The Philippine Navy greatly boosted its current fleet with the low-key arrival of its first missile capable frigate, to be named BRP Jose Rizal (FF150), in Subic, Zambales, on Saturday.
From a five-day maiden voyage in Ulsan, South Korea, the frigate was accorded the traditional passing honors with BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS17) and three multipurpose assault craft (MPACs).
The event was documented during a fly-by of two anti-submarine helicopters, the Agusta Westland (AW) 159, and AW109. Prior to this, a meeting procedure was held between the frigate and BRP Andres Bonifacio with AW109 in the vicinity of Sta. Cruz, Zambales, before it was finally escorted to its designated anchorage area.
While at anchor, the sailing crew will undergo two-week quarantine in adherence to strict health protocols to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID19). The Technical Inspection and Acceptance of the frigate will commence after the quarantine period.
Breakthrough in Navy’s transformation
The arrival of the country’s first missile-capable frigate is a “testament” to the government’s resolve to modernize the military as well as a “breakthrough” in the Philippine Navy’s transformation journey, Malacañang said.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque affirmed that the government remains committed in building a strong and credible maritime force to protect the country’s seas from threats.
The 2,600-ton ship, named after the country’s national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, is the latest addition in the Philippine Navy’s fleet that can fire guided missiles and torpedoes.
“We are pleased to announce the historic arrival to the Philippines of BRP Jose Rizal, our country’s first ever guided-missile frigate. The arrival of the country’s most advanced warship, delivered during this administration, is a testament to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s commitment to modernize our armed forces,” Roque said.
“This forms part of the national leadership’s initiative to enhance the country’s defense capabilities to secure our seas against current threats,” he added.
Roque said they consider the arival of the new ship “a breakthrough in the Philippine Navy’s transformation journey in our goal of building a strong and credible maritime force.”
BRP Jose Rizal
The frigate will tentatively be commissioned into service on June 19, Rizal’s birthday. The 351 by 46-feet warship weighs 2,600 tons.
It is capable of “fighting the four dimensions of warfare” namely anti-air warfare (AAW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and electronic warfare (EW) operations, and is equipped with surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, torpedoes, and launchers.
It will also be equipped with a Hanwha Systems’ Naval Shield combat management system (CMS), regarded as the “brain” of military warship, which integrates all shipboard sensors and weapons.
This means that the ships will be able to detect and track air, surface and sub-surface targets. The same type of CMS was used by the Korean, Malaysian and Indonesian navies.
The frigate is the lead ship of its class and was built together with its sister ship, BRP Antonio Luna (FF151), which is set to be delivered in September this year The two missile frigates are part of an ₱18-billion contract between the Philippines and South Korea through shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in October 2016.
Each frigate costs ₱8 billion, with some ₱2 billion allotted for their systems and munition. (Martin Sadongdong and Genalyn Kabiling, Manila Bulletin)
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