Introduction of the New Rajah Sulayman-class OPV of the Philippine Navy

Known initially as the HDP-2200+ Offshore Patrol Vessel design presented to the Philippine Navy by the South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the offshore patrol vessel's introduction with its designated names and hull numbers gives insight on the background and historical significance of each vessel's name that will join the fleet in the future, from the time this article publishes.

IN THE NEWS

Here is a full image of officials of both the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, posing in front of the newly launched BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20).
Image Source.

As the various government agencies and the rest of the country prepares to the 127th Independence Day celebration that took place on June 12, 2025, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of National Defense have this event go even further, even beyond the military marches that have took place in Quirino Grandstand near Rizal Park, Manila. This event encompasses an important event for the first vessel of its own class, as visitors have witnessed its launching ceremony.

It was June 11, 2025, when the launching of the Philippine Navy’s first offshore patrol vessel got launched in the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries facility in Ulsan, South Korea. On the ship’s hull, it bears the name of a chieftain before the Philippines even became an entity formed by Spanish colonization. 

On the said ship’s name is the BRP Rajah Sulayman, named after a Rajah that ruled over the Kingdom of Luzon before getting conquered by the Spaniards under the auspices of explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

Attended the launching ceremony are the officials of the South Korean shipyard, along with officials belonging to the Philippine government through its embassy in South Korea, representatives from the Department of National Defense, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Gen Romeo Brawner Jr., PA who represented the Philippine military. In a speech, he said that the launch of the first OPV is not merely the unveiling of a new ship, that it is a declaration of AFP’s commitment for maritime security.

It symbolizes the ever-increasing bilateral ties between South Korea and the Philippines, whereby both countries elevated their ties into a full strategic partnership, with an agreement taking place in October 2024. The agreement underscores the need to expand defense and security relations of both countries, which also means getting into future agreements that go similarly to the purchase of offshore patrol vessels of the Philippine Navy, now named as the Rajah Sulayman-class OPVs.

The vessel ordered has its design derived from the HDP-2200+ concept presented by the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, with specifications specially suited for the Philippine Navy requirements for an Offshore Patrol Vessel or an OPV. Initially, being the HDP-1500 design and then the HDP-2400, the Rajah Sulayman-class came with basic sensor system and armaments that usually come with a ship of this configuration. The said South Korean shipbuilder also markets the design to the Philippine Coast Guard during ADAS 2024.

As the first ship gets named and launched, so does the question of what will be the names of the remaining offshore patrol vessels that the Philippine Navy ordered in South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. 

This article will provide the details on the naming of the remaining offshore patrol vessels, which are all referring to chieftains of Rajahs and Datus in title, while providing updates to the information relating to the offshore patrol vessels that the Philippine Navy will probably receive starting next year.

For this topic, the discussion will first present an overview of the names of the remaining vessels of the Philippine Navy, while giving background of vessels that bear the same name before the Revised AFP Modernization Program taking place, starting from the 2010s up to present. 

Ultimately, the updates on the specifications and other relevant information will come presented in this article, giving a full perspective to the progress of the entire Offshore Patrol Vessel Acquisition Project of the Philippine Navy.

THE NAMING

The names and bow numbers of each Offshore Patrol Vessel belonging to the Rajah Sulayman-class.
From a Philippine Navy publication, shared on Pitz Defense Analysis.

In this new class of offshore patrol vessel, it is not surprising that the naming of the vessels will go after the country’s pre-Hispanic chieftains, as it provided additional historical significance of the said names to the resolve of the people to resist Spanish influence and power, in a place that will subsequently named as the Philippines. 

The bravery of the chieftains to protect their domains comes as a chain of resolve from the locals to keep on fighting, that the revolutionary heroes continue until the end of the Hispanic era.

On a Philippine Navy publication (see image above) on the Offshore Patrol Vessel Acquisition Project, the names and corresponding hull number of the vessels unfolded, providing a full overview of what to call on each of the six (6) offshore patrol vessels purchased. 

The following names are - BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS-21), BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-22), BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-23), BRP Datu Marikudo (PS-24), and BRP Datu Sikatuna (PS-25).

First, it corroborated the classification convention that the Philippine Navy has in the present time this article has published, as it will have frigates with hull numbers from zero-six (06) to nineteen (19) with the first two (2) filled with both BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06) and BRP Diego Silang (FFG-07). 

The offshore patrol vessels will have a hull number designation from twenty (20) to twenty-nine (29), six (6) of which are now covered by the new Rajah Sulayman-class OPVs bought from South Korea.

All the names of the ships mentioned have used before in other vessels that were once commissioned in the Philippine Navy fleet, which basically means that all the names in the offshore patrol vessels ordered by the naval service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will use for the second time, bearing it to the brand new vessels that continue the legacy of the old ones, most of were from Second World War era.

Out of the six (6) names used for naming the HDP-2200+ offshore patrol vessels of the Philippine Navy, four (4) were names of the fleet’s frigates or destroyer escorts prior to the 1970s reclassification, and the remaining two (2) were names of ex-Malvar-class patrol corvettes. 

Going further, RPS Rajah Soliman was once a Buckley-class destroyer escort, BRP Rajah Lakandula was once an Edsall-class destroyer escort, and both BRP Rajah Humabon and BRP Datu Sikatuna were both Cannon-class destroyer escorts.

All the mentioned ships have once served in the United States Navy in the Second World War, of which this was eventually turned over to the Philippine Navy and since then became the mainstay composition of the Philippine fleet before modernization comes into mind from the Revised AFP Modernization Program in 2012, with the Jacinto-class Patrol Vessels being the most modern and advanced vessels of the time. This has then changed when the entire Philippine fleet saw modern warships serving in its inventory.

As discussing each name of the ships will only make this writeup even longer, the details will instead focus on each class of ships that was part of the Philippine Navy fleet, shortening the discussion into just four (4) types - the Buckley-class destroyer escort (frigate), the Edsall-class destroyer escort (frigate), the two (2) Cannon-class destroyer escort (frigate), and the two (2) Malvar-class patrol corvettes. All of which have their own stories of active service in the Philippine Navy’s fleet.

THE RPS RAJAH SOLIMAN (D-66)

The ship in the image come as one of the Philippine Navy frigates in the fleet.
(c) GorioB, Flickr.

Before the flagship of new offshore patrol vessels of the Philippine Navy now bearing this name, albeit more Filipino in pronunciation, this vessel and its namesake deserves a mention and detailed discussion in this writeup, as it gives an added knowledge of the country’s service branch using these names on naval vessels transferred to the Philippine fleet, even before the idea of buying brand new offshore patrol vessels became a trend in the service branch’s contemporary times.

The story started in the Second World War, whereby the United States Navy commissioned the USS Bowers (DE-637), a Buckley-class Destroyer Escort with a full service record involving its operational and mission related achievements in the Asia-Pacific theater of operations during the said conflict on a global scale. 

From the Battle of Leyte Gulf to the Battle of Okinawa, the said destroyer escort gallantly took part in the war effort that aimed to eliminate the threat of Japanese imperialism as of that time.

The first casualty involving the said warship in combat took place on April 16, 1945, whereby a Japanese aircraft conducted a Kamikaze charge against the destroyer escort, resulting in the casualty of thirty-seven (37) of its crew. 

Since then, it got converted into a High Speed Attack Transport vessel that belonged to the Charles Lawrence-class, and it remained that way for a decade and a half, until the vessel eventually turned over to the Philippine Navy in 1961 that it became the RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66).

