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.