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BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15)
Class overview
Name	Gregorio del Pilar class
Builders	Avondale Shipyards
Operators	Philippine Navy
In commission	2011–present
Planned	3
Completed	3
Active	3
General characteristics
Type	Offshore Patrol Vessel
Displacement	3,250 tons
Length	378 ft (115.2 m)
Beam	43 ft (13.1 m)
Draft	15 ft (4.6 m)
Propulsion	Combined diesel or gas (CODOG) arrangement: 2 × Fairbanks-Morse 38TD8-1/8-12 12-cylinder diesel engines, each producing 3,500 shp (2,610 kW) 2 × Pratt & Whittney FT4A-6 gas turbines, each producing 18,000 shp (13,400 kW)
Speed	29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph) via twin gas-turbines
Range	12,500 nmi (23,200 km; 14,400 mi) @ 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) via diesel
Endurance	45 days
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × RHIBs
Complement	80
Sensors and processing systems	CMS: Naval Shield Baseline 2 integrated combat management system Main radar: SeaGIRAFFE AMB multi-role 3D air-&-surface search-&-track Secondary Radars: (Hull 15 & 16): SharpEye™ Mk.2 X-band (25kW) & S-band (200W) solid-state pulse-Doppler navigation & surface-search (Hull 17): Furuno FAR3220BB X-band (25kW) & S-band (200W) solid-state navigation & surface-search Fire Control suite: USN Mk.92 Mod.1 Fire Control System by Sperry Optronic Sensors: SeaFLIR®230 color TV camera, low-light camera, thermal imager, LRF, laser pointer, NVIS Sonar: ELAC Hunter 2.0 hull mounted sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys	2 × Mark 36 SRBOC (Super Rapid Blooming Offboard Countermeasures) mortar-type countermeasures launching system by BAE Systems Elbit Systems' NS9003A RESM (radar - electronic support measures)
Armament	1 × OTO Melara 76/62C (Compatto/Compact) 76mm L/62 DP autocannon on a USN Mk.45 mount 6 × M2 Browning M2HB 12.7mm (50caliber) heavy machine guns Hull 15 only: 2 × Mk 38 Mod 3 RWS 25mm cannons by BAE Systems(amidships: port, starboard Hull 16 and 17 only: 2 × Mk 38 Mod 2 RWS 25mm cannons (amidships: port, starboard)
Armour	CBRNE defense system
Aircraft carried	1 × AW109E Power naval helicopter
Aviation facilities	Helideck Hangar: partly-fixed and partly-retractable
Notes	Steel hull, aluminium superstructure

The Del Pilar-class are offshore patrol vessels currently in service with the Philippine Navy and previously in service with the US Coast Guard as Hamilton-class high endurance cutters. The Department of National Defense is currently in the process of upgrading their systems and capabilities under a modernization project awarded to Hanwha Systems of South Korea.

History

Early in 2011, the Philippine Navy announced the acquisition of an ex-US Coast Guard Hamilton-class high-endurance cutter under the "Ocean-going Escort Vessel" project through the US Excess Defense Article programme. The ship acquired was the former USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715), renamed BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15) which was officially turned over to the Philippine Navy on 13 May 2011 at Alameda Point in California. It was retrofitted and modified in the US, replacing systems removed by the USCG. The ship's arrival ceremonies were on 23 August 2011 in Manila, and it was commissioned on 14 December 2011.

A second Hamilton-class cutter, the USCGC Dallas (WHEC-716), was turned over to the Philippine Navy on 22 May 2012 with ceremonies held at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Pier Papa in North Charleston, South Carolina. The ship was named BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) in Philippine Navy service. Like its sister ship, it was retrofitted and modified in the US, replacing systems removed by the USCG. It was expected to arrive in the Philippines by February 2013. However, further training and unspecified upgrades on the ship pushed the arrival of the BRP Ramon Alcaraz to August 2013. The ship's arrival ceremony was held at Subic Harbor on August 6, 2013, led by President Aquino. It was commissioned on Nov. 22, 2013.