Being the largest vessel that the Philippine Navy had during that time in the 1960s, the RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66) has a length of 93.3 meters, a beam of 11.1 meters, and a draft of 3.4 meters. By modern standards, this ship's size comes almost at par with the modern Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessels that get discussed in this writeup, with the latter being slightly larger. The largest vessel in the fleet as of this time is the Tarlac-class Landing Docks, with a length of around 123 meters and a beam of 21.8 meters.

While both aforementioned ships have almost similar size, things are not that similar in terms of fitted armaments onboard, as the old RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66) comes with depth charge racks and torpedo tubes onboard that can carry 21-inch torpedoes, making this vessel capable to conduct anti-submarine operations that count as a significant capability of that time, only regained with the entry of both Jose Rizal and Miguel Malvar-class frigates in the Philippine Navy fleet as of recent.

The old RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66) served in the Philippine Navy fleet from its entry in 1961 to its demise in 1964, when the Typhoon Winnie (local name: Dading) pummeling the shores of the country, especially the repair facility that the aforementioned destroyer escort got situated during the storm. 

The battering waves that came out from that typhoon rendered the vessel unserviceable, counted as beyond economical repair that made it eventually sold for scrap in 1966. 

It took the Philippine Navy almost six (6) decades to have a ship getting named to this specific pre-colonial chieftain once again, this time having its spelling more native to the Filipino language and also became the name of the entire class of offshore patrol vessels that the naval service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will receive in the latter part of the decade from the day this writeup publishes. The next one will also refer to another single class of destroyer escort serving the fleet.

THE BRP RAJAH LAKANDULA (PF-4)

The Edsall-class BRP Rajah Lakandula (PF-4) is in the foreground, with the BRP Andres Bonifacio (PF-7) in the background.
Image retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.

This ship, like the RPS Rajah Soliman (D-66), was also a warship that solely belong to its own class of warship that have served the Philippine Navy, and like the aforementioned 1960s-era destroyer escort, have only served the naval service branch of the Philippine Armed Forces’ offshore combat force fleet for a medium amount time, at least actively for twelve (12) years. The BRP Rajah Lakandula (PF-4) was a sole Edsall-class destroyer escort that served the Philippine Navy from 1976 to 1988.

As a vessel, it served most of its time within the United States Navy as the USS Camp (DE-251), a destroyer escort vessel that provided additional protection on the Atlantic convoy that supplied European war effort against Nazi Germany through the United Kingdom during the Second World War. 

Built and commissioned in 1943, it provided support in the logistics chain by countering threats posed by German U-Boats that aimed to disrupt the entire war supply chain by sinking the convoy vessels carrying goods.

After the war, the USS Camp (DE-251) reclassified into a training ship in Pearl Harbor in 1945, until the ship decommissioned from active duty on May 1, 1946. The ship recommissioned back into service as the radar picket ship USS Camp (DER-251), providing an early warning system that expands coverage of detecting foreign aircraft that enters the expanded area of responsibility, similar to how airborne warning and control systems or AWACS perform in today’s battlefield environment.

It served as a radar picket ship platform until it officially turned over to the South Vietnamese Navy in 1971 as the RVNS Tran Hung Dao (HQ-1), where it served the fleet for four (4) years until the country it served surrendered after the successful takeover and reunification as accomplished by the communist North Vietnam. The said South Vietnamese frigate escaped to the Philippines, where the Philippine Navy gained the ship as the BRP Rajah Lakandula (PF-4).

One notable mission that the ship took part was with its patrol operation in the Basilan Strait’s Sangbay Island on October 7, 1980, when its crew draw into a battle with armed pirates in the island, resulting to the casualty of the Medal of Valor recipient Ensign Albert V Majini, whose name now emblazoned on an Acero-class Fast Attack Interdiction Craft - Missile (FAIC-M) of the Philippine Navy, a way to show testament on his heroism against a threat that attempted to pin down BRP Rajah Lakandula (PF-4).

Being an Edsall-class destroyer escort, the USS Camp has the following specifications, whereby its size comes with 93.27 meters long, 11.15 meters wide, and 3.73 meters draft. 

For comparison, the Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessels are slightly larger and almost on a par with the provided size dimensions, but take note that being a destroyer escort, the BRP Rajah Lakandula has torpedo tubes and depth charge racks fitted onboard, along with capable anti-aircraft guns that makes it a formidable vessel of its time.

The BRP Rajah Lakandula, after twelve (12) years of actively serving the Philippine Navy, gets decommissioned in 1988, and since then served as the stationary barracks ship for the fleet until it eventually sold for scrap sometime between the late 1990s and the early 2000s. 

Since then, it took the Philippine Navy at least two and a half (2 ½) decades for its leadership to reuse the name for the second time, with this one now named on the country’s second HDP-2200+ derived offshore patrol vessel.

THE TWO (2) PHL NAVY CANNON-CLASS DESTROYER ESCORTS

This was once a flagship of the Philippine Navy's fleet, until the entry of the former Hamilton-class cutter BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15/PS-15), then a patrol frigate (now an offshore patrol vessel).
Image retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.

The following two (2) Cannon-class destroyer escorts discussed bears the name that the new offshore patrol vessels will soon have, out of three (3) vessels that belong to this class of vessels that all bear the names of pre-Hispanic chieftains of the Philippines. 

The portion of this subtopic will also encompass the reason that the name of one of the Cannon-class ships, BRP Datu Kalantiaw, does not end up included in this final list of names of the Philippine Navy’s new offshore patrol vessels.

Setting aside BRP Datu Kalantiaw comes the other two (2) Cannon-class destroyer escorts that bears the name that two (2) of the upcoming HDP-2200+ offshore patrol vessels will soon have, which are the vessels BRP Datu Sikatuna (PF-5) and BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-6), then (PF/PS-11). 

Getting back to the BRP Datu Kalantiaw, the reason this name did not end up included was because of its pseudo-historical nature of the personality, suggesting that there was actually no Datu Kalantiaw existed, and was rather a hoax.

Going back to the two (2) vessels named BRP Datu Sikatuna and BRP Rajah Humabon, its service history with the Philippine Navy began when the aforementioned destroyer escorts, once operated by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as JDS Asahi (DE-262) and JDS Hatsuhi (DE-263), both defined the Asahi-class destroyer escorts of the Japanese fleet before the formal turn-over of the vessels to the Philippine fleet on the day of September 13, 1976.

Still going further back into history, both the said Cannon-class destroyer escorts served the United States Navy as the USS Amick (DE-168), and USS Atherton (DE-169), both serving in the Second World War as part of the fleet that pushes the United States war effort to put both the Japanese Empire and Nazi Germany into eventual defeat. Both vessels officially got launched into the water on May 27, 1943, with gaps in months of the commissioning of the aforementioned destroyer escorts into the fleet within the said year.

While both vessels share the same year of getting commissioned into active duty, the same cannot say in the number of years that both vessels served on three navies, from the United States Navy, then the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force or JMSDF, and eventually in the Philippine Navy service where both vessels saw maximizing its function in the fleet until decommissioning. The gap of decommissioning between both the BRP Datu Sikatuna and the BRP Rajah Humabon has spanned for at almost thirty (30) years.

