Upcoming Balikpapan-class Landing Crafts-Heavy for the Philippine Navy - A Good Addition to the Fleet

The Australian Defence Minister Mr. Kevin Andrews announced plans to donate two former Royal Australian Navy landing crafts-heavy (LCH) to the Philippine Navy. This is in support of their commitment to improve the Philippines' humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) capabilities. The ships involved are the recently retired ships of the Balikpapan-class, the former HMAS Brunei (L 127) and HMAS Tarakan (L 129). According to the Australian Ministry of Defence, the two ships will be refurbished and installed with a new safety and navigation equipment before handing them over to the Philippine Navy. The expected hand-over of these ships can be made as early as May 2015.

One of the ships to be transferred to the Philippine Navy, the former HMAS Brunei (L 127).
Photo taken from worldwarships.com

Aside from the transfer of the said ships, the Australian MOD has offered three other Balikpapan-class landing crafts for sale to the Philippine government. They are the former HMAS Balikpapan (L 126), HMAS Wewak (L 130) and HMAS Betano (L 133), which were decommissioned by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 2012. Recent media reports quoting Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) officials that they are indeed interested in acquiring the ships for US$16.5 million, including refurbishing works prior to delivery.



The Balikpapan-class Landing Craft Heavy (LCH)
The Australian-made Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy were first built and commissioned in 1971 for the Australian Army (later handed-over to the Royal Australian Navy). A total of eight (8) units were built as a replacement for the World War II era Landing Ship Mediums that Australia operated. Two of the LCH were later handed-over to the Papua New Guinea Defence Forces when the country became independent from Australia's administration in 1975.

Five Balikpapan-class ships during an amphibious landing exercise by the Royal Australian Navy.
Photo taken from RAN website.

Each ship is 44.5 meters long, 10.1 meters wide, a draught of 2.0 meters, and full load displacement of 517 tons. It has a 16-man crew, a carrying capacity of 180 tons of cargo, and is powered by two Caterpillar 3406E marine diesel engines propelling the ships to a maximum speed of 10 knots.



Comparison to Philippine Navy's Current Landing Craft Assets:
Compared to the Philippine Navy's lone Tagbanua-class landing craft utility (LCU) BRP Tagbanua (AT-296), the Balikpapan-class ships are smaller and slower (10 knots vs 15 knots maximum speed), but has a larger carrying load capacity than the Tagbanua (180 tons vs 110 tons). The Balikpapans also have a smaller internal space for passengers, and is mostly suitable in transporting vehicles and goods rather than people or troops, as compared to the Tagbanua which has a large internal capacity and seating for troops and shelter from outside conditions like sunlight, heat, or rain. Being old ships, expect the performance values of the Balikpapan-class to be less than written in sources, and it is expected that safety measures will be made which includes capping the maximum capabilities to a lesser degree than originally designed.

The Philippine Navy's BRP Tagbanua (AT-296) is larger and faster, but can carry less payload than the Balikpapan-class.

It would be almost similar in capability and design as the other locally-made Landing Craft Utility of the Philippine Navy, the lesser known BRP Manobo (BU-297). It has the same large open cargo deck suitable for bringing in vehicles just like the Balikpapan-class, although it appears that the Manobo is a longer ship. There is not much available information on the performance values of BRP Manobo although a source confirmed that it has even less capacity than the BRP Tagbanua although it also costs less to operate.

The BRP Manobo (BU-297) bringing in people and relief goods on unprepared ports.
Photo taken from the Philippine Navy's FB page.

The LCH in Philippine Setting:
There were several queries from MaxDefense readers in our Facebook page about the capabilities of the Balikpapan-class LCH.

Operating in the Kalayaan Group of Islands: Being a low-draft, flat hulled ship, the Balikpapan-class LCH are suitable for beaching operations that can be used during combat amphibious operations, or landing of equipment on unprepared ports or beaches. This could be very useful for HADR operations, as emphasized by the Australian MOD for its reason to grant two ships to the PN. Emergency vehicles such as construction equipment, lorries for transporting goods, and military vehicles like tanks and armored vehicles can easily be moved around the archipelago using these. But its design is not suitable for deep water operations on high sea states. 

