BAP Aguirre (CH-84)
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|
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Laid down: | May 19, 1939 |
| Launched: | August 22, 1950 |
| Commissioned: | December 17, 1953 |
| Decommissioned: | March 21, 1999 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 10,007 tonnes standard 12,446 tonnes full load |
| Length: | 187.32 m |
| Beam: | 17.25 m |
| Draft: | 6.72 m |
| Propulsion: | 4 Werkspoor-Yarrow three-drum boilers 2 De Schelde Parsons geared steam turbines 2 shafts; 85,000 shp |
| Speed: | 32 knots |
| Range: | 6,900 nm at 12 knots |
| Complement: | 856 |
| Radar: | • Signaal LW-02 early warning • Signaal DA-02 surface search • Signaal ZW-03 surface search • HSA M25 fire control • 3 HSA M45 fire control • 2 Decca 1226 navigation |
| Sonar: | CWE-610 N hull |
| Armament: | • 2 twin Bofors 152/53 mm guns • 3 twin Bofors 57/60 mm guns • 4 single Bofors 40/70 mm guns |
| Aircraft: | 3 ASH-3D Sea King helicopters |
| Armor: | 50-76 mm belt 50-125 mm turrets 50-125 mm conning tower |
BAP Aguirre (CH-84) was a De Ruyter class cruiser in service with the Peruvian Navy. It was completed for the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1953 as HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën. After two decades in service, it was decommissioned in 1976 and sold to Peru on August of that year. Before being transferred to the Pacific Ocean, it underwent a major rebuild program by Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) at its shipyard in Rotterdam. Modifications included the removal of its RIM-2 Terrier SAM system and the installation of a fixed hangar and a flight deck. The upgrade was finished on October 31, 1977 and the ship was commissioned on February 24, 1978 at the Dutch naval base of Den Helder. Renamed Aguirre, in honor of the Peruvian Commander Elías Aguirre, it arrived to its new homeport of Callao on May 17, 1978.
In service, the Aguirre participated in several exercises, including the multinational UNITAS manoeuvres. From August 7, 1986 through February 15, 1988, while the BAP Almirante Grau (CLM-81) underwent a major refit in the Netherlands, the Aguirre was temporarily renamed Almirante Grau and designated as fleet flagship. By the 1990s the ship systems were beginning to show their age, but lack of funds rendered impossible any major upgrade. Finally, on March 21, 1999, the ship was decommissioned as part of several defense cuts undertaken after the 1998 peace treaty with Ecuador.
[edit] Sources
- Rodríguez Asti, John, Cruceros. Buques de la Marina de Guerra del Perú desde 1884. Dirección de Intereses Marítimos, 2000.
- Toppan, Andrew, World Aircraft Carriers List: Peru. http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/peru.htm
| De Zeven Provinciën-class cruiser |
| Royal Netherlands Navy |
| De Ruyter | De Zeven Provinciën |
| Peruvian Navy |
| Almirante Grau (ex-De Ruyter) | Aguirre (ex-De Zeven Provinciën) |