The BRP Datu Sikatuna (PF-5) decommissioned first in 1989, likely due that there are only two (2) Cannon-class destroyer escorts, then named as Kalantiaw-class patrol frigates in service that spare parts hulk for this class of ships becoming more scarce, making the cannibalization of the vessel as a spare parts hulk more likely to ensure that the remaining ship of this class in service, the BRP Rajah Humabon, fully operational.

Decommissioning BRP Datu Sikatuna (PF-5) enabled the BRP Rajah Humabon (PF/PS-11) to operate for at least twenty-nine (29) years in the fleet, with the ship being the flagship of the Philippine Navy from the late 90s up to the early 2010s, when the first ex-Hamilton class cutter BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF/PS-15) entered active service within the fleet. As the Philippine Navy modernizes its fleet up to the standards of the time, the BRP Rajah Humabon decommissioned from active service on March 15, 2018.

BRP SULTAN KUDARAT AND BRP DATU MARIKUDO

The BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22) was once part of the Malvar-class patrol corvettes.
Photo by Mike Baylon, from Navsource.

Both of the vessels belonged to what has named as the ‘Malvar-class patrol corvettes’, which was the Philippine Navy’s mainstay patrol platform before the Revised AFP Modernization Program helped the service branch securing its newer vessels and rendering most of the vessels belonging to this class getting decommissioned from active duty. Both vessels aforementioned belong to this specific class of patrol vessels that were once known as the PCE patrol crafts from the United States Navy.

The BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22) was a PCE-842-class patrol craft made for the United States Navy in the Second World War, bearing the name PCE-895 at the day of its commissioning on October 30, 1944. Then it became known to be the USS Crestview (PCE-895) on February 15, 1956. 

Like the BRP Rajah Lakandula (PF-4), the USS Crestview then served in the South Vietnamese Navy as the Dong Da II (HQ 07), until it evacuated to the Philippines after its fall in 1975.

Meanwhile, the BRP Datu Marikudo (PS-23) was a PCE(R)-489-class patrol craft made for the United States, also used in the Second World War as the PCE(R)-853 upon commissioning on June 16, 1944. 

Then it received its new name as the USS Amherst (PCE(R)-853) on February 15, 1956, a training reserve ship intended to provide skills to the naval reservists of the Forth (4th) Naval District in Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania. It changed hands like its sistership, the BRP Sultan Kudarat.

Still talking about the BRP Datu Marikudo (PS-23), it then served in the South Vietnamese Navy as the Van Kiep (HQ 14), where they became the second user of the vessel on June 3, 1970 in its turn-over from the United States Navy, when the ship got struck out from the registry. It served for at least five (5) years, until the Vietnamese government fell in 1975, where alongside the then future BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22) and BRP Rajah Lakandula (PF-4), evacuated to the Philippines.

Both the BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22) and BRP Datu Marikudo (PS-23) entered the Philippine Navy on April 5, 1976, as the RPS Sultan Kudarat and RPS Datu Marikudo, until the prefix got its revision into the current one in the 1980s. 

Both served the fleet as the mainstay patrol vessels all throughout the 1990s up to the early 2010s, where the fleet experienced a transformation resulting from the materialization of the Revised AFP Modernization Program.

The BRP Datu Marikudo first decommissioned from active duty, citing the vessel’s age, in December 2010, at the time that the Philippine Navy was in poor shape and the idea of having modernized vessels, aside from the Jacinto-class patrol vessels already in service, was still a distant dream. 

The BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22) decommissioned nine (9) years later, on July 5, 2019, slowly putting out the remaining World War 2 era vessels from the fleet, until the replacements came in six (6) years later.

Now, both names will get used for a second time, which will come with the upcoming six (6) Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessels produced by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for the Philippine Navy’s modernization requirements. 

Seeing this, the new ships that bear the same name will also bear the operational legacy brought by the older Malvar-class patrol vessels that came before it, continuing the always constant mandate of securing the country’s maritime interests.

SUMMARY

An updated version of the infographic, featuring the names of the vessels.
Pitz Defense Analysis file image.

Once known as the HDP-1500, then the HDP-2400 variant, the Philippine Navy’s Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessels officially derive itself from the HDP-2200+ Offshore Patrol Vessels as marketed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, itself going differently to its slightly different product line that is the HDP-2200 variant. The latter, as discussed in this website, are the ones offered by the said South Korean shipbuilder to the Philippine Coast Guard during the 2024 ADAS Exhibition.

The stories of the names presented were referring to the ships that have once served the Philippine Navy of the old, whereby all of it served as a United States Navy vessel during the Second World War, with two (2) of it transferred from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in the meantime, until it served in the Philippine Navy fleet for a final time. The same goes with the ones that have served with the South Vietnamese Navy vessels that sought escape to the country after their motherland collapsed in 1975.

Bearing the names of the pre-Hispanic chieftains come with it the prestige of a growing Philippine Navy fleet, with the Offshore Combat Force surely getting the six (6) offshore patrol vessels under this acquisition project. 

It bears the names of its namesakes, all of which bear a reputation of bravery and reputation of the said chieftains against the attempts of domination by the old colonials, or bearing a reputation of flourishing of pre-colonial communities before getting a strong pact with the Spanish.

It will join the fleet that will complement the other offshore patrol vessels that form part of the Offshore Combat Force, notably the Del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessels that were once the Hamilton-class cutters of the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Jacinto-class patrol vessels that were once the Hong Kong-based Peacock-class vessels that have served the British Royal Navy. This soared the number of offshore patrol vessels of the fleet to at least twelve (12) vessels upon the completion of delivery.

Of course, not to mention are the main combatants of the fleet, namely the Jose Rizal and Miguel Malvar-class frigate, along with the sole BRP Conrado Yap (PS-30), which itself is the single Pohang-class corvette that currently serves the Philippine fleet. 

To date, the construction of Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessels increases the number of warship exports made by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to at least ten (10) vessels, with likely more to come in the next couple of years.

As the BRP Rajah Sulayman getting launched on June 2025, it signifies the start of the new class of offshore patrol vessels that will fully serve the Philippine Navy in the upcoming decades, gallantly patrolling and securing the country’s territorial and EEZ waters by providing an added presence in crucial areas like the West Philippine Sea. The vessels might go hand in hand with the Philippine Coast Guard’s own vessels in establishing an expanded Maritime Domain Awareness or MDA in its own waters.

As reported, the Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessels will have its delivery fully completed by year 2028, in which it will significantly increase the number of vessels in the Philippine Navy with the number of units specified in the contract. 

The increase is a welcoming development as the fleet needs more hulls for an effective operation of constantly providing a presence in the country’s vast waters that connect its archipelagic geographical construct. 

(c) 2025 PDA.

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Introduction of the New Miguel Malvar-class Frigate of the Philippine Navy

The HDC-3200 Corvettes, once counted as the HDC-3100 Corvettes of the Philippine Navy's Corvette Acquisition Project, has now unveiled with additional information regarding its current development, with now involving a slip-up about the vessel's name, pennant number, and classification type, of which gives a suggestion on its departure from the project name it initially comes with.

THE SHARED OPEN-SOURCE NOTES

The launching of Miguel Malvar (06) took place on 18 June, 2024.
Image Source.

When the first discussion arose regarding the HDC-3100 Corvettes of the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea, as presented to the Philippine Navy's 'Corvette' Acquisition Project, the defense community clearly sees the semblance of the vessels as an improvement of the Jose Rizal-class Frigates or the HDF-2600 design, of which it often comes with a monicker such as the Jose Rizal-class Frigates Flight II, even though that it presented initially as a design for the Philippine Navy Corvette Requirements.

