BRP Davao del Sur (LD-602)

BRP Davao del Sur at Exercise RIMPAC 2018.
Philippines
NameBRP Davao del Sur
NamesakeProvince of Davao del Sur
Ordered29 August 2013
BuilderPT PAL Indonesia
Laid down5 June 2015
Launched29 September 2016
Commissioned31 May 2017
Identification
StatusIn active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeTarlac-class landing platform dock
Displacement
  • Standard: 7,200 tons
  • Full load: 11,583 tons
Length123 m (403.5 ft)
Beam21.8 m (71.5 ft)
Draft5 m (16.4 ft)
Installed power1 x MAN D2842 LE301 diesel generator
Propulsion
Speed
  • Cruising: 13 kn (24.1 km/h; 15 mph)
  • Maximum: 16 kn (29.6 km/h; 18.4 mph)
Range9360 nmi (17334.7 km)
Endurance30 days
Boats & landing
craft carried
  • 2 × LCU or LCM at floodable well decks
  • 2 × RHIB or LCVP at boat davits
Capacity500 troops plus associated vehicles and equipment
Complement121 crew
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Furuno X-band & S-band navigation radars
  • Combat management system (planned)
  • Surface search radar (planned)
  • Air search radar (planned)
  • Electro-Optical Fire Control System (planned)
Electronic warfare
& decoys		Electronic Warfare Suite (planned)
Armament
  • 1 × 76mm main gun on the foredeck (planned)
  • 2 × 25mm secondary guns, one each on port and starboard sides (planned)
  • 6 × .50cal (12.7mm) guns
Aircraft carried1 × AW109E Power naval helicopter
Aviation facilities
  • Hangar for 1 medium (10-ton) helicopter
  • Flight deck for 2 medium (10-ton) helicopters

BRP Davao del Sur (LD-602) is the second ship of the Tarlac-class landing platform dock of the Philippine Navy.[1] 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. She was launched on 29 September 2016[2] and was commissioned into service on 31 May 2017.[3]

Operational history

During the second week of May 2018, the BRP Davao del Sur participated in the Balikatan Exercise with US Forces together with the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16).[4]

On the third week of May 2018, the BRP Davao del Sur participated in the commemorative activities of the first anniversary of the renaming of the Philippine Rise off the coast of Eastern Luzon. Among the activities that were done on board the ship were:

  • President Rodrigo Duterte signed the proclamation declaring portions of the Philippine Rise as a marine protected area and then led the send off for a team of Filipino scientists on a research mission to the Philippine Rise.[5]
  • A Ceremonial Flag Raising ceremony participated by military and other government personnel was also made.[6]
BRP Davao del Sur steams into Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam at the start of RIMPAC 2018.

BRP Davao Del Sur was deployed with BRP Andrés Bonifacio (PS-17) to RIMPAC 2018, starting their voyage on June 11, 2018 and rendezvousing with ships from several regional navies and arriving at Pearl Harbor on June 27, 2018.

BRP Davao del Sur during Sea Phase of RIMPAC 2018.
BRP Davao Del Sur berthed in Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam for RIMPAC 2018

Among the events the ship participated at RIMPAC were:

  • An "Open Ship" one-day Guided Ship Tour for the public where students of Naval Officers Basic Course performed a Cultural Performance for the ship's visitors.[7]
  • The Sand Volleyball Tournament where the ship was declared the overall winner among the 49 teams from 25 nations that participated.[8]

In June 2019, the ship transported the Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT)-3 from Zamboanga City to its new assignment in Palawan.[9] Along the way, the BRP Davao del Sur conducted a Meeting Procedure and Photo Exercise with the Escort Flotilla One of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force off the coast of Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi in the Sulu Sea. The Japanese ships consisted of the JS Izumo (DDH-183), JS Murasame and JS Akebono.[10]

The BRP Davao del Sur was the 1st Philippine Navy vessel to participate in Russia's Navy Day festivities that occurred 28 July 2019.[11][12]

In August 2019, the ship and its 300-man Contingent sailed from Vladivostok, Russia to meet up at sea with the BRP Conrado Yap (PS-30) in South Korea for a Group Sail back to the Philippines. Both ships were then given Arrival Honors at the Manila South Harbor which included a Meeting Procedure at sea with the BRP Emilio Jacinto (PS-35).[13]

In April 2024, the ship participated in the Multilateral Maritime Exercise as part of Exercise Balikatan 39-2024. The maritime exercise involved ship contingents from the Philippine Navy, the United States Navy and the French Navy. She participated alongside BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16), USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49), USS Somerset (LPD-25), and FS Vendémiaire (F734).[14][15][16]

See also

References

  1. ^ "First of 2 New Vessels for PH Navy to be Launched in Indonesia". globalnation.inquirer.net. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-03-12. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  2. ^ "Philippines acquisition of its second largest naval ship is nearing". Manila Livewire. 2016-09-30. Archived from the original on 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  3. ^ ""Philippine Navy will send BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602) to Join IFR 2017"". Archived from the original on 2017-12-07. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  4. ^ ""Balikatan Exercises Start Amid Worries on China's Military Buildup in South China Sea"". 7 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-05-14. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  5. ^ ""Duterte Declares Parts of Benham Rise a Marine Protected Area"". Archived from the original on 2018-05-17. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  6. ^ ""Gov't Installs Markers, Buoy at Philippine Rise"". Archived from the original on 2018-05-21. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  7. ^ ""PH Ships in RIMPAC Opened for Public Tour"". Philippine News Agency. Archived from the original on 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  8. ^ ""BRP Davao Del Sur Team Wins RIMPAC 2018 Sand Volleyball Tournament"". Archived from the original on 2018-07-17. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  9. ^ "MBLT-3 Troops bid farewell to Mindanaoans"
  10. ^ Nepomuceno, Priam (29 June 2019). "PH, Japan warships meet off Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi". Philippine News Agency. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  11. ^ "BRP Davao del Sur joins Russian Navy Day celebrations". Philippine News Agency. 29 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  12. ^ "Over 40 warships to take part in Russia's Main Naval Parade". TASS. 16 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Home at last: Navy welcomes home BRP Conrado Yap, PN Contingent aboard BRP Davao Del Sur"
  14. ^ Lariosa, Aaron-Matthew. "Balikatan 2024 Kicks Off with Maiden French Participation". Naval News. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Gunnery exercise conducted during end of multilateral maritime exercise". People's Television Network. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  16. ^ Cupin, Bea (26 April 2024). "IN PHOTOS: PH, US, French navies hold maritime drills during Balikatan 2024". Rappler. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.

Media related to IMO 9745641 at Wikimedia Commons