The ''Ilocos Norte''-class patrol boat is a series of four vessels in active service of the

Philippine Coast Guard The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ( fil, Tanod Baybayin ng Pilipinas) is recognized as the third armed uniformed service of the country attached to the Philippines' Department of Transportation, tasked primarily with enforcing laws within Ph ...

. Their hull number prefix "SARV" means they are classified as "''search and rescue vessels''".

Design and construction

The ''Ilocos Norte'' class is a , all-aluminium patrol boat designed by

Tenix Tenix is a privately owned Australian company involved in a range of infrastructure maintenance and engineering products and services to the utility, transport, mining and industrial sectors in Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and the ...

Shipbuilding in Australia, based on the company's

Pacific-class patrol boat The Pacific class (also known as the Pacific Forum classToppan & Walsh, ''World Navies Today: Other Asia-Pacific Navies'' and the ASI 315 class) is a class of 22 patrol boats built by Australia and donated to twelve South Pacific countries. Th ...

.* Four vessels were delivered to the Philippine Coast Guard in December 2001. An option for a follow on order of ten more ships was offered by Tenix, but not used by the Philippine Coast Guard. Tenix reused the ''Ilocos Norte'' design in 2008 for the

New South Wales Police Force The New South Wales Police Force (NSW Police Force; previously the New South Wales Police Service and New South Wales Police) is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Divided into Police Area Commands (P ...

patrol vessel ''Nemesis''; the largest police-operated patrol boat in the Southern Hermisphere.

Operational history

On December 24, 2009, BRP ''Nueva Vizcaya'' (SARV 3502), along with BRP ''Pampanga'' (SARV 003)and MT Tug ''Habaga'' (TB-271), was deployed to

Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...

to conduct search and rescue operations when MV Catalyn B'', a wooden hull motorized vessel collided with the fishing vessel FV ''Anatalia'' and sank northwest of Limbones Island at 2:25 a.m. Thursday. On April 8, 2013, BRP ''Romblon'' (SARV 3503) was deployed when a Chinese fishing vessel ran aground in

Tubbataha Reef The Tubbataha Natural Park, also known as the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park ( fil, Bahurang Tubbataha), is a protected area of the Philippines located in the middle of the Sulu Sea. The marine and bird sanctuary consists of two huge atolls (named ...

. ''Romblon'' assisted with removing the ship's cargo and fuel.

Ships in class

Gallery

File:BPR Nueva Vizcaya 2.jpg, (SARV-3502) BRP ''Nueva Vizcaya'' File:BRP 3503 - Romblon.jpg, (SARV-3503) BRP ''Romblon'' File:BRP 3504 - Davao Del Norte.jpg, (SARV-3504) BRP ''Davao Del Norte''

References

{{Philippine Coast Guard ships Patrol vessels of the Philippines Naval ships of the Philippines Auxiliary search and rescue ship classes Patrol boat classes