As initially discussed, the classification of the HDC-3100, now eventually renamed to HDC-3200 Corvettes clearly comes as such based on the acquisition project it based on as provided by the Philippine Navy, until an image shared on open-source channels, with a description showing all the badges belonging to the Philippine Navy's Offshore Combat Force or OCF, as part of the unit's 36th Founding Anniversary. The following information unveils the additional details on the HDC/HDF-3200 warships.

In this post shared by Keen Sentinel dated June 4, 2024 on X (formerly Twitter), it unveiled the new names, pennant numbers, and classification of vessels of what it seems to be two (2) brand new Philippine Navy ships, suggesting that it only points to a single acquisition project that has this description, which are the vessels produced under the 'Corvette' Acquisition Project. The new badges that have presented come with the following names: BRP Miguel Malvar (FF-06), and BRP Diego Silang (FF-07). 

It highlighted three things from this post, of which, first, the names provided have originated from warships served by the Philippine Navy in the past, which then decommissioned from active duty, only with these names getting reused once more for its use in the newer upcoming vessels in the Offshore Combat Forces' fleet, second is the new pennant numbers provided, which itself is a departure from the numerical sequence of the Jose Rizal-class Frigates, and, of course, the classification of the vessels.

For this topic, the discussion will delve more into the details regarding this development, as it provides a comprehensive detail regarding the names of the vessels and the previous vessels that bear such name, along with other details regarding the change on the pennant number sequencing, the reclassification of the vessels from 'Corvettes' to 'Frigates' based on the badges provided, and this implication to the future naval acquisition projects of the Philippine Navy.

THE RECLASSIFICATION

Two (2) new badges presented in the Offshore Patrol Vessel's roster
Image from Octaviano Enterprises, shared by Keen Sentinel on X.

The first thing noticeable from the presented badges is the classification of the new vessels, bearing the 'FF' classification, based on the current naming and classification standards of the Philippine Navy. In contrast, the naming and classification for any future Philippine Navy Corvettes will come with the 'PS', which is similarly go with the Philippine Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessels or OPVs it currently possess, such as the Jacinto-class Patrol Vessels and the Del Pilar-class Patrol Vessels.

In the previous discussion done on this website regarding the difference between a Frigate and a Corvette, the discussion goes in a way that one country's corvette is another country's frigate, and there is no formal distinction on which is which, unless if this comes to the perspective limited to the classification presented by the Philippine Navy whether that ship is a Corvette or a Frigate. It is not surprising for the HDF-3200 to get reclassified as a frigate, given its tonnage and capabilities.

Speaking of tonnage and capabilities, the Jose Rizal-class Frigates do come with the tonnage of at least 2,600 tonnes as it is based from the HDF-2600 design, and its capabilities currently comes with at least four (4) C-Star missile cannisters installed onboard and a future space for an eight (8)-cell Vertical Launching System or VLS. The HDF-3200 Frigates will have sixteen (16)-cell Vertical Launching System with a space for additional VLS suites, and eight (8) C-star missile cannisters from the get go.

As the HDC-3200/HDF-3200 Frigates being heavier and more capable than the Jose Rizal-class Frigates, it might not be that surprising if it gets the 'Frigate' classification eventually, as it likely be the most capable naval assets that the Philippine Navy will get once these vessels entered active service within the Offshore Combat Force, unless otherwise the leadership within the naval service branch purchase more-capable naval assets in the future.

If the planners decide to add more HDC-3200 'Corvettes' in the future under a similarly named acquisition project in the future, it will not be surprising if this gets reclassified into a frigate down the road, if the badges provided comes at its face value as the Philippine Navy leadership at some point might change any of the details presented, from the name of the vessels to the pennant numbers and the reclassification of the vessels.

BRP MIGUEL MALVAR (FF-06)

The old ship that bears BRP Miguel Malvar (PS19) has already decommissioned from service in 2021.
From Max Montero, X (formerly Twitter).

Reusing the names for new warships upon decommissioning the old ones comes commonly not only within the Philippine Navy, but with other navies as well, as it comes in the history that the service branch reuses the name of the country's national heroes each time there is an acquisition of naval asset takes place. This is the case for the BRP Andres Bonifacio (PF-7), BRP Conrado Yap (PG-840), BRP Tarlac (LT-500), and some other examples that can get added in the list.

For the BRP Miguel Malvar, the name has once associated more on the Second World-War era PCE-848 rescue patrol craft USS Brattleboro (PCE-852), a vessel that once served in the United States Navy, then turned over to the South Vietnamese Navy until it has transferred to the Philippine Navy after the remnants of once-existed South Vietnam flee their country after the fall of Saigon to the Northern Vietnamese forces that formed what is now called the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The vessel, since its first entry into service during the final months of the Second World War in 1944 as the USS Brattleboro until it got decommissioned from active duty within the Philippine Navy in December 2021 as the BRP Miguel Malvar, has served at least seventy-seven (77) years, with forty-six (46) years of its serviceable life served primarily to the latter. It defined the fleet condition of the Philippine fleet, which eventually gets better with the entry of newer, more capable naval assets.

Like the successor ship BRP Miguel Malvar (FF-06), the old BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19) was also the lead ship of its class of ex-PCE-848 rescue patrol craft, of which it compose of other vessels such as the BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20), BRP Sultan Kuldarat (PS-22), BRP Datu Marikudo (PS-23), and several others more not mentioned in this entry. Capabilities wise, there is a huge leap from the old, World War 2-era rescue patrol craft and the modern, multipurpose frigate, especially in size, endurance, and firepower.

In a backstory, its namesake, Miguel Malvar, was a Philippine revolutionary general that both fought against the Spanish and American forces during the revolution for the Philippines and the Philippine-American war that came after it. 

The revolutionary skirmishes that the general have involved inflicted damage to both the colonial forces aforementioned, so much that the legacy of Miguel Malvar as a national hero found its way into the prestige of having his name used on military assets like what the navy has.

At the time this article has published, the BRP Miguel Malvar (FF-06) has already launched into water without fanfare or celebrative atmosphere from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of National Defense. 

Instead, the vessel is getting its subcomponents installed onboard, with the most notable one being its Close-In Weapons System or CIWS. Apparently, the CIWS platform resembles that of the Turkish ASELSAN Gokdeniz CIWS.

As the updates of the Miguel Malvar-class Frigates in terms of subcomponents deserve its own discussion, the glimpse of what's to come for the future of the Philippine Navy's upcoming most capable warships is the promising one to date. 

This comes as the next vessel after the BRP Miguel Malvar has also its name once used on a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship, but this time, it referred to what was once the most capable vessels of the fleet before the Revised AFP Modernization Program.

BRP DIEGO SILANG (FF-07)

The BRP Andres Bonifacio (PF-7) stands as a sistership of BRP Diego Silang (PF-9), belonging to the once-mighty Andres Bonifacio-class Frigates. 
Image Source.

Like the BRP Miguel Malvar, the name carrying the BRP Diego Silang has also seen its usage from a previous Philippine Navy ship. Notably, its first use is with a Barnegat-class Seaplane Tender, which subsequently became the Andres Bonifacio-class Frigates of the Philippine Navy's yesteryears. 

Having a length of 311'8 feet or 95.04 meters and a beam of 41'1 feet or 12.53 meters, it was among the largest and most advanced naval asset of the Philippine Navy during its time.

