Miguel Malvar-class corvette

The ''Malvar'' class is a ship class of patrol corvettes of the Philippine Navy and are currently its oldest class of corvettes. These ships were formerly used by the US Navy as s, and and ''PCE(R)-848 class'' patrol craft, which were both based on the ''Admirable''-class hull. In the Philippine Navy, the vessels have undergone upgrades and modifications, and have been re-categorized as corvettes. One ship, the ex-USN was supposedly a member of this class but was converted into a non-combatant Presidential Yacht by the Philippine Navy in 1948 as RPS ''Pag-asa'' (APO-21) (later on renamed as RPS ''Santa Maria'', and as RPS/BRP ''Mount Samat'')NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archiv
Quest (AM-281)

In 2021 December 10, the remaining 2 ships of this class were finally decommissioned, and so the remaining WW2-era vessels are only the 5 armed transport-types (3 LCUs & 2 LSTs) during that time. That event was supposed to mark the end of the era of using WW2 combatants but supertyphoon Odette hit the Philippines just 6 days after their decommissioning, and so BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20) was forced "to set sail again with a volunteer force composed mainly of its last crew as a temporary command post for the duration of the relief operations in Dinagat Islands which was severely devastated", as reported by Philippine News Agency.

But to begin with, the replacements for all the WW2-era vessels was originally planned for the 2000s under the 1995-2010 Philippine Military Modernization Law, however this law was largely ignored for various reasons, including overdependence on the US via their 1951 MDT and 1998 VFA, among others. Some Filipinos blamed the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis as the core reason but in actuality the Philippine economy grew by 5.2% in 1997, only contracted -0.6% in 1998, and then quickly rebounded 3.1% in 1999, and onwards; it even weathered the Global Financial crisis of 2007-2008 where, by 2009, most countries were on the negative while the Philippines managed at 1.1%, while 7.15% and 4.15% in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The modernization law expired in 2010 February 23 without even a single hint of reviving it during that time. The Philippines only thought of reviving it when the Scarborough Shoal standoff erupted in 2012 April 8.

History

The ''PCE'' class of naval ships served with the United States Navy during the Second World War.

Out of the reserved US Navy units, six were transferred to the Philippines as part of the US Military Assistance Program (PS-28 to PS-33), while five were former South Vietnamese Navy units that escaped to the Philippines in 1975.

With 40 years of active duty with the Philippine Navy, ships of this class have been involved in local and international crisis, exercises, and incidents.

Technical details

Originally the ship was armed with one 3"/50 caliber dual purpose gun, two to six Bofors 40 mm guns, 1 Hedgehog depth charge projector, four depth charge projectiles (K-guns) and two depth charge tracks.''NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive''
Gayety (MSF 239) ex-AM-239
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The same configuration applied up until the late 1980s when the Philippine Navy removed most of its old anti-submarine weapons and systems, and three 20 mm Oerlikon guns and four 12.7 mm general purpose machine guns were installed, making it lighter and more suited for surface patrols, but losing its limited anti-submarine warfare capability.''GlobalSecurity.org'
PS Miguel Malvar Class

The ship was originally powered by two Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines, but these were replaced by two GM 12-567ATL diesel engines similar to her sister ships, with a combined rating of around . These were then again replaced in the mid 1990s with two GM 12-278A diesels with a combined rating of around driving two propellers. The main engines can propel the 914-ton (full load) ship to a maximum speed of around .''DLSU N-ROTC Office''
Naming and Code Designation of PN Vessels
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Ships in class

Gallery

Image:BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19).jpg, BRP ''Miguel Malvar'' (PS-19)
Image:110705-N-VY256-028mod.jpg, BRP ''Pangasinan'' (PS-31) at CARAT 2011-Philippines
Image:Project (AM 278).jpg, RPS ''Samar'' (M-33) flying Philippine colors but still wearing U.S. Navy hull number circa 1948.

References

External links

Philippine Navy Official website



Philippine Defense Forum

{{Philippine Navy ships

Corvette classes

Ships of the Philippine Navy