The HMAS Betano (L 133) carrying several M113 armored vehicles of the Australian Army.

Being so, technically it can deliver supplies to the outposts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the Kalayaan Group of Islands (KIG), but due to its slow speed and design it may not be advisable to do so without support. At only 10 knots maximum speed, it would take 2 days for it to reach the KIG from Palawan, and another 2 days going back, plus the time it spends around the KIG delivering supplies. Although it takes almost the same time for an old Landing Ship Tank (LST) to do the same, it doesn't have the size and design to stay too long at open sea without the risk of getting into unfavorable weather conditions, unlike the larger LST.

It would be optimal to use the LCH on coastal waters or shallow waters, which include the territorial and archipelagic waters of the country, or in missions to nearby countries like Malaysia. This was proven by the BRP Tagbanua during its mission to Malaysia to bring in Filipinos fleeing Sabah a few years ago.


Docking Inside the Strategic Sealift Vessel's Well Deck:
Due to its high superstructure design and size, it is also not possible to dock the LCH inside the well decks of the upcoming Strategic Sealift Vessel / Landing Platform Dock. Although the SSV has its own landing craft, these are different in design and size. The Balikpapan-class is very much larger than those integral LC, and are actually capable of independent operation without reliance on larger "mother-ships" like the SSV. 

The Balikpapan's size won't even fit inside well decks of major US Navy amphibious vessels like the one above, more so on smaller LPDs like the Philippine Navy's SSV.

Weapons to be Installed:
Previously the Royal Australian Navy installed two 12.7mm machine guns as self-defense weapons of the ship. It is expected that the Philippine Navy would retain these guns, and might even fit each ship with either more machine guns, or install it with larger caliber guns like old 20mm Oerlikon guns previously installed on old PN ships and are now stored in the Naval Sea Systems Command warehouses.

A RAN crewman from the HMAS Balikpapan operating one of its 12.7mm machine guns.
Photo taken from the RAN website.

Don't expect missiles or other more advanced weapons to be installed other than the guns mentioned above.


LCH in the Desired Force Mix:
The Philippine Navy's Desired Force Mix whitepaper states that they need around 18 units of landing craft utility or similar designed ships for inter-island transport and as a smaller alternative to the service's Landing Ship Tanks and the upcoming Strategic Sealift Vessel / Landing Platform Dock. This acquisition fits in to this requirement, and would be a fast way of beefing up the fleet while the navy restarts any building program for more landing crafts like the BRP Tagbanua which takes time from planning to construction to commissioning. Other upcoming assets like Landing Crafts-Utility from South Korea is also another addition that could improve the short-term capabilities of the Philippine Navy. 



MaxDefense's Suggestion:
Since I have seen these ships upfront in the past, MaxDefense believes that these assets are still capable of use for at least 15 more years with proper maintenance and care. It is a good design that can even be used by the Philippine Navy and local shipyards as a basis for future landing craft design requirements.

Aside from landing crafts, MaxDefense suggests that the Philippine Navy acquire assets that could replace the ageing World War II era Landing Ships-Tank, which should be larger than the LCH and LCU, has the same beaching capability, and can be slotted in-between the landing crafts and the upcoming SSV/LPD. There are LST designs offered by friendly countries like Korea, India, and Indonesia that could be worth looking at, and is expected to be cheaper than the $42 million SSV. With the South Korean Navy upgrading its amphibious forces assets, it is also expected that they might be releasing their Go Jun Bong-class LSTs in the near future. LSTs have been proven to be an effective transport asset in the past, and even used by the PN for different duties including as patrol vessels, HADR assets, and even as helicopter platforms.