BRP Diego Silang (PF-9) was once the USS Bering Strait (AVP-34), of which it has several accolades bearing to its name as it performed during the Second World War, most notably regarding rescuing the crews of B-29 Superfortress bombers that have conducted bombing runs in Japan, most notably in the Capital City of Tokyo. Like the BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-20), the BRP Diego Silang also served in the South Vietnamese Navy as the Tran Quang Khai (HQ-15).

This means that the usage of the name BRP Diego Silang on the Philippine Navy's newest and most sophisticated naval asset to-day simply befits from what it was before as a dedicated Philippine Navy frigate, of which the continuous nomenclature gives a succession that symbolizes the improvement of the fleet in getting the most modern platform it deserves presently. And like the BRP Miguel Malvar, the names used have given to the newest, purpose-built ships that the Philippine Navy has to-date.

Even before it turned-over to a foreign navy like the South Vietnamese Navy and eventually the Philippine Navy, the USS Bering Strait (AVP-34) was a United States Coast Guard vessel, bearing the same name but with nomenclature being the USCGC Bering Strait (WAVP-382), or (WHEC-382). It served the service from December 1948 until its transfer to the South Vietnamese Navy in 1971, then in the Philippine Navy from 1975 to 1985 after the capitulation of South Vietnam to the North Vietnamese forces.

Given the figures, this means that the vessel served most of its life as a United States Coast Guard Cutter for 22 years, while it spend only four (4) years in the South Vietnamese Navy, ten (10) years in the Philippine Navy until decommissioned in 1985, and its short stint during the Second World War as a seaplane tender. 

In context, the ex-USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715), now BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PS-15), has served beyond ten years since its commissioning in 2011 by the time this article has published.

As it was of the BRP Miguel Malvar's namesake, Diego Silang was also a Philippine revolutionary that attempts to overthrow Spanish rule from the country, albeit that the latter's revolutionary action took place way before the actual Philippine revolution of the late 1890s to early 1900s. 

His revolution took place at the time that Spain and Great Britain has involved into the greater conflict called 'The Seven-Years War', when the latter seized Manila in a short amount of time, until it returned to the Spanish at the conclusion of the conflict.

Both the names Miguel Malvar and Diego Silang used on Philippine Navy warships for a second time now, with the new frigates that are once classified as HDC-3100 Corvettes before its current designation carrying the names of Filipino revolutionaries, symbolizing the continuous resolve in securing the country's territorial and exclusive economic zone waters, along with ensuring the national security and interest of the Filipino citizenry coming as a primary and utmost priority.

UPDATES

Updated infographic that reflect the specific subsystems fitted on the Miguel Malvar-class Frigates to date.

Since the last information has provided to the initial subcomponents of what will be the HDC-3200 Corvette design that is now re-categorized as the Miguel Malvar-class frigate on the previous article entry specifically for this discussion, additional details have now warranted for the infographic shown above to get its necessary update that reflects accordingly to the actual subsystems that the frigates received, based on the data accumulated up to the time this article has published.

First to point out is that there is finally a specific 3D AESA model and is not just simply a product from Israel Aerospace Industries or IAI, whereby the radar provided is the EL/M 2258 ALPHA S-band 3D active electronically scanned array or AESA radar, of which its target detection range is at 200 kilometers for the basic version, and 400 kilometers for the extended version. This enables the frigates to have the capability of scanning the airspace surrounding its position from incoming threats.

Still unchanged is the MBDA VL-MICA anti-air missile system, whereby vertical launch system or VLS suites and missile munitions come in tandem for this capability. The VLS system remains at sixteen (16) cells, with space for added capabilities that the Philippine Navy leadership desires to install onboard the vessels. 

The base variant of the VL-MICA missile system has the maximum range of 20 kilometers, while the improved VL-MICA NG variant has the maximum range twice as that of the base variant, at 40 kilometers.

Another thing to highlight is both the initial and final subcomponent for the Close-In Weapons System or CIWS of the Miguel Malvar-class Frigate is the Turkish ASELSAN GOKDENIZ CIWS, of which the 35mm double-barrel secondary gun serves as a final line of defense for the vessels against upcoming threats. The GOKDENIZ is actually a CIWS variant of the Turkish Korkut self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system, which is not surprising with the platform's size and shape resembling an armored vehicle turret.

One thing to point out from the infographic provided is that while there is a space intended for the towed-array sonar system (TASS) platform for the Miguel Malvar-class frigate's anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the platform itself come as a Fitted For, but Not With or FFBNW item. Therefore, the Philippine Navy is likely to purchase this suite as a separate item upgradable to this class of warship, with acquisition plans slated under the Re-Horizoned 3 Phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program.

Aside from the newest added capabilities that are relatively new for the Philippine Navy's warship capabilities, the rest may likely come similarly to those of the Jose Rizal-class Frigates already serving in the fleet, such as the SSM-700K C-Star (Haeseong) anti-ship missile system. In context, it is the first time for the Philippine Navy to use the Korean-made anti-ship missile system in a live fire exercise, which took place during the 2024 iteration of the Joint Exercise Balikatan.

With the specifications provided, the Miguel Malvar-class frigate likely count as the most capable Philippine Navy warship in terms of firepower at the time this article has published, although the leadership within the naval service branch and the Department of National Defense has plans in purchasing more-capable naval assets under the Re-Horizon 3 phase, although it remains to see as to the outcome of the plans and programs, along with how does it contribute to the Philippine Navy's fleet improvement process.

HULL NUMBER SEQUENCING

Here is an image of the BRP Miguel Malvar (FF-06) frigate in a fitting-out process.
File Image.

Relating once again to the development of the lead ship of the class, which is BRP Miguel Malvar (FF-06), the image provided above shows the frigate now in a fitting-out process, a sign that it has already launched in the water without the public informed about this significant milestone of the Philippine Navy's "Corvette" Acquisition Project. As this development has mentioned, this sub-topic will deal more with the interesting hull number sequencing of the Miguel Malvar-class Frigates.

As depicted by the presented badges intended to the anniversary of the Philippine Navy's Offshore Combat Force or OCF, the Miguel Malvar-class Frigates will follow the hull number sequencing of FF-06 for the BRP Miguel Malvar and FF-07 for the BRP Diego Silang, a clear departure from the continuity of hull number sequencing started by the Jose Rizal-class Frigates. In context, the BRP Jose Rizal bears the hull number FF-150, followed by BRP Antonio Luna with its hull number FF-151.

The last time that this numerical sequencing has used by the Philippine Navy was with the ex-Barnegat class that became the Andres Bonifacio-class Frigates, with the lead ship BRP Andres Bonifacio bearing the hull number classification of PF-7, which continued until the BRP Francisco Dagohoy that bearing the hull number classification of PF-10. This might come as a sign that the Philippine Navy regards the Miguel Malvar-class Frigates in a manner it once regarded the Andres Bonifacio-class before it.

With the Miguel Malvar-class Frigates being more sophisticated than the Jose Rizal-class Frigates that come before it, there is a hope and an idea that at least four (4) more similarly built frigates get into the Philippine Navy's consideration, as this will comply with the naval service branch's rule of three principles. 

This principle encompasses the idea that one ship is in maintenance, the other ship returning from operations, and the third ship from port is preparing to conduct its mission-related operations.

