BRP Negros Occidental

BRP Negros Occidental (PS-29) was a Miguel Malvar-class corvette of the Philippine Navy. She was originally built as USS PCE-884, a PCE-842-class patrol craft for the United States Navy during World War II. She was decommissioned from the U.S. Navy and transferred to the Philippine Navy in July 1948 and renamed Negros Occidental after the Philippine province of the same name. Along with other World War II-era ships of the Philippine Navy, Negros Occidental was considered as one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world until its decommissioning.[2]

as RPS Negros Occidental (PS-29)
History
United States
Name: PCE-884
Builder: Albina Engine and Machine Works, Portland, Oregon
Laid down: 27 October 1943
Launched: 24 February 1944
Commissioned: 30 March 1945
Fate: transferred to the Philippine Navy, July 1948
History
Philippines
Name: Negros Occidental
Namesake: Negros Occidental
Commissioned: July 1948
Renamed: BRP Negros Occidental (PS-29), July 1980
Decommissioned: 9 December 2010
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:
  • CRM-NIA-75 Surface Search Radar
  • RCA SPN-18 I/J-band Navigation Radar[1]
Armament:

History
as USS PCE-884

Commissioned in the US Navy as USS PCE-884 in 1945, and was decommissioned after World War II.

She was then transferred and commissioned into the Philippine Naval Patrol (currently Philippine Navy) and was renamed RPS (now BRP) Negros Occidental (PS-29) in 1948. Her last assignment was with the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet.[3] She was decommissioned from the fleet on 9 December 2010 after it was found to be beyond economical repair. She is to be sold as scrap while her equipment was removed as spare for operational sisterships.[4]

Technical details

Originally the ship was armed with one 3"/50 caliber dual purpose gun, three twin Bofors 40 mm guns, four 20 mm Oerlikon guns, 1 Hedgehog depth charge projector, four depth charge projectiles (K-guns) and two depth charge tracks.[5]

The same configuration applies up until the late 1980s when the Philippine Navy removed most of her old anti-submarine weapons and systems, and added four 12.7 mm general purpose machine guns, making her lighter and ideal for surface patrols, but losing her limited anti-submarine warfare capability.

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).[6]

There are slight difference between the BRP Negros Occidental as compared to some of her sister ships in the Philippine Navy, since her previous configuration was as a patrol craft escort, while the others are configured as minesweepers and patrol craft escort rescue ships.

References
  1. Jane's Fighting Ships 2004-2005
  2. Manokski's Armed Forces of the Philippines Order of Battle. Philippine Navy Archived 12 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. Philippine Fleet Official Website. Commissioned ships and crafts Archived 15 July 2012 at Archive.today
  5. NavSource Online: Patrol Craft Escort Photo Archive. PCE-884.
  6. DLSU N-ROTC Office. Naming and Code Designation of PN Vessels Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine.


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