Philippine Navy launches third landing dock in Indonesia, fourth to follow before year's end

PHILIPPINES/INDONESIA: The Philippine Navy (PN) has launched its third landing dock (LD) at the PT PAL Indonesia shipyard in Surabaya, marking another step forward in the country’s ongoing naval modernisation effort and its ambition to build a more capable fleet for strategic sealift, disaster response, and maritime security operations.

According to the Philippine News Agency (PNA), the launching ceremony took place on June 30, with Navy flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Jose Ma. Ambrosio Ezpeleta and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Rommel Roldan were in attendance.

The third landing dock measures 124 metres in length with a beam of 21.8 metres and a displacement of 7,200 tons. It has a maximum speed of 16 knots and a range of more than 9,000 nautical miles, giving it the endurance to operate across wide stretches of the Indo-Pacific. It is expected to be named BRP Ilocos Norte (LD-603) and is targeted for commissioning within the year.

A partnership with Indonesia

The vessel was built at PT PAL Indonesia, showing the growing defence industrial partnership between the Philippines and Indonesia. PN public affairs office chief Captain Marie Angelica DC Sisican described the event as underscoring “the partnership between the PN and the Indonesian shipbuilder in advancing the country's naval capabilities.”

The PHP5.5 billion (S$115 million) contract for both the third and fourth landing docks was signed in June 2022 as part of the AFP Modernization Program Horizon 2. The two new vessels are based on the design of the Tarlac-class LDs, the first two of which were delivered and commissioned in 2016 and 2017.

Fourth landing dock also on the way

The fourth LD is also expected to be launched before the end of the year, further expanding the Navy’s capacity for strategic sealift operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR), and maritime security missions.

Sisican said the future vessels would significantly enhance the PN’s operational reach and responsiveness. “Its launching reflects the PN's continuing efforts to establish a modern and responsive fleet as it continues to invest in capabilities and strategic partnerships that enable it to better protect the nation’s sovereignty and serve the Filipino people,” she said, as quoted by the PNA.

Why this matters

For an archipelagic nation of over 7,600 islands, landing docks are not just military assets, but they are also critical infrastructure for disaster response and inter-island logistics. This is particularly important in the aftermath of typhoons and other natural disasters that regularly affect communities that are otherwise difficult to reach by conventional means.

The expanded landing dock fleet may also strengthen the Philippines’ ability to project a sustained presence in its maritime zones, including the West Philippine Sea, where tensions with China over competing sovereignty claims have remained a persistent and growing concern. A navy with greater sealift capacity is better positioned to supply and reinforce remote outposts, conduct resupply missions, and respond to incidents across the country’s vast maritime territory.

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