Keel laying & first steel cutting milestones reached for new Philippine LPDs

 

A scale model of PT PAL's LPD for the Philippine Navy. Photo c/o Asian Defence Journal.

Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL held simultaneous ceremonies marking the milestones in the construction of two new Landing Platform Docks (LPD) for the Philippine Navy (PN).

On 15 January 2024, the shipbuilder held the Keel Laying Ceremony for the first LPD, and also the First Steel Cutting Ceremony for the second LPD, with officials from the Philippine Navy led by its Deputy Commander Rear Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia, Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Gina Jamoralin, PT PAL CEO Dr. Kaharuddin Djenod, and Indonesian Government present to witness the event.

The new LPDs are being built as part of the Philippine Navy’s Landing Docks Acquisition Project, which aims to increase the amphibious and logistics capability of the Philippine Navy as a follow-on to an earlier order for two similar ships, now commissioned with the P{N as the Tarlac-class.

The ships will be 124 meters long,  21.8 meters wide, displaces at around 7,200 tonnes, and has a maximum speed of 16 knots powered by two marine diesel engines. 

It has a helicopter deck for two medium helicopters, and a hangar for one naval helicopter. It also has a welldeck that can fit two small landing crafts utility (LCU) or two of the Philippine Navy’s own Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) .

According to Philippine defense page MaxDefense Philippines, the ships will have fitted for but not with (FFBNW) allocation for defensive weapon systems that may include a main and secondary guns, as well as a potential allocation for short-range air defense systems (SHORADS) or close-in weapon systems (CIWS).

PT PAL is expected to launch the first ship before the end of 2024, and deliver the ship to the Philippine Navy by 2025. The second ship is expected to be launched by early or mid 2025 and delivered by late 2025 or early 2026.

[1] PT PAL Indonesia

[2] Philippine Defense Resource