Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL has launched the third landing dock (LD) vessel for the Philippine Navy at its Surabaya shipyard.
The third and upgraded Tarlac-class LD is scheduled for commissioning this year, where it will be designated as BRP Ilocos Norte (LD-603).
It will be deployed to handle transport and humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions, strategic sealift operations, and maritime security missions.
Meanwhile, the fourth LD vessel (LD-604) is also slated to be launched later this year.
Both vessels are part of a 5.5-billion Philippine peso ($89 million) contract, signed in June 2022, in support of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Modernization Program Horizon 2.
Landing Dock Vessel
The incoming vessels build on the navy’s initial Tarlac-class LD platforms — BRP Tarlac (LD-601) and BRP Davao del Sur (LD-602) — which were also constructed by PT PAL before they entered service in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Each platform measures 124 meters (407 feet) long, with a 21.8-meter (71.5-foot) beam.
With a 7,200-ton displacement, it can sail at a top speed of 16 knots (30 kilometers/18 miles per hour) and reach ranges exceeding 9,000 nautical miles (16,668 kilometers/10,357 miles).