A third Hamilton-class cutter was turned over to the Philippine Navy after US President Barack Obama announced that another high endurance cutter will be transferred to the Philippines during his visit to the BRP Gregorio del Pilar on November 17, 2015. The White House subsequently confirmed that the USCGC Boutwell (WHEC-719) will be the ship that will be transferred to the Philippines. The ship was commissioned into service on July 21, 2016, and was renamed BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF-17). She was designated as Frigate (FF) upon commissioning. Unlike her sister ships, which were designated Patrol Frigate (PF). This was because BRP Andrés Bonifacio entered service after the Philippine Navy made changes to their ship classification.

The ships were re-designated as Patrol Ships (PS) in 2019 to better reflect their limited capabilities.

Design

Accommodations

The ships were designed with a high level of habitability and provide fairly comfortable accommodations, including air conditioning.

Propulsion

The Del Pilar class are the first Philippine military vessels to employ the now common shipboard application of aircraft gas turbine jet engines with the use of controllable pitch propellers. The class are equipped with two 18,000 horsepower (13,000 kW) Pratt & Whitney gas turbines and can propel the ship at speeds up to 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). The class also has two 3,500 horsepower (2,600 kW) Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines, capable of driving the ship economically at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) for up to 12,500 nmi (23,200 km; 14,400 mi) without refueling. A retractable/rotatable bow propulsion unit provides manoeuvrability in tight situations.

Armaments

Prior to turn-over to the Philippine Navy, the Hamilton-class cutters were armed with a Mk 75 Oto Melara 76 mm Compact main gun, two Mk 38 M242 Bushmaster 25mm chain gun at midships, and a Phalanx CIWS system aft. The CIWS and chain guns were removed by the United States Coast Guard prior to turn-over, with the Mk 75 gun remaining.

The Philippine Navy installed a Mk 38 Mod 1 25mm chain gun and two Mk 16 20mm Oerlikon autocannons to the PS-15, and six .50-caliber machine guns on both the PS-15 and PS-16.

The Philippines ordered two new Mk 38 Mod 2 25mm chain gun systems in 2012, and these are expected to be installed to the ships of the class. On Feb. 17, 2014, it was reported that said chain guns were in the Philippines, waiting for the U.S. Coast Guard armament team for installation. As of January 25, 2015, 2 Mk. 38 Mod. 2 25mm guns had been installed on PF-16.

Another set of Mk 38 systems, this time in Mod 3 variant were ordered in October 2015, and another contract for 2 units of Mk 38 Mod 3 25mm chain guns were ordered in September 2016. The first set of 2 units was installed on BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15) on early June 2019.

Flight support

The Del Pilar class has a flight deck and hangar capable of handling helicopters. A BO-105 light surveillance helicopter was initially assigned to BRP Gregorio del Pilar, and was replaced by the newer AW109E Power helicopter. The helicopters first made their shipboard deployment on May 21, 2014.

Modernization

It was also reported that the Philippine Navy is planning further upgrades for the entire ship class. The upgrades will feature upgrades for navigation, propulsion, communication, surveillance, and weapons systems.

In August 2019, the Department of National Defense (DND) signed a deal with Hanwha Systems Co., Ltd. to supply and install the Naval Shield Baseline 2 Integrated Combat Management System (CMS), a Hull Mounted Sonar (HMS), and a Radar Electronic Support Measure (R-ESM). The project contract also covers system integration of Hanwha-supplied equipment with Government-supplied equipment (through US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) ), which includes the AN/SPS-77 Sea Giraffe AMB 3D air/surface search radar, a new Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), the SeaFLIR 230 electro-optical/infra-red (EO/IR) system, and two (2) Mk 38 25mm guns. The contract also include integration of Hanwha-supplied equipment with the existing ship subsystems including navigation, situational awareness, AIS, weapons and guns, countermeasures, and other systems.

On 21 February 2020, Rear Adm. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo stated that additional weapons systems were planned to be installed to complement the ships' upgraded sensors. He suggested that anti-submarine weapons might be installed to complement the sonars to be installed on the class.

