Just an angle that hasn't been mentioned:

The Philippine Navy has been increasing the number of ships in active service...
But the PN's ability to service ships is restricted by its drydock capability, and regular service is key to getting the most service life out of any ship ---especially brand-new ones.

Floating drydocks provide quick turnaround in the course of maintenance.

Floating dry docks are essentially very large floating cradles -- they submerge partially to get 'under' a ship, then float to raise said ship completely out of the water for repairs/maintenance.

The vessel-type's usefulness is attested to by the heavy usage the PN puts it to in the present day, although the size of vessel servicable is naturally restricted by the size of the floating drydock. Certainly, if the PN concentrates first on increasing the number of its smaller surface assets, they can resort to conventional shipyard drydocks for the added servicing load, albeit with longer turnaround.

When the PN embarks on obtaining more and more medium size vessels, additional floating-drydock capacity is going to be extremely useful. Their construction is straightforward and involves no sensitive technology that foreign interests can deny us. As an aside, experience in building a floating dry dock is valuable towards any possible intention to eventually build true submersibles for the PN.

Just a thought.

:pushup:


h

Interesting, never thought about it. Not usually a navy person, but this could be a valuable asset.

Here's some info...

http://www.hueybravo.net/NavyPages/afdl1drydock.htm

My sentiments exactly!

http://www.hueybravo.net/NavyPages/afdl1drydock.htm

1.) F.F. Cruz shipyard in Iloilo has a floating drydock, and they built it themselves

2.) The BRP Humabon is undergoing repair right now

3.) A big warship will be built soon in ----

Is this true? what kind of ship? destroyer, frigate, or corvette? and for whom? for the PN?

sensitive news will not be announced until after the fact..there are complications...when the time is ripe you will read it in the newspapers anyway....

It is not difficult to build a floating drydock, you only need to calculate the weights and stability issues and it can be fashioned of sectioned pontoons or a modified barge. You need provision for the pressurized air and water pumps.

Dock facilities is the least of your problems to service naval ships. Its the machining, fabrication, electronics, navigation and weapon systems servicing equipment. Lastly, the funding to run a dock repair facility.

spoiler: LST to be built in Cebu. Negotiations currently ongoing.

Manokski,

Your new site is looking better and better :thumb:
Thanks for linking to it.


Fish,
Heheh. :armycool:
One 'impediment' at a time.
I was trying to ease certain newer members of the forum into reality,
that it's not a simple matter to just go out and BUY big shiny ships.
As for older members who still cling to rah-rah boilerplate...
grasping merely (and only after great difficulty and debate) the funding issue,
and reducing it to a cry of 'corruption'.... *sigh*

Building new ships is one thing, but the realization that we haven't the
cax for operation and maintenance means that more and more old ships
will be reactivated. That means demand for drydock time and space will go up,
hence this thread's 'angle'.


Fallen Angel,
Known as far back as Q4 of 2003.... (IIRC, and thanks to Manokski et. al.)
the plan to build 6 LST's locally is AFAIK in a sort of technical limbo,
as it has been folded into a much larger US-backed plan for AFP rationalization.
It is the latter, bigger plan that is "under negotiation".

From what little I can see, the US is technically NOT paying for half of cost.
It is merely underwriting, or guaranteeing half of the loans that we will have to
take out to pursue the various projects. To wit, if we were to someow default on
loan repayments, the US would pay the balance (up to half the total loan),
and could then take possession of half of the finished and unfinished articles
(the banks taking the other half)... though even then, the US could lease out
the articles (or rather its half of them) to us, at perhaps very agreeable prices


:pushup:
horge

how many of these floating drydocks are in service with the Philippine Navy? does the PN have land-based docks where PN vessels can undergo maintenance checks or is the PN totally dependent on these floating drydocks?

about the "new LSTs" that are to be built in Cebu, is the design of these "LSTs" based on the World War II-era LSTs of the PN or on a more different design? :armysmile:

israeli,

Regarding the PN AFDL's:
Um, there's this nice link kindly provided by Manolet just a few posts up.
Try clicking on it.

Regarding the purported LST's:
While this forum doesn't have a search function worth dried spit...
(And oh yea, you betcha I doth protest!!! Verily pa.) I recall two threads here
(and a couple threads more on the other, disabled board)
where those LST's were discussed recursively.


:pushup:

thanks horge. :armysmile:

I hope Manolet spots this... as I have a question for him.

The Philippines accepted two AFDL-1's (USN hull number 20 in 1980, and number 10 in 1987) plus two AFDL-35's (USN hull number 44 in 1980 and number 40 in 1990).

