BRP ''Tarlac'' (LD-601) is the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very complex and may ...

of her class of

landing platform dock An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform dock (LPD), is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently oper ...

s in service with the Philippine Navy. She is the second ship to be named after the Philippine province of

Tarlac Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac ( pam, Lalawigan ning Tarlac; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Tarlac; ilo, Probinsia ti Tarlac; tgl, Lalawigan ng Tarlac; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It ...

, one of the provinces considered to have significant involvement in the Philippine Revolution of independence against Spain.

History

The ship was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...

by the PT PAL shipyard in Surabaya,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

on 5 June 2015, and was launched on 17 January 2016. It underwent sea trials, part of it done during its delivery from Indonesia to the Philippines in May 2016. It was formally welcomed in ceremonies last 16 May 2016, and was commissioned into service with the Philippine Navy on June 1, 2016.

Collision incidents

While deployed to support anti-

Abu Sayyaf Abu Sayyaf (; ar, جماعة أبو سياف; ', ASG), officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, is a Jihadist militant and pirate group that follows the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It is base ...

blockade operations in

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

, BRP ''Tarlac'' suffered a collision on the night of 19 September 2016. According to the reports, she was at anchored off 1,000 yards south of Ensign Majini Pier at Naval Station Romulo Espaldon,

Zamboanga City Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philipp ...

when ''MT Tasco'', a Liberian registered tanker drifted into the path of the ship, resulting in a collision before 8pm. There were no reported casualties and she sustained minor damages to the bow. Another incident took place when BRP ''Tarlac'' collided with BRP ''Gregorio Del Pilar'' (FF-15) in Pier 15, South Harbour, Manila.

Operational history

During the second week of May 2018, the BRP ''Tarlac'' transported the

Philippine Military Academy The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...

(PMA) Masidlawin class of 2020 to Cagayan de Oro.

Marawi Siege

During the Marawi War, the ship was used as a launch platform for the AW109's that conducted air strike at enemy positions. It was also used to send and retrieve Naval Special Warfare Group attack crafts.

Benham Rise Commemoration

In the third week of May 2018, the BRP ''Tarlac'' participated in the commemoration for the awarding of the Benham Rise by the United Nations (UN) Tribunal and renaming it to Philippine Rise by hosting the one hundred twenty-six (126) Filipino divers from uniformed agencies and civilian volunteers who installed an underwater flag marker at the shallowest point of the rise.

Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama

BRP Ramon Alcaraz and BRP Tarlac at MTA Sama-Sama 2018 002

In July 2018, the BRP ''Tarlac'' participated in the ''Maritime Training Activity (MTA) Sama Sama'' at Naval Station Ernesto Ogbinar in

Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...

with the US Navy (USN) along with the BRP ''Ramon Alcaraz'' (FF-16) Frigate. The USN sent the USNS ''Millinocket'' (T-EPF-3) Transport Ship, USNS ''Salvor'' (T-ARS 52) Salvage Ship and a

P-8 Poseidon The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is an American maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800. It was developed for the United States Navy (USN). Th ...

Aircraft for the exercise.

Historic Port Calls

*Russia BRP ''Tarlac'' made the Philippine Navy's first-ever port-call to

the Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

on 17 September 2018. The port visit to the

Russian Pacific Fleet , image = Great emblem of the Pacific Fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Russian Pacific Fleet Great emblem , dates = 1731–present , country ...

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, c ...

was estimated to take eight–ten days but the actual visit lasted five days. Afterward, it also participated in the International Fleet Review in Jeju,

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

. Escorted by both

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

China Coast Guard China Coast Guard (CCG; ) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the People's Armed Police of China. It is currently the world's largest coast guard. Function The CCG is known to perform mostly ...

and

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

Japan Coast Guard The is the coast guard of Japan. The Japan Coast Guard consists of about 13,700 personnel and is responsible for the protection of the coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Th ...

while near the mutually-claimed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, the BRP ''Tarlac'' reached Russian waters on 1 October 2018 and was escorted by the Russian ''Albatros''-class anti-submarine vessel ' (P-350). *South Korea After the BRP Tarlac's 9 October 2018 departure from Vladivostok, the vessel arrived in the Republic of Korea (South Korea)'s Jeju Island for the first time on 12 October 2018. On board the ship was a 300-man naval contingent composed of the Naval Special Operations Group,

Philippine Marine Corps The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) ( fil, Hukbong Kawal Pandagat ng Pilipinas) is the marine corps of the Philippines, a naval infantry force under the command of the Philippine Navy. The PMC conducts amphibious, expeditionary, and special op ...

, Technical and Administrative Services, Naval Reserve Command, and a Helicopter Detachment Afloat from the Naval Air Group. Participation in the International Fleet Review and the

Western Pacific Naval Symposium The Western Pacific Naval Symposium are a series of biennial meetings of the Pacific nations to discuss naval matters held on even numbered years. A WPNS workshop is held on odd numbered years in between the symposiums. History At the International ...

were on the agenda.

Gallery

File:Balikatan 2019 USS WASP (LHD 1) BRP TARLAC (LD 601) OPERATIONS.jpg, USS ''Wasp'' (LHD 1) and BRP ''Tarlac'' (LD 601) conduct amphibious operations during ''Balikatan 2019'' File:Balikatan 2019 USS WASP (LHD 1) BRP TARLAC (LD 601) AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS.jpg, BRP ''Tarlac'' (LD 601) conducts amphibious operations during ''Balikatan 2019'' with photo taken from USS ''Wasp'' (LHD 1) File:BRP_Ramon_Alcaraz_and_BRP_Tarlac_from_the_USS_Wasp_at_Balikatan_2019_-_002.jpg, BRP ''Ramon Alcaraz'' (FF16) and BRP ''Tarlac'' (LD 601) from the USS ''Wasp'' (LHD 1) during ''Balikatan 2019'' File:Balikatan_2019_-_USS_WASP_(LHD_1)_OPERATIONS_(Image_18_of_29).jpg, USS ''WASP'' (LHD 1) operations during ''Balikatan 2019'' File:Balikatan_2019_-_USS_WASP_(LHD_1)_OPERATIONS_(Image_17_of_29).jpg, ''Balikatan 2019'' operations with USS ''WASP'' (LHD 1)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarlac (LD-601) 2016 ships Ships built in Indonesia Ships of the Philippine Navy Tarlac-class landing platform docks