BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20)
![]() BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20)
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History | |
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Name | Gayety |
Ordered | 1942 |
Builder | Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding |
Laid down | 14 November 1943 |
Launched | 19 March 1944 |
Commissioned | 23 September 1945 |
Decommissioned | 1 March 1954 |
Reclassified | Fleet Minesweeper, MSF-239 |
Fate | Transferred to Republic of Vietnam Navy on 17 April 1962. |
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Name | Chi Lăng II |
Acquired | 17 April 1962 |
Out of service | 1975 |
Fate | Escaped to the Philippines in 1975 |
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Name | Magat Salamat |
Namesake | Magat Salamat |
Acquired | 5 April 1976 |
Commissioned | 7 February 1977[1] |
Reclassified | Patrol Corvette |
Status | In service with the Philippine Navy. |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Miguel Malvar-class corvette (in Philippine Navy service) |
Type | Patrol Corvette |
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 |
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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 | |
Armament |
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BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20) is one of several Miguel Malvar class of patrol corvettes in service with the Philippine Navy. She was originally built as USS Gayety (AM-239), an Admirable-class minesweeper with a similar hull to the PCE-842-class patrol craft produced during World War II. In 1962 she was transferred to South Vietnam for service in the Republic of Vietnam Navy as RVNS Chi Lang II (HQ-08). She was acquired by the Philippine Navy in April 1976 and later on commissioned as Magat Salamat. Along with other ex-World War II veteran ships of the Philippine Navy, she is considered one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world today.[3]
History[]
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Commissioned in the US Navy as USS Gayety (AM-239) in 1945, she was assigned in the Pacific theatre of operations, specifically around the Japanese home islands providing minefield sweeping and anti-submarine warfare patrols in the Ryukyus and off Okinawa. 27 May 1945 She suffered a near-miss from a 500-pound bomb and was damaged with several casualties who were buried at Zamami shima, Okinawa, although she was quickly put back into fighting shape. After the war she was decommissioned on June 1946 and placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
Gayety was recommissioned on 11 May 1951 as a training ship, and was again decommissioned on 1 March 1954, and re-entered Atlantic Reserve Fleet. As part of the reserves, she was reclassified as MSF-239 on 7 February 1955.[4][5]
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She was then transferred to the Republic of Vietnam on 17 April 1962. She served the Vietnamese Navy as RVN Chi Lăng II (HQ-08) up until her escape to the Philippines in 1975, together with other South Vietnamese Navy ships and their respective crew.[5][6]
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She was formally acquired by the Philippine Navy on 5 April 1976, and was commissioned into the Philippine Navy on 7 February 1977 and was renamed RPS Magat Salamat (PS-20).[1] She was renamed to BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20) in June 1980 using a new localized prefix.[7]
Between 1996 and 1997 Magat Salamat underwent major overhaul, weapons and radar systems refit, and upgrade of communications gear.[8]
She is currently assigned with the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet,[9] under the jurisdiction of Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao.[10]
Notable deployments / exercises[]
On February 2011, Magat Salamat, together with BRP Felix Apolinario, , and other Philippine Navy ships and units participated in Exercise PAGSISIKAP 2011 held in Davao Gulf.[10]
Magat Salamat was one of the participating ships in the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2012 - Philippines exercises from 2 to 10 July 2012.[11]
Technical details[]
There are slight difference between BRP Magat Salamat as compared to some of her sister ships in the Philippine Navy, since her previous configuration was as a minesweeper ( Admirable class) while the others are configured as rescue patrol craft escort (PCER) and patrol craft escort (PCE) ships.[2]
Armaments[]
Originally the ship was armed with one 3"/50 caliber dual purpose gun, one twin Bofors 40 mm guns, six single 20 mm gun mounts, one Hedgehog depth charge projector, four depth charge projectiles (K-guns) and two depth charge tracks.[5] Changes were made during its transfer to the South Vietnamese Navy, as it appears in photos show the removal of her anti-submarine weapons, removal of two Oerlikon 20 mm guns, and addition of single Bofors 40 mm guns.[5] This made the ship lighter and ideal for surface patrols, but losing her limited anti-submarine warfare capability. The same configuration applies when she was transferred to the Philippine Navy in 1975 up until around 1996–1997.
During its overhaul and refit between 1996 and 1997,[8] the Philippine Navy made some changes in the armament set-up. Some sources claim the loss of its Bofors 40 mm cannons during the 1990-1991 overhaul and refit period,[2] but photos [1] at of[clarification needed] 2011 show the Bofors guns still present. Final armaments fitted to the ship are one Mk.26 3"/50-caliber gun (fore), three single Bofors 40 mm cannons (aft), four Mk.10 Oerlikon 20 mm cannons (two each on bridge wings), and four M2 Browning 12.7 mm/50 caliber machine guns (two besides main bridge, two aft near the lower Bofors gun tub).[2]
Electronics[]
Also during the refit the ship's Sperry SPS-53A surface search radar and RCA SPN-18 navigation radar[8] was replaced by a Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)11 surface search and navigation radar system.[2] Later modifications included the installation of an additional Furuno navigation radar [2], long range and satellite communications system, and GPS system standard to all Philippine Navy ships.
Machinery[]
The ship is originally powered by two Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines, but was replaced by two GM 12-567ATL diesel engines, then later 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).[12]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "6 new ships boost RP navy fleet". Philippine Daily Express. 8 February 1977.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e GlobalSecurity.org PS Miguel Malvar Class
- ^ Armed Forces of the Philippines Order of Battle. Philippine Navy Archived 12 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Gayety page.
- ^ VMAF MAMN. The Inventory of VNN's Battle Ships
- ^ Philippine Navy Information Manual 1995 - Adoption of Pilipino Translation of "Bapor ng Republika ng Pilipinas"
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Saunders, Stephen: Jane's Fighting Ships 107th Edition 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group Ltd, 2004.
- ^ Philippine Fleet Official Website. Commissioned Ships and Crafts Archived 18 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Philippine, US naval exercises slated in Mindanao Sea". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
- ^ DLSU N-ROTC Office. Naming and Code Designation of PN Vessels Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
External links[]
- Ships of the Philippine Navy
- 1944 ships
- Miguel Malvar-class corvettes
- Admirable-class minesweepers
- World War II mine warfare vessels of the United States