
The Philippine Navy’s (PN) largest vessel has suffered minor damage after a collision with a tanker.
The BRP Tarlac, a new landing dock vessel, was anchored at Naval Station Romula Espaldon off Mindanao on 19 September when it was rammed by a Liberian tanker. Philippine naval officials said that although none of the crew members were hurt, the vessel sustained minor damage in the right forward bulwark and the side ramp.
Delivered to the Philippines in May, Tarlac is a Strategic Sealift Vessel (SSV)-1 built by Indonesia’s state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL (See: “Philippines Navy Commissions New Ships in 118th Anniversary Celebration”). It was part of a contract PT PAL secured back in 2014 worth $92 million to deliver two SSVs to the Philippines (the other is expected to be delivered by mid-2017).
SOURCES: News Now/www.thedeplomat.com