As the classification of hull number sequence is clear for the Miguel Malvar-class Frigates, there is a sense in its premise that the Philippine Navy will regard it as the most sophisticated, general-purpose naval asset that the naval service branch have, as it was when the Andres Bonifacio-class Frigates were the largest and advanced Philippine Navy combatant of its time. And with its sophistication, it deserves to get added with desired numbers that ensure full maintenance and operational status it serves to the fleet.

ENDING NOTE

The HDC/HDF-3200 design.
From Wikimedia Commons.

The Philippine Navy is now inching closer into having its newest, most capable vessel in its fleet yet entering the active duty within the Offshore Combat Force, as the service branch now on its way into receiving newly built vessels such as the Miguel Malvar-class frigates produced by South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. Going further, most of its subcomponents come as revolutionary, as the Philippine Navy will get its hands on the vessel's sophisticated systems for the first time.

As the design of the Miguel Malvar-class frigates resembled that of the Jose Rizal-class frigates now serving the Philippine Navy fleet, the vessels, being HDC-3200 in HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' product lineup, come as an improvement over the former, of which it comes as not surprising given that the Jose Rizal-class frigate itself is the end-product of the South Korean shipbuilder's HDF-2600 design, with improvements introduced into what the newest vessels the Philippine Navy has to date.

After the initial reports come out, it came at the confusion of some people regarding the classification of the HDC-3200 Corvettes, of which this originally comes as the Corvette Acquisition Project of the Philippine Navy, now bearing the FF designation wherein it counts as a frigate based on the service branch's own naming classification standards. Technicalities aside, as there is a blurry definition of what defines the two, the FF designation provided is clear in how the Philippine Navy categorizes the vessels.

Now that it comes clearer that the new Philippine Navy frigates come with the names BRP Miguel Malvar (FF-06) and BRP Diego Silang (FF-07), it might come as a trend that names from decommissioned vessels likely getting reinstated on the new, upcoming vessels that the naval service branch has in its plans, as the old World War 2-era vessels that the Philippine Navy once have paved the way for the fleet to secure new naval assets, hoping that additional Miguel Malvar-class frigate gets on the planning.

Ending this discussion at the foregoing, the urgent concerns in the country's territorial and exclusive economic zone waters might help provide additional justification not only for the Philippine Navy but also for the other branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to get the plans rolling as the Re-Horizoned 3 phase of the modernization program provides that opportunity to get the more-capable military hardware that each of the branches deserves to get. Si vis pacem, para bellum.

(c) 2024 PDA.

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Hanwha Ocean's KSS-III Submarine Offer for the Philippine Navy

The Philippine Navy is now clearly venturing more into its investment in purchasing submarines from different shipbuilders that gave an offer of their products and service solutions, in which this also put the resolve of not only the capabilities of this service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but also to the current government policy of getting the entire military armed-up for external defense posture.

THE UPDATES FROM MULTIPLE NEWS HEADLINES

South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean upgraded its offer to KSS-III submarines for the Philippine Navy.
Image Source.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is currently embarking on its greatest defense modernization package yet, as the Department of National Defense is now setting a budget amounting to around Php 2 Trillion, or US$35 Billion worth of defense package that will definitely boost the entire Philippine military for the upcoming years, with priorities aimed on both the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Navy as all part of the country's adjusted Re-Horizon 3 phase.

This comes as the country's adjusted Re-Horizon 3 phase now being anchored on the "comprehensive archipelagic defense concept" whereby the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines are gearing itself more into projecting its power on areas of concern where the country's national interest and national sovereignty needs the most. This comes at the exact time as the Chinese assertiveness becoming more frequent in the West Philippine Sea.

Earlier in the year 2024, it has noted that the revisions Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro sought on regarding the Horizon 3 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program has approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., sticking to the newly formed aforementioned concept that has coined that is in line with the government's external defense posture policy. This led to defense-related developments such as this that are worth checking out.

Speaking of developments, the Philippine Navy clearly expressed and raised its interest once more about its acquisition of submarines to boost its power-projecting capabilities across the waters within and beyond the country's archipelagic confines. In this statement made by the Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, he provided a sign that the naval service branch organization will purchase at least 'more than one' unit of submarine for its fleet.

This is not surprising, as the Philippine Navy actually has plans to get at least two to three units of submarines, of which this has corroborated multiple times on this defense website every time submarines are into discussion. 

The only difference now is that from our final update last year on this acquisition project, South Korea's Hanwha Ocean upgraded its offer from what has initially been the DSME-1400 PN or the Chang Bogo-class submarines.

As this is an improvement over the previously discussed submarine product that Hanwha Ocean initially markets to the Philippine Navy, this topic will primarily cover the usual things that discusses about a defense-oriented product, which is from its development down to its actual operations and specifications as compared to other competitors to the project, which is now added by one more shipbuilder (this will come in a separate discussion).

With this, the details provided will help further understand not only the edge and capabilities that this submarine and its shipbuilder have in offering for the Philippine Navy, but also the corporate structure that made Hanwha Ocean became what it is today from an entity once known as Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Shipbuilding of South Korea, while covering also its package deal that other shipbuilders also offering, such as training of personnel and a submarine maintenance facility.

KNOWING HANWHA OCEAN

This shipbuilding company became part of Hanwha Group just recently.
Image screenshot from their website.

In our other article about the DSME-1400 PN improved Chang Bogo-class Submarines, we have discussed the origin and development of the shipbuilding firm that once called ‘Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering’ or DSME, a firm recently bought out by Hanwha Group and is now what called as “Hanwha Ocean”. 

This means that while some information on DSME already gets discussed, there is more about this firm for us to unfold and understand its current organizational setup.

Hanwha Ocean in its current form has formed just recently, whereby it became officially part of the larger Hanwha Group in 2023 after they successfully reorganize the newly bought DSME into their fold, and along with it comes the marketing upsell attempts that its predecessor have pushed for the Philippine Navy. 

And like the company’s transformation, their offer for the submarine acquisition project has also transformed that they are now marketing a far more capable one to compete in this program.

The formation to its current position took place a year or two earlier, before it became what is now Hanwha Ocean, whereby the parent company bought a controlling 49.3% stake of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, which faced troubling times about its finances and operations. 

The amount of the transaction on this largest sale of a shipbuilding company that took place in recent South Korean history amounts to around KRW 2 Trillion, or US$1.4 Billion as converted during the time of the sale.

This saved Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering from getting engulfed by a competitor and also a fellow South Korean shipbuilding company, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, of which its deal has stopped by a veto made by the European Commission that prevents any monopolies from setting up in the long run. So, from this point of view, the acquisition of DSME by Hanwha Group guarantees that competition is ongoing and ensures that there will still be an entity that competes with the likes of HD Hyundai.

Even before the marketing made by then-DSME and now Hanwha Ocean to the Philippine Navy takes place, the latter’s defense relations with Hanwha is not new, at least that is the case for another subsidiary of Hanwha Group named as ‘Hanwha Systems Ltd’. 

This comes with the case of the Philippine Navy’s Jose Rizal-class Frigates and the succeeding warships purchased by the naval service branch from HD Hyundai, in which it comes with Hanwha Systems’ Naval Shield ICMS as its subcomponent.

Hanwha’s successful sale of its Naval Shield for the Philippine Navy may serve as a preference for this newly absorbed subsidiary that once called ‘Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering’ or DSME in terms of reputation that a defense materiel supplier has to the end user, giving both a chance and a leverage for them as part of the marketing of their submarines to the Philippine Navy. Although this only goes as a single factor in considering their offer to this specific type of acquisition project.

