February 20, 1999

The U.S.S. Satyr (ARL-23) was transferred to the South Vietnamese Navy on 30 September 1971. The same day she was recommissioned as the VNS Vinh Long (HQ-802). During the fall of Saigon in 1975 she was brought to Subic Bay, Zambales, Philippines. She still serves in the Philippine Navy (as of February 99) and is named the BRP Yakal (AR-617). She was recently scheduled for decommissioning.

Information provided by Albert B. Moore, President of the Mobile Riverine Force Association.

February 21, 1999

Because there was need of a repair ship in the Philippine Navy the ship was transferred to the Philippine Government through the foreign military sales (FMS). Named BRP YAKAL (ARL-517) the vessel was commissioned on 21 June, 1983 and placed under the Naval Forces on 1 August, 1983. Later the bow number was changed from ARL-517 to ARL-617 and finally to AD-617. Her first Commanding Officer was CDR Victor Salazar, PN. She started her tour in the southern Philippines under the Commander Naval Forces Philippines on 2 November, 1983. Aside from mobile repairs rendered to the units of  NAVFORSOUTH she had performed other missions. Notably, the Barrier/Negation patrol along the Philippine-Malaysian border during the Maldanas incident in October 1985, the sealift of Filipino repatriates from Indonesia to the Philippines in February 1986, the support mission for President Corazon C. Aquino's visit to Jolo, and lately, the transport of 600 Boy Scouts from General Santos City during the BSP National Jamboree, 11-17 November, 1988, in Zamboanga City. Other missions include transport of personnel, anti-smuggling negation patrols, and as a logistic ship for small craft..

Courtesy of the Embassy of the Philippines, Wash, DC.

 *I found the below on the Internet.. Jerry D. Toney "USS Satyr ARL-23 Web-Site Guy