MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Navy’s first missile-capable frigate, BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), will start its journey to the Philippines next week.
The ship will set sail from South Korea on May 18 and arrive in Subic Bay on May 23, where it will first undergo technical inspection and acceptance, said Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo in an interview with radio station dzRH on Friday (May 15).
BRP Jose Rizal was supposed to be delivered in late April but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its sister ship, BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), is set for delivery before yearend.
The Philippine government signed a deal with Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the construction of two frigates for P16 billion in 2016.
Bacordo said the frigates are built with anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and anti-electronic warfare capabilities.
“This is our first brand new fighting ship,” he said. “This is the first time that we will have this kind of vessel in the Philippine Navy.”
Controversy marred the selection of the combat management systems (CMS) for the two frigates in 2017. It remains to be seen whether or not the CMS is compatible with Link 16, one of the requirements set in the contract.
The Link 16 is a military network used by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and allied forces to exchange data in real time.
A defense official privy to the ship delivery said the BRP Jose Rizal will be brought home by 60 Philippine Navy and 40 Korean crewmen.
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Edited by TSB/MUF
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