Technical Details
There were changes made to the Andres Bonifacio class as compared to their original design during its service with the US Navy, US Coast Guard and the Republic of Vietnam Navy. The ships were passed to the Philippine Navy with fewer weapons on-board and old surface search radars, and these were addressed later on by the Philippine Navy through modernization programs, including the addition of a helicopter landing pad in 1979.
The single Mk.12 5"/38 caliber gun (127 mm) was Diego Silang's primary weapon. It was mounted in a Mark 30 Mod 0 enclosed base ring and had a range of up to 18,200 yards (16,600 m) yards; the gun was a dual-purpose weapon, capable of anti-surface and anti-air warfare. She also carried two twin Mk.1 Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun mounts, four Mk. 4 single 20-millimeterOerlikon anti-aircraft gun mounts, four M2 Browning .50-caliber (12.7-millimeter) general purpose machine guns, and two 81mm mortars.
A helicopter deck was added aft in 1979 by Hatch and Kirk, Inc. It could accommodate a MBB Bo 105C helicopter used by the Philippine Navy for utility, scout, and maritime patrol purposes, although the ship had no capability to refuel or otherwise support visiting helicopters.
Radar system installed include the Sperry SPS-53 Surface Search & Navigation Radar replacing the previously installed AN/SPS-29D, while retaining both the AN/SPS-23 Navigation Radar and Mk.26 Mod.1 Fire Control Radar System.
Diego Silang was powered by two Fairbanks-Morse 38D diesel engines with a combined power of around 6,200 brake horsepower (4.63 megawatts) driving two propellers. The main engines could propel the 1,766-ton-displacement (standard load) ship at a maximum speed of around 18 knots (33 km/h). She had a maximum range of 8,000 nautical miles (14,820 km) at an economical speed of 15.6 knots (29 km/h).
The Philippine Navy made plans to equip Diego Silang and her sister ships with new radar systems and long-range BGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles, but this upgrade did not materialize due to the worsening political and economic crisis in the Philippines in the mid-1980s.
Read more about this topic: BRP Diego Silang (PF-9)
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