The ROKS Bi Ro Bong, one of the Go Jun Bong-class LSTs of the Korean Navy.
Photo taken from Wikimedia.

Another alternative to new LSTs are more Logistics Support Vessels similar to the Bacolod City-class of the Philippine Navy. These are simple-designed transport vessels, possibly cheaper to acquire than an LST, and its design is so simple that it can even be easily built in the Philippines. If the US Army would take them out of service anytime soon, MaxDefense suggests that the PN take a look at them. 




MaxDefense welcomes the impending addition of these assets for the Philippine Navy, and as an Australian, I am proud and thankful to the Australian government for its generous support to the Philippines.

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A clearer picture on the Strategic Sealift Vessel of the Philippine Navy

The absence of enough information regarding the Philippine Navy's Strategic Sealift Vessel (SSV) has left the public blind on what we can expect on the ship's capabilities, features and aesthetics. But the recently released Supplemental Bid Bulletin (SBB) # 4 by the Department of National Defense (DND) has brought in enough relevant information on the project, as well as some hints of future procurement plans of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), to the point that we can now somehow see a clearer picture of what the SSV really is.

The SSV is said to be smaller than the earlier MRV requirement, which was supposed to be awarded to a Korean manufacturer before based on the Makassar-class LPD.

Based on the Supplemental Bid Bulletin # 4 for the SSV project, here are the basic information of the ship's specification based on MaxDefense' interpretation (a copy of the SBB can obtained here:  http://www.dnd.gov.ph/DNDWEBPAGE_files/BAC/2013/SBB/august/SBB-AFP-PN-SSV-13-04.pdf)

Type: Landing Platform Dock (LPD)
Displacement: approximately 7,300 tons full load, subject to shipbuilder's design

Length: 120 meters minimum, subject to shipbuilder's design

Beam: 21 meters minimum, subject to shipbuilder's design

Propulsion: at least 2 Diesel engines coupled to 2 controllable pitch propellers, subject to shipbuilder's proposal

Speed: at least 13 knots cruising, at least 16 knots maximum

Range: 7,500nmi @ 13 knots

Crew: between 100 to 130 officers and men

Boats Carried: 2 Landing Craft Mechanized/Utility at floodable well decks, 2 RHIB or LCVP on Boat Davits
Passengers: at least 500 troops
Decks: Tank (? sqm minimum) and Truck Deck (800 sqm minimum)
Payload: 2,800 tons minimum

Sensors: Navigation, Surface Search Radar, Air Search Radar, EW Suite, Electro-Optical Fire Control System (all separate items to be supplied by PN), Combat Management System

Weapons: Primary: 1 x gun (possibly between 40mm to 127mm), Secondary: 2 x 30mm automated cannons port and starboard sides (EO FCS controlled), ? x machine guns (all separate items to be supplied by PN)

Aircraft Accommodation  Helideck capacity for 2 x 10-ton helicopters (based on Sikorsky Black Hawk), Enclosed Hangar for 1 x 10-ton helicopter (also based on Black Hawk)

Surprisingly, the SSV's basic requirements are similar to the dimensions of PT PAL's SSV offer. This has been posted before in earlier MaxDefense blogs about this project.

Besides the basic information of the ship, there are also more information that MaxDefense finds interesting to discuss with, and here are the following points:

1. Presence of floodable wells and helicopter deck with hangar.
These features, plus the general information of the ship's details listed above, confirms that the SSV is indeed a Landing Platform Dock (LPD), a small one though as compared to typical Western designs. Larsen and Toubro's query even included a clarification on the ship's type being labelled as an SSV when in fact the ship is an LPD. The dimensions indicate that it has similar dimensions as the Indonesian Navy's Makassar-class LPD, and surprisingly has almost the same details as the SSV offer made by PT PAL. But unlike the Makassar-class, the SSV will be smaller, lighter and may be simpler to reduce costs.

Floodable wells, like this one, are present on the SSV. An indication that it is not just an ordinary ROPAX vessel as some believe.
Photo taken from Australian Ministry of Defense website.