With the understanding of the story of how DSME gets absorbed and became part of the Hanwha Ocean now getting clear, let us now discuss to this next part of this topic, which is on the development and construction of the KSS-III submarines by then-DSME to the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), prior to the improvements that gets introduced along the way and eventually the version of the submarine that this shipbuilding firm sells to the Philippine Navy.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Hanwha Ocean's forerunner DSME conducted a keel-laying ceremony of ROKN's KSS-III Batch II submarine.
Image retrieved from Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), via Image Source.

This South Korean-made submarine comes as the recent development made by both the country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration or DAPA and then Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering or DSME, as a part of their continuous development of their indigenously built submarine development and production program, which traces back from the development of the Chang Bogo-class submarines, basically known as KSS-I on the South Korean submarine development phase.

Since the KSS-III submarine comes as the continuation of the submarine development employed by the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration or DAPA, let us trace back to the development of the KSS-I submarines as a reference, with a full read available in a separate entry here. For reference, the KSS-I Chang Bogo-class submarines have its design traced back to the German Type 209 submarine, a vessel developed and produced by HDW or the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (part of ThyssenKrupp).

Like the KSS-I Chang Bogo-class submarines, the KSS-II Son Won-il class submarines has also have its design traced back to the same German shipbuilding designer and manufacturer, whereby the design for this type of ships have patterned itself after the HDW Type 214 submarines, also used by countries like Greece with its four (4) Papanikolis-class submarines, Portugal with its Tridente-class submarines, and Turkiye and its Reis-class submarines.

The KSS-III submarines come differently from the two (2) submarine designs previously developed and produced by South Korea’s primary shipbuilding companies, whereby this comes as the first indigenously built submarine with a design that is also indigenously developed in South Korea. This is not surprising, considering that the country’s experience in producing and improving its submarines using the first two incorporated designs developed from Germany helped improve the country’s experience for this phase.

Speaking of recent developments, the first KSS-III designed submarine, the ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-Ho (SS-083) achieved its first milestone as the then-DSME launched this first submarine on September 14, 2018 in the South Korean shipbuilder’s Geoje facility in the country’s port city of Busan. This milestone comes as a significant development for the South Korean shipbuilder, as they achieve this feat since the submarine’s first construction phase that took place in 2016.

Unlike the previous type of submarines that South Korean shipbuilders help develop and produce, specifically the KSS-I and KSS-II type submarines, the KSS-III may sport a new type of capability, of which this will add further to the war-fighting capabilities of this naval asset that goes beyond just attacking other naval assets at sea. This refers to its capability of carrying submarine-launched ballistic missiles or SLBMs, launched from its specially designed vertical launched system (VLS) cells intended for this purpose.

Ultimately, this shows the overall phases of submarine development as processed and planned by the South Koreans led by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration or DAPA, enabling them to have at least three (3) classes of submarines spanning three steps of design introductions. One submarine developed in the program comes as more capable and sophisticated than the last, and the vessels produced by South Korean shipyards primarily come with that country’s national security in mind.

MARKETING

South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean actively markets the KSS-III submarine design to India, with the BrahMos missile seen in the illustration.
Image Source.

Aside from the Philippines, Hanwha Ocean is actively marketing its KSS-III submarine design to other countries, as they are attempting to expand their market share in the global market not only for submarines but also for other military hardware that Hanwha group actively push, such as their Naval Shield Integrated Combat Management System that several Philippine Navy vessels have onboard. And with it comes the slight subsystems changes that can fit end-user requirements.

One of these marketing pushes is with then-Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME)’s offer to the Indian Navy, whereby they provided a variant of the KSS-III submarine to this country, of which this is called the P-75I submarine project. It competes with other naval shipbuilders that take part in marketing their respective designs for the Indian Navy to consider, such as the French Naval Group’s Barracuda-designed submarine, Navantia’s S-80 Plus submarines, Germany’s Type 214, and Russia’s Amur 1650 subs.

Initially, the submarine offer made by DSME does not come with Vertical Launching Systems or VLS cells for the Indian Navy to launch its missiles like the supersonic BrahMos missiles (see image above) that the Philippine Marine Corps gets for its shore-based defense prospects. This gets clarified later on that the Indian variant of the South Korean-made submarine may actually come with VLS systems, only that it will come less than what the Republic of Korea Navy variants typically come with.

Another country that South Korea sets its sights on related to its marketing prospects is the North American country of Canada, whereby it is competing against the Japanese Taigei-class submarines and the Spanish S-80 Plus submarines for the country’s requirements to replace its older submarines in its fleet with a contract price amounting to US$44.9 Billion or 60 Trillion South Korean Won. This calls for the requirement of at least twelve (12) diesel-powered subs that can replace the older Victoria-class submarines.

The Canadian deal, once pushed through, may help boost the South Korean submarine shipbuilding industry further, as this gets expounded further its submarine development, of which they may introduce a more-capable and better design later on, with several discussions surrounding the idea of South Koreans producing their own nuclear-powered submarines for their naval needs, although it only dwells on opinionated takes and not on the current path that the country’s naval branch pursues.

These deals may benefit the Philippines as well, if the country chooses the South Korean-built submarine for the submarine acquisition project, and if the two (2) aforementioned countries also opt to get this similar submarine design, whereby these countries comes with respective spare parts source, improving the logistical and maintenance and operational requirements of the submarines. This, of course, only comes in an ideal world format, with prospects being less likely to take place.

Overall, it shows the current push by both Hanwha Ocean, its predecessor Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering or DSME, and the South Korean government in promoting this submarine product for other countries to operate for, whereby it gives benefits for the South Korean shipbuilding industry in terms of submarine design, construction, and shipbuilding, while the respective end users receive the much-needed capabilities that the KSS-III submarine design have in its offer.

SPECIFICATIONS

The KSS-3 submarine’s capability possesses a firepower potential intended to deter its rogue northern neighbor of North Korea, which also possess submarines of similar possessive firepower setup.
(c) H.I. Sutton, via Image Source.

As the KSS-3 submarine’s basic description of its capabilities, like its ability to function as a ballistic missile platform that carries Korean-made missiles of this configuration, gets highlighted, delving and understanding its comprehensive functionality deserves a discussion on this portion of the writeup. The focus on the submarines’ subsystems and subcomponents that come with this vessel helps deliver the information about what this newest South Korean submarine development comes in offering to potential customers.

The KSS-III batch II submarine’s specifications, itself being an improvement from the Dosan Ahn Chang Ho-class submarines of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), come with the following information as provided by Naval News defense outlet - Displacement of 3,600tons (surfaced) and 4,000tons (submerged), 89.4 meters length, 9.7 meters beam, 7.6 meters draught, 6x 533 mm ATP torpedo tubes Babcock International WHLS for the likes of K761 Tiger Shark torpedoes, submarine-launched mobile mine, and 10x VLS cells.

Regarding the Philippine Navy’s version, the Jangbogo-III PN variant of the KSS-III submarine, comes with the following specifications - 77 meters overall length, 9.7 meters beam, 2,800tons (surfaced), 21 knots submerged speed, and accommodation of 31 to 41 Philippine Navy submariners and crew onboard the vessel. Like the advanced KSS-III submarine, it comes with 6 torpedo tubes of undetermined size and other details, and the propulsion system of the latest diesel generator, AC PM motor, and Lithium-ion battery.

