Peruvian landing platform dock BAP Pisco, built by Peruvian shipyard SIMA, participated in the multinational exercise UNITAS LXIV, Colombia, 21 July, 2023. (Peruvian Navy Twitter)
WASHINGTON — The Peruvian state-run shipyard SIMA is moving forward with the construction of the Makassar-class landing platform dock (LPD) BAP Paita as new projects for the Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru, or MGP) continue to be assigned.
The construction of a second LPD highlights how SIMA, like several other South American shipyards, can now build more complex vessels, reducing the MGP’s reliance on international suppliers.
The July issue of the MGP’s official magazine, Monitor, notes that construction of Paita’s hull is 99.4 percent complete, and construction of the ship is expected to be complete by January 2025, though the service has not clarified if that is when the ship will be commissioned. Paita will have a length of 122 meters, displace 11 thousand tons, have a speed of 16 knots, and carry an undisclosed number of Landing Craft Utility platforms, which SIMA is also building. Construction is taking place in SIMA’s main facilities in Callao. When operational, Paita will transport a crew of 596: 17 officers, two medics, 127 personnel, and a detachment of 450 infantry marines.
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This is the second landing platform dock (LPD) that SIMA has built, as Paita’s sister ship BAP Pisco (AMP-156), is already operational. Pisco and the Lupo/Carvajal-class frigate BAP Aguirre (FM-55) participated in the recently concluded multinational exercise UNITAS LXIV in Colombia.
SIMA has three shipbuilding facilities: Callao and Chimbote along the Peruvian coast, and one in Iquitos, Loreto region, in the Amazon. Over the past decade, the facilities in Iquitos have built a fleet of riverine hospital ships that the Navy operates along rivers and in Lake Titicaca. SIMA-Iquitos has also built riverine transport craft (locally known as motochatas) for the Peruvian Army.
The building of a second LPD represents just part of the broader effort of the MGP to modernize its fleet.
During the Peruvian defense expo SITDEF 2023, which took place in Lima in May, SIMA and the South Korean shipbuilding company STX Offshore & Shipbuilding signed a contract for the construction of two more PGCP-50/Río Pativilca-class patrol vessels, to be built in SIMA’s Chimbote facilities. SIMA, with STX’s assistance, has already built six vessels of this class: BAP Río Pativilca (PM-204), BAP Río Cañete (PM-205), BAP Río Piura (PM-206), BAP Río Quilca (PM-207), BAP Río Tumbes (PM-208), and BAP Río Lucumba (PM-209).
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In January 2023, Peru’s Ministry of Economy and Finance authorized the transfer of $164.08 million (Peruvian Nuevo Soles 588 million) for the construction of the first-ever offshore patrol vessel (OPV) for the MGP, the two PGCP-50 patrol boats, and two Roll-On/Roll-Off vessels. As with other projects, SIMA will work with an extra-regional shipyard for the OPV’s design and technical assistance. Currently, a partner shipyard has yet to be announced for the OPV, nor is more information available about the specifications of the RO/ROs boats.
The shipyard also built the training ship BAP Unión (BEV-161), commissioned in 2016, which departed June 17 from Callao for its first-ever training voyage around the world.
Looking to the future, the Peruvian Navy aims to replace the fleet’s Lupo and Lupo/Carvajal-class frigates also with locally manufactured vessels.
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