Jose Andrada Fast Patrol
Craft
Date Updated:
Friday August 18, 2006
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Coming in at 78 feet in length and weighing in at
56.4 tons full load. The class is powered by two GM diesel engines
(2,800hp) driving two propellers for a maximum speed of 28 knots. Range at
a speed of 12 knots is 1,200 miles. Range at a speed of 24 knots is 600
miles.
Are relatively heavily armed for their size.
The class was originally designed to carry one 40mm gun forward, one 12.7mm/81mm
mortar combination at the stern plus the four 12.7mm mgs. Instead the
class has been equipped with one 25mm Chain gun (Mk38) and four 12.7mm mgs.
Unlike the 40mm Bofors guns, the Mk38 is optimized for
surface engagements and is only capable of low angle fire up to a maximum
elevation of 55 degrees. Because of it’s limited elevation, it is of
little use against aircraft. The Mk38 is in fact called a "low angle"
mount. It is however quite effective against other patrol boats, swimmers,
floating mines, and various targets ashore including; enemy personnel, lightly
armored vehicles and terrorist threats. One crewman is required to operate the
gun. Train and elevation are all manually controlled though the gun itself
is externally powered and can be fed ammunition from both sides (making
switching ammunition from HE to AP on the fly quite easy). The gun depends
on an electric motor to drive the workings of the gun (hence the term
"chain" gun). Ammunition feeding, extraction and cartridge ejection are
all done by the motor. Rate of fire is 175 rounds per minute and maximum
range to reach out and touch someone is 6,800 meters though at that range it
would largely be ineffective. Effective range is about 2,460 meters.
The gun itself is also used by the Philippine Army and is mounted on a number of
both wheeled and tracked IFVs.
Another limitation of the Mk38 when fitted to
patrol gunboats is that speed largely negates the accuracy of the gun mostly due
to the movement of the boat itself. In order to address this issue the
Philippine Navy was planning to install two stabilized 25mm mounts with organic
fire control systems for evaluation. A stabilized mount would have enabled
the boats equipped with it to fire accurate shots at extreme range and high
speeds but this was cancelled. The Navy reasoned that since engagements
against insurgents or pirates carried out by the Andrada class boats normally
take place under 500 meters, it would be best if the money was spent elsewhere.
The boats carry one navigation radar that also
doubles as a surface search radar – SPS64(V)11 – similar to the radar
carried by the Malvar class but with a smaller antenna.
Update: The plan to equip two
units of the class with stabilized mounts has been shelved. All are being
equipped with 25mm guns as standard in stead.
Named after the original officers of the
off-shore patrol of the Commowealth
gov’t of President Quezon and after Medal of Valor winners from the Korean War,
the Andrada class forms the most modern units in the Philippine
Navy. Most of the boats were built in the US by Trinity-Equitable Ship
Yard in New Orleans, USA. Other units of the class were built by the
Philippine partner, the Marine Division of Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Company in Batangas,
Philippines. Funded mostly through US FMS credits. The
class was to have numbered 35 units but this was cut short from lack of matching
funds. To make up for the shortfall, the PN turned to South Korea.
|
|
Name |
Commissioned |
Current Status |
|
Name |
Commissioned |
Current Status |
|
PG-370 |
BRP Jose Andrada |
Aug 1990 |
In Service |
PG-384 |
BRP Leovigildo Antique |
May 1996 |
In Service. Navforces South |
|
PG-371 |
BRP Enrique Jurado |
June 1991 |
In Service |
PG-385 |
BRP Federico Martir |
May 1996 |
In Service |
|
PG-372 |
BRP Alfredo Peckson |
June 1991 |
In Service |
PG-386 |
BRP Filipino Flojo |
May 1996 |
In Service |
|
PG-374 |
BRP Simeon Castro |
June 1991 |
In Service |
PG-387 |
BRP Anastacio Cacayorin |
1996 |
In Service. Navforces South |
|
PG-375 |
BRP Carlos Albert |
Jan 1992 |
In Service |
PG-388 |
BRP Manuel Gomez |
?? |
In Service |
|
PG-376 |
BRP Heracleo Alano |
Jan 1992 |
In Service |
PG-389 |
BRP Teotimo Figuracion |
?? |
In Service |
|
PG-377 |
BRP Liberato Picar |
Jan 1992 |
In Service |
PG-390 |
BRP Jose Loor |
?? |
In Service. Navforces South |
|
PG-378 |
BRP Hilario Ruiz |
June 1995 |
In Service |
PG-391 |
Name unknown |
?? |
?? |
|
PG-379 |
BRP Rafael Pargas |
June 1995 |
In Service |
PG-392 |
BRP Juan Magluyan |
July 1998 |
In Service |
|
PG-380 |
BRP Nestor Reinoso |
June 1995 |
In Service |
PG-393 |
BRP Florencio Inigo |
July 1998 |
In Service. |
|
PG-381 |
BRP Diocoro Papa |
June 1995 |
In Service |
PG-394 |
BRP Alberto Navarette |
?? |
In Service |
|
PG-383 |
BRP Ismael Lomibao |
1995 |
In Service |
PG-395 |
BRP Felix Apolinario |
Nov 2000 |
In Service. |
Some of the older units of this class are about
due for overhauls. News reports state that the US is providing some
assistance in the way of funding for needed parts and overhauls to bring all the
units of to maximum readiness.