The main feature and marketing point that Hanwha Ocean pitched to the Philippine Navy leadership lies in the capability that the Jangbogo-III PN has in its lithium-ion battery configuration, whereby the South Korean shipbuilder focuses on longer cruising range of the submarine upon submerging underwater, longer life cycle on the repetitive charging and operation of the batteries, and short charging time akin to the functionalities of modern smartphones that uses this modern technology.

Unlike the advanced variants introduced to the Republic of Korea Navy and marketed in countries like India, the Jangbogo-III PN submarines, based on the information provided, may initially not come with ballistic missile launch capability, explaining the absence of any mention of VLS cells onboard this submarine variant that the likes of the KSS-III batch II submarines have as initially designed. Still, this might still change as future developments may give emphasis on this capability as a deal breaker later on.

Finally, another thing to point up in the submarine version of the KSS-III design that the Philippine Navy sets to receive is that it does not come with an Air-Independent Propulsion or AIP system onboard the vessel, once again attributing it back to Hanwha Ocean’s main marketing point about its advanced lithium ion battery system. This is understandable as it will be the first time for the Philippine Navy to operate and maintain submarines and such a feature may come as the organization gets more experience.

To sum up, the Jangbogo-III PN submarine variant that Hanwha Ocean has provided to the Philippine Navy comes as smaller and less capable than the mainstream KSS-III variant that the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) operates, but still come as more sophisticated and capable compared to its previous KSS-I (Jangbogo) submarines offer, itself being a smaller-designed submarine coming as a derivative from the Type 209 variant from Germany and offered to the Philippine Navy as the DSME-1400 PN submarine design.

COMPARING TO OTHER SUBMARINE CANDIDATES

India’s Kalvari-class submarines come as a subset of the Scorpene-class submarine design. 
Image gathered from Wikimedia Commons.

The Philippine Navy’s submarine acquisition project comes with stiff competition between shipbuilders that take part in this program, as the Hanwha Ocean of South Korea needs to provide a better offer for its package deal to this project compared to other shipbuilders. In context, other shipbuilders that take part in this project are France’s Naval Group and its Scorpene-class submarine, Spain’s Navantia and its S-80 Plus Isaac Peral-class submarines, and Italy’s Fincantieri shipbuilding company.

Before going to the specifics of comparing the Jangbogo-III PN submarine design to the offers made by other shipbuilders, Pitz Defense Analysis will cover first the advantage of this submarine to the previous submarine offer, which is the DSME-1400 PN submarine design pushed by Hanwha Ocean. From the tonnage alone, the Jangbogo-III PN comes heavier, as the DSME-1400 PN comes with 1,100tons surface displacement and 1,285 tons submerged displacement, compared to Jangbogo-III PN’s 2,800tons displacement.

Speaking of tonnages, the submarine candidate that almost has similar weight displacement to the Jangbogo-III PN among the ones presented in the Philippine Navy’s submarine acquisition project is the S-80 Isaac Peral-class submarines from the Spanish shipbuilder Navantia. The latter comes with both the surface and submerged displacement of 2,965 tons, which comes slightly heavier than the former, while being larger with 81 meters length, 11.6 meters beam, and 6.3 meters draught.

In comparison, the Scorpene-class submarines come as lighter and smaller vessel compared to the offers made by both South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean and Spain’s Navantia, whereby the weight displacement for this French-made vessel comes at around 1,700/1,750 tons, while having its dimensions of around 66.4 meters (67.5 meters for submarines operated by Royal Malaysian Navy), 6.2 meters in beam, and 5.8 meters draught (5.3 for the Royal Malaysian Navy variant).

One commonality found in all the offers made by aforementioned submarine shipbuilders to the Philippine Navy is that the submarines may not come with air-independent propulsion or AIP systems onboard, and instead stick once again to the lithium-ion battery technology like what Hanwha Ocean offers. This makes sense, as the Philippine Navy submarines may likely get deployed within the country’s territorial and EEZ waters that mitigate the absence of this crucial capability for diesel-powered submarines.

To add it up, the shipbuilders have their respective offers and packages that come as part of the offer aside from just providing submarine designs and specifications that already are competitive in their own right. All shipbuilders provided offers of submarine basing that accommodate the purchased vessels under this project, with the ones from Naval Group providing the fully comprehensive planning on this package. 

As for Hanwha Ocean, its package deal for its submarine deal aside from the delivery of Jangbogo-III PN vessels come with programs that may help support the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Self-Reliance Defense Posture or SRDP, of which the South Korean shipbuilder provides submarine training facilities for the future crew of the submarines to train and to get immersed on submarine operational simulation prior to their deployment into the real units purchased by the Philippine Navy through the Defense Department.

ENDING NOTE

Italy’s Finantieri joins the fray by taking part in the submarine project.
Image Source.

The Philippine Navy is actively pursuing the acquisition of submarines that serve as an essential element of carrying out the national government’s current policy stance regarding the enormous shift the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines undertake from the usual counterinsurgency-related internal operations into territorial defense. The geopolitical implications pushed by different forces in areas like the West Philippine Sea make this push much needed by the planners within the leadership.

Amidst the backdrop of geopolitical brinkmanship employed by regional actors involved in either shifting or keeping the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region, the Armed Forces of the Philippines actively pursue its modernization of the Armed Forces even further, so much that the government revised its Horizon 3 phase that gets extended from 2028 to a full 10-year plan, which is until 2034. Adding to this revision is a defense package equating to Php 1 Trillion or US$35 Billion, sufficient for essential military hardware purposes.

Prior to this development, the Hanwha Ocean actively offered its DSME-1400 PN submarines for the Philippine Navy to consider, competing with the likes of Scorpene-class submarines of Naval Group and S-80 Plus Isaac Peral-class submarines of Navantia. The comprehensive package deal presented by Naval Group for submarine basing and support, and the enhanced capabilities of the submarines presented by Navantia, prompted Hanwha Ocean to upgrade its deal into the Jangbogo-III PN design.

The upgraded deal made by the South Korean shipbuilder come as an attempt at providing a better submarine offer plus after sales support that sees desirable for the leadership within the Philippine Navy to consider, itself an example of the benefits presented by the competitive bidding process as exhibited by the details provided under the Government Procurement Reform law of 2003 or the Republic Act 9184 and its 2016 Implementing Rules and Implementations (IRR). 

Regarding the provided specifications of the Korean-developed submarine, the Jangbogo-III PN submarine design comes slightly smaller than the original KSS-III submarine design that became the Dosan Ahn Chang Ho-class submarines of the Republic of Korea Navy, although its primary capability feature that Hanwha Ocean markets for the Philippine Navy to consider lies with its lithium-ion battery feature that enables the submarines to remain submerged without the need of AIP technology.

With the South Korean shipbuilder upgrading its submarine offer for the Philippine Navy leadership to consider, it remains to see how it fares out to the overall progress of the submarine acquisition project, as each shipbuilder comes with interesting offers that may define the direction of the country’s submarine fleet for the upcoming years. Also, with the entry of Italy into this submarine project further intensifies the competition, giving the leadership options to get the best offer for the amount allotted to the project.

Ultimately, the Philippine Navy is now keen on improving its capabilities even further, of which coupled with submarines, the service branch also has plans to purchase additional Frigates and Corvettes to supplement its surface fleet even further. While the preferences of Philippine Frigates and Corvettes come with South Korean‌ designs, there is a likelihood that European designs get presented later on, putting a competition as stiff and as intensive as the current push for introducing submarines to a country that currently lacks one.

(c) 2024 PDA.

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