Critical equipment being installed on BRP Davao Del Sur, says Navy spokesman

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 26): Critical equipment being installed on BRP Davao Del Sur, says Navy spokesman

Navigational, deck and engineering equipment are being installed on the Philippine Navy's second strategic sealift vessel (SSV), the BRP Davao Del Sur, which is being constructed at the PT PAL (Persero) shipyard in Surabaya, Indonesia, Navy spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna said Saturday.

"I don't know the exact percentage of completion but for sure she will be (home in the Philippines) by May 2017," Lincuna said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

The BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602), launched last Sept. 29, is the sister ship of the BRP Tarlac (LD-601), currently the largest Filipino warship in commission.

BRP Tarlac was commissioned during short ceremonies at Pier 13, Manila South Harbor last June 1.
She arrived in the Philippines last May 14 after a five-day journey from PT PAL's shipyard in Surabaya.

Like her sister ship BRP Tarlac, BRP Davao Del Sur is a Makassar-class landing platform dock.

Its delivery to the Philippines, tentatively scheduled middle of next year, will complete the two-unit SSV procurement project with an approved budget of PHP4 billion sourced from the military's Modernization Act Trust Fund.

Just like the BRP Tarlac, the Navy's latest SSV will serve as a floating command-and-control ship, especially in the conduct of humanitarian assistance and disaster response. It will also serve as a military sealift and transport vessel.

The ship has an overall length of 120 meters, breadth of 21 meters, draft of five meters, and can carry a payload of 2,800 tons.

She has a cruising speed of 13 knots and maximum speed of 16 knots and a minimum operating range of 7,500 nautical miles.

BRP Davao Del Sur can carry 500 troops, two rigid-hull inflatable boats, two landing craft units and three helicopters.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=943471