Any idea just what exactly went wrong with the AFDL-35's?
Your site indicates they're inactive.

Thanks,

horge

AFAIK, they were scrapped. One of them was scrapped together with one of the Barnegats. Too far gone is my guess. The AFDL-1s are in better condition.

Here is an aerial view of Sangley Point and Fort San Felipe:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Manila&ll=14...07502&t=k&hl=en

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Manila&ll=14...15003&t=k&hl=en

This view shows the beaching area with the LSTs right and one of the docks in the center.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Manila&ll=14...07502&t=k&hl=en

http://home.comcast.net/~manokski/lst.htm[/URL]

Across the water, is a view of Fort San Felipe, the largest Military Industrial facility in the Philippines. It shows the bulk of the Philippine Fleet including three drydocks on the right which all have ships in them.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Manila&ll=14...07502&t=k&hl=en

Aerial view of one of the PNs LSVs (you have to zoom in) at Sangley

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Manila&ll=14...07502&t=k&hl=en

More info on the LSVs are found in the old ORbat site:

http://home.comcast.net/~manokski/

Someone up above is obviously keeping tabs on certain areas.

Do you have any idea when these sat pics were taken?

The LSTs are clearly visible at the Vardadero de Manila area, along with the derelict PAF a/c on its side; some NAG a/c can also be seen in said vicinity.

The LSV is visibly docked at the Ready Force area, with PCFs at its port side.

I see only 2 PAF a/c in the flight line, most likely MGs.

What appears to be a PCE is docked at the Yutadco pier at FSF;TK 90 and possibly the remains of PF7 near the shipyards area- hmm so this sat pic may be over 2 years old, if that is the remains of PF 7 beside TK 90...

If you're still monitoring this forum, Manolet,
Any truth to rumors that the PN has no shipshape AFDL's left?
That it is going to rely completely on landward drydocks?

sir h, what is AFDL? :armysmile:

Sir Frenzy :armysmile:
Auxiliary Floating Drydock (Light)

Manoks earlier provided a link to pics on his website:
http://www.hueybravo.net/NavyPages/afdl1drydock.htm

Actually, our Bacolod (Frank Besson) class LSV also has a quasi-FD configuration,
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/lsv/

meaning it (the SSV configuration) can submerge partially.

The ability to design-build larger floating drydocks allows a yard to explore
building "baby" assault ships: just add a helo deck and hangar on top of the
dock walls, troop space under that, and cram the cradle with RHIBS or LC's
and amphibious armor. Lots of other possibilities from there.

Not a whole lot of technological challenge involved, and the PN has been
doing the same sort of jury-rigging on its aging LST's for decades.

:ssalute:
horge


PS: My interest in this vessel class is exceeded only by that towards seeing old
commercial merchant hulls converted to camouflaged OPV's: ships that look like
fishing or research vessels, but are actually fully armed, long-endurance OPV's.
(Sure, it goes against signed conventions, but everyone else is doing it, hehe)

I think its a cruiser :armywink:

For and BY whom?

Nice idea. Is there a precedent or a like model now existing?

one of the Filipino shipyards purchased an ex-PN floating drydock . they are now using it

BRP-Rizal

BRP Rizal (PS-74) is the first of two Rizal class ships in service with the Philippine Navy. She is formerly an ex-USN Auk class minesweeper that were produced during World War II, and is now classified as a patrol corvette protecting the vast waters of the Philippines. Along with other ex-World War II veteran ships of the Philippine Navy, she is considered as one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world today
Under the Philippine Navy, she was reclassified and recoded a number of times. As a Minesweeper, she was first classified as RPS Rizal (PCE-69), then was reclassified as a Patrol Corvette under the new code RPS Rizal (PS-69). In 1996 she was renumbered as BRP Rizal (PS-74), which is used to this day. Together with her sister ship, she was one of the Navy's main warships during the 1960s up to the present
Sensors and
processing systems: Raytheon SPS-5C G/H-band Surface Search Radar
Raytheon SPS-64(V)11 Radar
DAS 3 I-band Navigation Radar
SQS-17B hull-mounted Sonar (high frequency)
Mk52 GFCS for 3"/50 guns
Mk51 GFCS for 40 mm guns[1] [2]
Armament: 2 × 3"/50 caliber gun Mk22 dual purpose guns
2 × Mk1 Mod2 Twin 60 caliber Bofors 40 mm gun
2 x Twin 70 caliber 20 mm Oerlikon guns
4 x 50 caliber 12.7 mm machine guns