2. Use of Mild Steel per ASTM A131 for the hull.
A query by Stone of David highlighted this and request considering the use of a more sturdier material for the hull, although the PN insisted on mild steel. Actually mild steel can be considered an excellent ship hull material due to its high strength, sufficient ductility and low cost. It retains some strength after yielding and before failure, which is a good characteristic for ship hulls. It is also lighter, giving the ship a better power to weight ratio for efficiency, while retaining the required strength as compared to other steel hull materials.

3. Inclusion of 2 Landing Crafts Mechanized/Utility (LCM/LCU) and 2 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB) per ship.
The SSV program already included the provision of 2 steel-hulled LCU or LCM as well as 2 RHIBs that will be delivered together with each ship. This was unexpected although it is a welcome addition since it was assumed earlier that these boats will be bid-out separately and will require a different budget and program. Although this would also mean that the cost for these boats will be deducted from the budget allocated for the SSVs.

2 units of LCU or LCM, similar to those shown above, are included in each ship's cost and will be carried by the SSV. They must have a 25-ton load capacity and are steel-hulled.
Photo taken from US Navy website.

4. Boat davit capacity of 15 tons while RHIB at full capacity is only around 4 tons.
Several bidders like Stone of David, Larsen and Toubro, and Propmech highlighted the issue of having a boat davit with load capacity of 15 tons that will be holding the RHIB, probably because they believe this an over-design that relates to higher costs. Although the PN intends to place RHIBs on these davits, it is expected that the PN may also opt to fit the heavier LCVP in its place when necessary. Actually Stone of David's query already indicated the possibility of using the davits for LCVPs. The LCVP usually has an empty weight of around 9 to 9.5 tons and will require a higher capacity davit, on this case the PN insisted on a 15-ton capacity davit. 

MaxDefense believes that the PN would also embark LCVP on davits,like shown above mounted onboard HMS Ocean (L12), thus the requirement for 15-ton capacity.
Photo taken from thamesvessels.blogspot.com.

5. Payload capacity of deck turntables at 25 tons.
The turntable is required to be able to handle a 25-ton payload of around 7 meters long, which are probably armored vehicles from either the Philippine Marines (PMC) or Philippine Army (PA). Except for the PMC's few LVTH-6, the heaviest armored vehicles in both the PA (ACV-300) and PMC (V-300) only weigh around 14 tons. MaxDefense does not expect the incoming AAVs to use the turntables so it means that the SSV is built to accomodate larger and heavier armored vehicles should the PA or PMC acquire them in the future.

A vehicle turntable similar but not exactly the same as above, with a diameter of 7 meters and load capacity of 25 tons, will be available at the truck deck for easy maneuver of vehicles on the tight space.
Photo taken from Haynes-World blog.

6. Helicopter landing deck and hangar capacity requirement.
There is a requirement for the ship to have a helicopter landing deck for 2 helicopters, and a hangar capacity for 1 helicopter. The replies provided by the DND/PN indicated that the helicopters are 10-ton types, with a specific mention of Sikorsky's Black Hawk helicopter. Although the Philippine Air Force (PAF) currently has a single S-70A Black Hawk in its fleet (Presidential Wing asset), it is expected that the ship will accommodate navalized PN helicopters more than standard PAF ones. MaxDefense believes that the PN may have plans to purchase Black Hawks in the future as part of its Desired Force Mix multi-purpose helicopter requirement, and the PAF may also do the same.

The SSV takes the Black Hawk into consideration in its design, giving the helicopter a place in the PN's future.
Photo taken from US Navy website.

7. Replenishment as Sea (RAS) capable.
The SSV will be RAS capable, with both port and starboard sides having RAS stations for easy replenishment. The PN's Gregorio del Pilar-class frigates are capable of RAS, but this capability is currently not available with the PN, although there are some indications that the PN is trying to acquire such capability, possibly by taking replenishment from allied naval vessels in the absence of PN replenishment vessels. There is also a possibility of the PN acquiring replenishment vessels in the future, as indicated in its Desired Force Mix white paper.

