The last three LCHs (landing craft heavies), out of the five
pledged by the Australian Government to the Philippines ,
have finally arrived in Liloan, Cebu
City
This was announced by Philippine Navy (PN) spokesperson
Capt. Lued Lincuna in an interview Monday.
The ships were transported aboard a cargo vessel of the NTG
Shipping. Two of the LCHs were picked up in Darwin and another one in Cairns , Australia
The LCHs were off-loaded in Liloan, Cebu
10: 30 a.m. last March 26.
Lincuna said the vessels will be moved from Cebu to the PN
shipyard in Sangley Point, Cavite
The LCHs are former ships of the Royal Australian Navy and
identified as the HMAS Balikpapan (L-126), HMAS Wewak (L-130) and HMAS Betano
(L-133).
The three are sisters to BRP Ivatan (formerly HMAS Tarakan)
and BRP Batak (ex-HMAS Brunei
The first two LCHs were donated by the Australian Government
to the Philippines
The three were sold for the "friendship price "of
PHP270 million.
"With their capability of moving large amounts of
cargo, personnel and equipment, these vessels will bolster the PN's
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations (HADR). They will also
be useful in transporting troops from one operational area to another
especially during amphibious operations," Lincuna stressed.
Correspondingly, the PN initiated necessary preparations and
other training activities last year to ensure the competent crewing of these
ships which will be validated once they assume their posts.
The operational readiness training is deemed to be dynamic
and adaptable to changes. At present, more or less 30 PN personnel are assigned
aboardship while the vessel will undergo minor repairs and refurbishment,
including the fitting of .50 caliber machine guns as defensive weaponry.
"The acquisition of additional capabilities of our Navy
further translates into offering better service to our maritime nation as we
continue to protect our country, step up commitment for HADR and our continuing
pledge to provide assistance to our Filipino people in all corners of the
archipelago. These new assets are manifestations of our Navy’s optimum
readiness to perform its tasks and the ability to adapt vis-a-vis the emergent
operating environment," he added.
LCHs are an extremely versatile vessel, capable of moving
large amounts of cargo, personnel and equipment from larger ships to shore.
A very shallow draft (two meters) allows these ships to
deliver personnel and equipment to areas otherwise unreachable especially
during HADR missions.
It is an all-welded twin-screw vessel, able to trans-ship
cargo and supplies from ships lying offshore to water terminals or across the
beach.
Maximum cargo load is governed by the load-fuel balance and
varies between 140 and 180 tons.
A typical load of 175 ton gives the LCHs a range of 1,300
nautical miles, increasing to 2,280 nautical miles for a load of 150 tons.
Up to five shipping containers with HADR supplies and
equipment can also be embarked.
LCHs have a draft of two meters, length of 44.5 meters, beam
of 10.1 meters and displacement of 364 tons.
It has a speed to 10 to 13 knots and a range of 3,000
nautical miles and a crew of 15.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=870627
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