BRP Jose Rizal’s fuel consumption to be tested on voyage to PH

BRP Jose Rizal has a maximum designed speed of 25 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots and a range of 4,500 nautical miles. (File Photo: BRP RIZAL PS 74/Facebook)

MANILA – The BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), the Philippine Navy (PN)’s first missile-frigate, will have the actual fuel consumption of its engines tested during its voyage to the Philippines.

“They will test the actual fuel consumption with four engines at full speed (and) also with two engines at cruising speed,” Navy flag-officer-in-command, Vice Adm. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said in a message to the Philippine News Agency late Sunday when asked if any other tests will be conducted on the ship as it leaves South Korea for the Philippines.

BRP Jose Rizal has a maximum designed speed of 25 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots and a range of 4,500 nautical miles.

The ship is scheduled to leave the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea Monday afternoon and is expected to arrive at the anchorage area of Subic Bay, Zambales on the morning of May 23 coinciding with the first anniversary of its launching.

Bacordo said 61 PN “organic” personnel are aboard the ship along with 23 personnel from HHI and four “owner’s representatives”.

During its sixth sea acceptance trial conducted last February, the BRP Jose Rizal was rated as “generally satisfactory”.

“The 6th Sea Acceptance Trial (SAT) of BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) conducted in Ulsan, South Korea on 16-22 February 2020 was generally satisfactory according to the Frigate Acquisition Project, Technical Inspection and Acceptance Committee headed by Rear Admiral Alberto B. Carlos,” PN public affairs office chief Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas earlier said.

The sixth sea trials focused on weapons and sensors, vessel performance, and integrated platform management system. ” To be more specific, it demonstrated the warfare and operational capabilities of the frigate,” she added.

The contract for the BRP Jose Rizal and its sister ship, the BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), is placed at PHP16 billion with another PHP2 billion for weapon systems and munitions.

These ships are capable of conducting anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and electronic warfare operations.