On 14 October 2020, Navy chief Giovanni Carlo Bacordo revealed the completion of the 3D modeling program for the class' cabling systems to be used for their electronic upgrades (CMS + 4 sensors), indicating the project is at least running despite the CoVid-19 pandemic.

On 27 July 2023, it was announced by ELAC SONAR GmbH that the Hunter hull-mounted sonar had completed sea acceptance with Hanwha Systems and the Philippine Navy. It was stated that the system would be integrated with Hanwha's combat management system and that sonars would be installed on two additional ships within the following 12 months.

Ships in class

See also

• List of naval ship classes in service
• List of equipment of the Philippine Navy

References

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v t e Hamilton-class cutters
United States Coast Guard	Hamilton Dallas Mellon Chase Boutwell Sherman Gallatin Morgenthau Rush Douglas Munro Jarvis John Midgett
Bangladesh Navy	Somudra Joy (ex-Jarvis) Somudra Avijan (ex-Rush)
Nigerian Navy	Okpabana (ex-Gallatin) Thunder (ex-Chase)
Philippine Navy Del Pilar class	Gregorio del Pilar (ex-Hamilton) Ramon Alcaraz (ex-Dallas) Andrés Bonifacio (ex-Boutwell)
Sri Lanka Navy	Gajabahu (ex-Sherman) Vijayabahu (ex-Douglas Munro)
Vietnam Coast Guard	CSB 8020 (ex-Morgenthau) CSB 8021 (ex-Midgett)
United States Coast Guard

v t e Commissioned ships of the Philippine Navy
Frigates	Miguel Malvar class Miguel Malvar (2025) Diego Silang (2025) Jose Rizal class Jose Rizal Antonio Luna
Corvettes	Pohang class Conrado Yap
Offshore Patrol Vessels	Del Pilar class Gregorio del Pilar Ramon Alcaraz Andrés Bonifacio Malvar class Magat Salamat Jacinto class Emilio Jacinto Apolinario Mabini Artemio Ricarte
Coastal patrol vessels	Cyclone class General Mariano Alvarez Valentin Diaz Ladislao Diwa
Coastal patrol craft	Kagitingan class Bagong Silang Acero class Nestor Acero Lolinato To-ong Gener Tinangag Domingo Deluana Herminigildo Yurong Laurence Narag Tomas Campo (2024) Albert Majini (2024) Alberto Navarette class Alberto Navarette Abraham Campo Jose Andrada class Jose Andrada Enrique Jurado Alfredo Peckson Simeon Castro Carlos Albert Heracleo Alano Liberato Picar Hilario Ruiz Rafael Pargas Nestor Reinoso Dioscoro Papa Ismael Lomibao Leovigildo Gantioqui Federico Martir Filipino Flojo Anastacio Cacayorin Manuel Gomez Teotimo Figoracion Jose Loor Sr. Juan Magluyan Florencio Inigo Felix Apolinario Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) BA-482 BA-483 BA-484 BA-485 BA-486 BA-487 BA-488 BA-489 BA-491 BA-492 BA-493 BA-494 Type 966Y class PB-356 PB-357 PB-358 PB-359 Swift Mk. 3 class PB-338 PB-339
Amphibious warfare ships	Tarlac class Tarlac Davao del Sur Bacolod City class Bacolod City Dagupan City LST-1/LST-542 class Sierra Madre Laguna Benguet Tagbanua class Tagbanua Ivatan class Ivatan Batak Waray Iwak Agta Mulgae class Mamanwa Tausug class Tausug LCU Mk.6 class Subanon Bagobo Manobo
Auxiliary ships	Gregorio Velasquez class Gregorio Velasquez Lake Buluan class Lake Buluan Lake Mainit class Lake Buhi Lake Taal FS-381 class Mangyan Fort San Antonio class Fort San Antonio Fort Abad Ang Pangulo-class Ang Pangulo Lilimbon-class Lilimbon RAmparts 3000W-class AT-010 RAmparts 2700W-class YT-027 USN 422-class Igorot Ilonggot Tasaday YT-227 YT-228

• Hamilton-class cutters of the Philippine Navy
• Frigate classes
• Ships of the Philippine Navy