The Philippine Navy commissioned its first guided-missile frigate and showcased American-provided unmanned surface vessels at Naval Operating Base Subic during ceremonies commemorating the service’s 127th anniversary on Tuesday.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. commissioned BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06) at the service’s largest facility, Naval Operating Base Subic, during ceremonies commemorating the service’s 127th anniversary. The 3,200-ton frigate is the first warship in the Philippine Navy equipped with vertical launch systems and an active electronically scanned array radar. The warship’s 16 VL-MICA missiles, eight C-Star anti-ship cruise missiles and GOKDENIZ close-in weapons system make the frigate the most powerful Philippine surface combatant in service..
Manila received the vessel from South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries in April. Sistership BRP Diego Silang (FFG-07) is expected to deliver later this year. The Philippine military ordered both frigates in late 2021 under the second phase of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.
The commissioning of the guided-missile frigate is a milestone for the Philippines, which previously relied on World War II-era surface combatants to assert its sovereignty in the South China Sea against China. Manila embarked on a military modernization initiative following a 2012 incident at Scarborough Shoal and a realization that its dated forces could not contend with stronger adversaries in the region. The Philippine Navy is set to receive 10 warships, four frigates and six offshore patrol vessels from South Korea. Manila will buy at least two more frigates in the third and last phase of its military modernization effort.
Marcos also oversaw the commissioning of BRP Albert Majini (PG 909), a locally assembled Acero-class patrol gunboat. Derived from Israel Shipyards’ Shaldag V-class patrol boats, the Philippines procured nine vessels and a technology transfer in early 2021. This tech transfer included the construction of a facility capable of maintaining and assembling Aceros in-country at the naval base in Cavite. Four of the vessels are equipped with Spike-NLOS missiles, which allow the vessels to engage targets out to 32 kilometers. Philippine forces regularly carry out swarming exercises with these fast attack craft. The Philippines plans to procure an additional 10 vessels.
Among the capabilities that the service highlighted during the ceremony were two Maritime Tactical Systems T-12 MANTAS unmanned surface vessels. These are among five drones, four T-12s and one Devil Ray T-38 received from the United States to support Manila’s struggle in the South China Sea. Washington highlighted the contribution of these drones to bolster the Philippine Navy’s maritime domain awareness capabilities in the disputed waters last November. An American task force based in the South China Sea-facing province of Palawan helped train Philippine Navy sailors to operate the drones.
During the anniversary ceremony, Philippine Navy leadership highlighted the need to operate in the face of increased tensions in the region.
“As we commemorate our 127th anniversary, there is clarity on what we must do moving forward. And that is to uphold our mandate of asserting our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction,” Philippine Navy flag officer-in-command Vice Adm. Jose Maria Ambrosio Ezpeleta said in his keynote speech.
The service’s anniversary video revealed a previously unknown incident between Philippine and Chinese naval forces. The video showed People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 051B-class destroyer Shenzhen (167) rapidly closing distance with an unspecified Philippine Navy Gregorio del Pilar-class patrol ship. A Type 054A frigate is also in view in the background.
While officials did not disclose the date of this encounter, the ships match those spotted near the Balikatan 2024 exercise. .
Two Chinese Type 054A frigates harassed a Philippine Navy patrol ship off Scarborough Shoal earlier this month in a rare incident between Manila’s and Beijing’s military forces.
