assigned with the Service Force of the Philippine Fleet.
Renaming Issues
Originally named as the BRP Cagayan de Oro City, she was commissioned with the Philippine Navy as BRP Dagupan City. Recent photos still show the words "BRP Cagayan de Oro City" still embossed at the rear end of the ship's steel surface. Details of the renaming were not made public.Technical details
The ship is powered by two General MotorsGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
-EMD
EMD
- Music :* E.M.D., a Swedish band* The Explorations in Music and Dance / EMD Network, represents diverse higher education institutions of dance and music in Greenland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with additional institutional partners in the European...
16-645EZ6 diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s with a combined power of around 5,800 hp driving two propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
s. The main engines can propel the 1,400 ton (4,265 tons full load) ship at a maximum speed of around 12 knots (24 km/h). At a sustained speed of 10 knots (20 km/h), it range is at around 8300 nautical miles (15,371.6 km).
As an amphibious transport, it is fairly armed for defensive purposes, and carries four 7.62mm general purpose machine guns at the front side decks, and two Oerlikon
Oerlikon Contraves
Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is a division of German armament manufacturer Rheinmetall, created when the company's Oerlikon Contraves unit was renamed on 1 January 2009 and integrated with Rheinmetall's other air-defence products...
20 mm cannons near its two LCVP
LCVP
The Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel or Higgins boat was a landing craft used extensively in amphibious landings in World War II. The craft was designed by Andrew Higgins of Louisiana, United States, based on boats made for operating in swamps and marshes...
s.
The prime mission of the ship is the direct transport and discharge of liquid and dry cargo to shallow terminal areas, remote under-developed coastlines and on inland waterways.
The ship does not require external cranes or port facilities, and even in only four feet of water under full load, the ship is still able to land. This capability expands the choice of landing locations, and at the same time reduces the potential enemy impact on the logistics support operations.
The ships have a capacity to transport up to 48 TEU or 2,280 tons vehicles/general cargo, or up to 900 tons on Logistics Over The Shore (LOTS) / amphibious operations. Its ramps and the main deck are able to withstand roll-on/roll-off operations of even heavy main battle tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s.
Exercises
The Dagupan City, together with BRP Leopoldo Regis (PG-847), BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11)BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11)
The BRP Rajah Humabon is a frigate of the Philippine Navy, and is the last World War II-era destroyer escort/frigate active in its fleet and is one of the oldest active warships in the world...
, BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS-37)
BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS-37)
The BRP Artemio Ricarte is one of the three Jacinto class of corvettes, and are considered as one of the most modern ships in the Philippine Navy. She was originally called HMS Starling during her service with the Royal Navy...
, USS Essex (LHD-2)
USS Essex (LHD-2)
USS Essex is a built at what is now Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and commissioned on 17 October 1992 while moored at North Island NAS beside the Kitty Hawk . It is the fifth ship named for Essex County, Massachusetts...
, and USS Tortuga (LSD-46)
USS Tortuga (LSD-46)
USS Tortuga is a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship to be named for the Dry Tortugas, a group of desert coral islets west of Key West, Florida....
were part of the naval component of the US-RP Balikatan 2009 (BK09) bi-lateral exercises held on April 2009.
Again Dagupan City, together with BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11)
BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11)
The BRP Rajah Humabon is a frigate of the Philippine Navy, and is the last World War II-era destroyer escort/frigate active in its fleet and is one of the oldest active warships in the world...
, and BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36)
BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36)
The BRP Apolinario Mabini is one of the three Jacinto class of corvettes, and are considered as one of the most modern ships in the Philippine Navy. She was originally called HMS Plover during her service with the Royal Navy...
, USS Essex (LHD-2)
USS Essex (LHD-2)
USS Essex is a built at what is now Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and commissioned on 17 October 1992 while moored at North Island NAS beside the Kitty Hawk . It is the fifth ship named for Essex County, Massachusetts...
, and USS Denver (LPD-9)
USS Denver (LPD-9)
USS Denver , an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, is the third ship of United States Navy to bear this name. Denver’s keel was laid 7 July 1964 at Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle, Washington. She was launched 23 January 1965, christened by Mrs. John A...
were part of the naval phase of the US-RP Balikatan 2010 (BK10) bi-lateral exercises held on March 2010.
Deployments
BRP Dagupan City together with BRP Quezon (PS-70)BRP Quezon (PS-70)
The BRP Quezon is one of two Rizal class ships in service with the Philippine Navy. She is formerly an ex-USN Auk class minesweeper that were produced during World War II, and is now classified as a patrol corvette protecting the vast waters of the Philippines...
were sent to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysia from November to December 2009 for an overseas training cruise for students from the Naval Education and Training Command and the Fleet Training Center, and as part of the Philippine contingent at Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA)
Langkawi International Maritime and Air Show
Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition brings together the latest technology and products from the aerospace industries. LIMA is now established as one of the major airshows in the world. As a biennial event, the next series will be held in Langkawi Island, Malaysia in 2009...
in Malaysia.