A replenishment at sea (RAS) / underway replenishment (UNREP) capability is being sought for the SSV, similar to shown above.
Photo from globalsecurity.org.

8. Weapons and sensors systems costs are separate from the ship's budget.
The SSB mentioned that the weapons and sensors systems will be "owner supplied", meaning it will be provided by the PN separately. This removes the cost of these systems from the SSV's budget, and good thing considering that these systems may cost as much as the budget allocated by the DND. With these separated, shipbuilders would now have more room to provide a better offer, and is beneficial to both the bidder and the end user. 

9. Types of weapons and sensors for the ship.
Sensor types mentioned in the SSB include a surveillance radar, an air search radar, electro-optical fire control system for the secondary guns, a Combat Management System, and an Electronic Warfare (EW) suite. The presence of an option to place an air search radar feature will enable the ship to detect and track airborne threats like aircraft and cruise missiles. The PN may employ similar radar systems that they intend to install on other future PN combat vessels like the new frigate. The EW suite is an added feature that would be beneficial as it gives an added defensive feature for the ship from OPFOR attacks. As for the weapons, the SBB mentioned the presence of 2 units 30mm guns, both remotely operated with electro-optical fire control system (EO-FCS). Although not mentioned, it may be safe to assume the presence of a larger primary weapon, probably a gun system with a higher caliber the secondary guns, somewhere between 40mm to 127mm. Also like other PN vessels, it is expected to have manually-operated 12.7mm machine guns for self-defense against small boats and minor threats. No mention was made regarding missile systems or anti-missile CIWS though.

A 3D search radar, like the Thales Smart-S shown above, is not impossible to be mounted on the SSV.
Photo taken from Thales Nederland website. 

Two secondary guns, similar to the Mk.38 Mod.2 shown above but with a 30mm gun, is eyed for each SSV. These would be remotely controlled, and linked to an electro-optical fire control system.
Photo taken from Wikimedia.

10. The SSV are configured as possible flagships.
The SBB confirms the earlier press releases that the SSV will also serve as flagships and mobile government centers aside from being amphibious transport vessels. The supplemental bulletin acknowledge the presence of a Presidential Room as well as a War Room, which are instrumental for government functions including the presence of the President of the Philippines in cases of emergencies and needs that require him and other key government officials to be on the ship.

Besides the above-mentioned details, some other information on the ship includes:
- the ships are designed to accommodate future AAVs (probably based on the AAV-7A1)
- availability of water desalination system capable of producing 25,000 liters per day;
- provision for bow thrusters, possibly for installation in the future;
- LCU / LCM will be steel-hulled, empty weight of 70 tons, load capacity of 18 tons or 80 troops, armed with 2 x 50 caliber machine guns;
- SSV delivery will be on Manila's South Harbor Pier 13


The scheduled submission and opening of bids is on August 29, 2013, although there is still a possibility of moving it to a latter date similar to what happened to other DND projects. Until then, let us see who among the potential bidders could step forward and offer their services to the DND.




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Updates:

August 29, 2013:
Of the 9 potential contenders for the SSV project, only 2 submitted their bids: PT PAL Indonesia (builder of Banjarsamin-class) and Daewoo-Daesun of South Korea (builder of Makassar-class). But after further examination, the DND only qualified the bid of PT PAL, while Daewoo-Daesun was disqualified. It is still a hanging project as PT PAL needs to pass the post bid qualifications, which may start soon.

More of the news here and here.

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February 3, 2014:
The Philippine Navy has already provided the Notice of Award (NOA) for the SSV project to Indonesia's PT PAL after passing the post-bid qualifications and inspections. PT PAL itself confirmed receiving the NOA late last month, and is expecting the signing of contract to follow soon following these developments.

More here.

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