BRP Carlos Albert (PG-375)

History
Philippines
Name: Carlos Albert
Namesake: Capt. Carlos Albert was an officer of the Offshore Patrol. Graduated from the USNA class of 1939
Operator: Philippine Navy
Ordered: April 1990[1][2]
Builder: Trinity-Equitable Shipyards, New Orleans, USA
Acquired: 26 April 1991[3]
Commissioned: January 1992[2]
Status: in active service
General characteristics
Class and type: Jose Andrada class
Type: Coastal Patrol Craft
Displacement: 56.4 tons full load [4]
Length: 78 ft (24 m)[1]
Beam: 20 ft (6.1 m)[1]
Draft: 5.8 ft (1.8 m)[1]
Propulsion:
  • 2 × 1,400 bhp Detroit 16V-92TA Diesel Engines[5][N 1]
  • 2 × 35-kW Diesel generators[5]
  • 2 shafts
Speed: 28 knots (52 km/h) maximum
Range: 1,200 nmi (2,200 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 4-meter rigid inflatable boat at aft
Complement: 12[1]
Sensors and
processing systems:		 Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)11 Navigation / Surface Search Radar
Armament:
  • 4 × Mk.26 M2HB Browning 12.7 mm/50-cal. GP machine guns
  • 2 × M60 7.62 mm/30-cal. GP machine guns

The BRP Carlos Albert (PG-375) is the fifth ship of the Jose Andrada class coastal patrol boats of the Philippine Navy. It is part of the first batch of its class ordered through US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in 1990, and was commissioned with the Philippine Navy on January 1992.[2][4] It was initially designated as Fast Patrol Craft, and was numbered "DF-375", but later on was re-designated as a Patrol Gunboat, and was finally re-numbered as "PG-375".[2]

Notable Operations / Exercises

From 21 May to 28 May 2009, the Carlos Albert, together with other Philippine Navy ships BRP Dagupan City (LC-551), BRP Bienvenido Salting (PG-112) and other Philippine Navy units, joined their United States Navy counterparts including USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49), USS Chafee (DDG-90), USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), USNS Safeguard (T-ARS-50) in the CARAT 2009 naval exercises [6]

Technical Details

The ship was built to US Coast Guard standards with aluminum hull and superstructure.[1] She is powered by two Detroit Diesel 16V-92TA Diesel Engines with a combined power of around 2,800 hp driving two propellers for a maximum speed of 28 knots (52 km/h). Maximum range is 1,200 nmi (2,200 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h), or alternatively 600 nmi (1,100 km) at 24 knots (44 km/h).[5]

The ship originally designed to carry one bow Mk.3 40 mm gun, one 81 mm mortar aft, and four 12.7 mm/50 caliber machine guns.[5][7] Instead, she is armed with only four M2HB Browning 12.7 mm/50 caliber machine guns on Mk.26 mounts, with two positioned forward and two aft; and two M60 7.62 mm/30 caliber machine guns, both mounted amidships. The ship can carry 4,000 rounds of 12.7 mm and 2,000 rounds of 7.62 mm A large "Big Eyes" binocular is also carried on tripod mounts, one on the forecastle and one just above the mast.[5]

As part of the first batch (PG-370 to PG-378), it is not equipped with Mk.38 Mod.0 Bushmaster 25mm chain gun.[1][5][7][N 2] It was planned to install either a stabilized or unstabilized M242 25 mm Bushmaster chain gun on her bow after some minor modifications,[1] but as of to date has not materialized.

She is equipped with a Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)11 surface search and navigation radar but with a smaller antenna as those used in bigger Philippine Navy ships.[4][5]

A 4-meter rigid inflatable boat powered by a 40-hp outboard motor is stowed amidships.[5]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ All sources refer to the same engine, although with different horsepower rating.[1][5] But official specs from manufacturer indicates a 1,400 hp rating for each engine.
  2. ↑ Sources vary on weapons mount of this ship, with most indicating the presence of a Bushmaster 25mm chain gun on a Mk.38 mount.[1][5] Recent photos does not show said weapon or mount, so are other ships from the first batch (PG-370 to PG-378)[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Saunders, Stephen: Jane's Fighting Ships 107th Edition 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group Ltd, 2004.
  2. 1 2 3 4 GlobalSecurity.org PG Jose Andrada Class.
  3. ↑ Shipbuildinghistory.com Equitable Shipyards, New Orleans LA
  4. 1 2 3 Manokski's ORBAT @ Hueybravo. Jose Andrada class page.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Wertheim, Eric: The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 15th Edition, page 553. Naval Institute Press, 2007.
  6. ↑ "RP, US navies to launch CARAT 2009 exercise". Philippine Information Agency. 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  7. 1 2 3 AFP Materiel Technical Specification Archives - PN Light Surface Warships Andrada (Halter 78) class Coastal Patrol Craft (24)

External links

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