PH Navy to acquire Pohang-class corvette from Korea within the year

The Philippine Navy is finally set to receive the decommissioned Pohang-class corvette from South Korea later this year.

Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad said they are expecting the delivery of the ship within the third quarter of 2018.

“We will receive a Korean corvette within this year and we are just waiting for the fund requirements,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a maritime security symposium in Manila.

Empedrad said they are expecting of the approval of the budget in June and the ship will be delivered in three months’ time.

He said the transfer process is estimated at P250 million.

“Our projected crew is already ready. Anytime they can go to Korea for training so they will sail the ship from Korea to the Philippines,” he said.

The ship from Korea is reportedly the ROKS Chungju, which was decommissioned in service in December 2016. It used to patrol Korea’s coastal waters.  /je