 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | MVSusitna |
| Owner | Matanuska-Susitna Borough |
| Builder | Alaska Ship and Drydock, Inc. |
| Laid down | August 24, 2006 |
| Launched | April 2010 |
| Sponsored by | Lisa Murkowski |
| Christened | June 11, 2010 |
| Acquired | 2011 |
| In service | Never used(planned forKnik Arm ferry) |
| Homeport | Ward Cove,Ketchikan, Alaska |
| Fate | Transferred to thePhilippine Red Cross |
 Philippines | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Amelia Gordon |
| Owner |
|
| Acquired | June 30, 2016 |
| Commissioned | May 2017 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 940 tons |
| Length | 60 m (200 ft) |
| Installed power | 4 ea., MTU 12V 4000 diesel engines |
| Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
BRPAmelia Gordon is a humanitarian andhospital ship of thePhilippine Coast Guard.
Originally built inAlaska as aUnited States Navy prototype ship,Amelia Gordon was originally christened asSusitna.Susitna was acquired by theMatanuska-Susitna Borough in 2011 intending her for the proposedKnik Arm ferry service.
Susitna remained unused until its transfer to thePhilippine Red Cross in 2016. Renamed as MVAmazing Grace, the ship served as a humanitarian ship of the PRC until her donation to the Philippine Coast Guard in 2025.
The ferry is a one-of-a-kind, ice-capable vessel that can transition from barge to twin-hulled ship, designed byGuido, Perla & Associates based on a concept byLockheed-Martin Corporation for theOffice of Naval Research as a half-sized prototype for a military vessel.[1]
Susitna was built by Alaska Ship and Drydock, Inc., inKetchikan. Design and construction costs were funded by theUnited States NavyOffice of Naval Research to study the technology for its potential as a new type of expeditionarylanding craft, also called an "E-craft".[2]
The keel laying for the ship which was eventually named after theSusitna River was held on August 24, 2006. SenatorLisa Murkowski was theship sponsor.[3]Susitna was launched in April 2010.[4] She was formally christened as the MVSusitna in June 11, 2010.[5]
The vessel is 59 meters (193 ft 7 in) long and has a capacity is 129 passengers and 20 automobiles. Her design incorporates lift technology that allows changing from the Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) mode to barge mode by lowering or raising her center deck.[1]
TheMatanuska-Susitna Borough government acquired the ship in 2011.[6] Originally intended for use in theKnik Arm passenger ferry system,Susitna remained berthed and unused at theWard Cove dock.Susitna costed the borough $12.6 million including maintenance, repair, insurance, and other associated costs until her sale and transfer to thePhilippine Red Cross in 2016.[7] This include repair work on the ship after her engine suffered damage due to heavy rainfall in February 2015.[8]
In September 2015, a deal was brokered with thePhilippine Red Cross to purchase the ferry. The arrangement required that the ship first be repaired as three of its four engines were damaged by neglect and exposure during the time it had been stored without being used.[9] The PRC originally found a need for a ship of its own whenTyphoon Haiyan struck the Philippines back in 2013.[10]
The ship was acquired by the PRC on June 30, 2016 for $1.75 million fromMatanuska-Susitna Borough.[7] The PRC raised funds for the purchase with the help of theInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,British Red Cross,German Red Cross,Japanese Red Cross, andAmerican Red Cross.[11]
In December 2016, MVSusitna arrived atSubic Bay in the Philippines for turnover to the PRC.[11] As part of the organization's 70th anniversary activities in 2017, a contest was initiated to renameSusitna[12] where, in the end, it became known as MVAmazing Grace.[11]
Considered as the country's first humanitarian vessel, it was commissioned the same year in the presence ofPhilippine presidentRodrigo Duterte.[13] Its first deployment was on 2020 as part of PRC's disaster relief operations in the Philippine province ofCatanduanes after being ravaged byTyphoon Rolly (Goni).[14]
As the PRC shifted on relying on prepositioned supplies in regional hubs and warehouses for its disaster responses, the organization's reliance on maritime transport decreased.[10]
ThePhilippine Coast Guard (PCG) has proposed to acquire its own hospital ship in 2020 and in 2025.[15][16] The PCG approached the PRC and expressed interest to purchase MVAmazing Grace but PRC chiefRichard Gordon insisted on donating the ship instead.[10]
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) donated the ship to the PCG on January 30, 2025.Amazing Grace was christened as BRPAmelia Gordon, after the mother of the PRC chief.[17]Amelia Gordon was turned over to the PCG on March 20, 2025.[10]