Construction progress on the Philippine Navy's fourth SSV, seen here during a visit by Janes to Surabaya. (PT PAL)
The second batch of Tarlac-class strategic sealift vessels (SSVs) on order for the Philippine Navy will be incorporated with better troop lift capabilities.
These improvements include faster landing craft and an ability to carry heavier classes of helicopters, said its builder PT PAL during a recent visit by Janes to Surabaya.
The Philippine government first signed a contract for two landing platform dock (LPD)-like SSVs with PT PAL in June 2014. The first of these two vessels, BRP Tarlac, was commissioned in June 2016 while its sister ship, BRP Davao del Sur, was inducted by the Philippine Navy in May 2017.
Manila subsequently signed a follow-on contract for two more modified SSVs with PT PAL in June 2022. Keel for the first ship in this contract, which is the third ship in the class overall, was laid down by PT PAL in January 2024.
Keel for the second vessel in the follow-on contract, which is the fourth vessel overall, was laid down on 29 May.
PT PAL's Tarlac-class SSV design is derived from the 122–125 m multirole vessels that are in service with the Indonesian Navy, which are in turn based on a design from South Korean company Dae Sun Shipbuilding.
In response to questions from Janes during a visit to the shipyard on 30 May, PT PAL's senior executive vice-president of Transformation Management (SEVP TM) Satriyo Bintoro disclosed that the third and fourth SSVs will feature a slightly longer overall length of 124 m compared with its predecessor ships that are 123 m long.
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