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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Detailing the New F-16 Viper Offer from DSCA for the Philippine Air Force

Since this was first reported, the Philippine Air Force aspires to have its squadron of new and more capable multirole fighter jets, one that can surpass the current firepower load-out and other features that the FA-50PH that the air service branch currently maintains in service.

As the new information provided from an official portal that forms part of the United States' system for Foreign Military Sales, this topic will delve primarily on the new information involving a known multirole fighter jet made by that country's premier aerospace company, intended for the Philippine Air Force's air defense requirements.

THE OFFICIAL DSCA RELEASE

An artist's rendition of what a Philippine Air Force F-16 Viper will look like.
From Lockheed Martin Facebook Page.

On a normal Tuesday of April 1, 2025, an information relevant to the Philippine Air Force’s Multirole Fighter Jet Acquisition Program has released on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency or DSCA, providing information on the request of approval for a Foreign Military Sale or FMS of a certain fighter aircraft made in the United States. And, no, this is not another April Fools Joke, as the release refers to an updated information for a potential sale of F-16 Block 70/72 Viper aircraft.

And why ‘updated’, one might ask? The answer points to another release made by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency or DSCA on their website, also referring to a potential sale of F-16 Block 70/72 Viper, with the details posted on their website since June 24, 2021. 

At the time we publish this article, the previous one is no longer available from the DSCA website, fully reflecting on the updated and most recent release made on the website for the Philippine Air Force’s multirole fighter jet requirements.

At a glance, it refers to the potential sale of at least twenty (20) units of F-16 Block 70/72 Viper multirole fighter jet, of which sixteen (16) are the single-seater F-16Cs, while the remaining four (4) units are the double-seater, conversion trainer F-16Ds for the Philippine Air Force pilots to familiarize more about the aircraft. The estimated cost of the entire package presented is at around US$5.58 Billion, or Php 310 Billion, based on the exchange rate of US$1.00 = Php 55.57.

The price tag is unsurprising high even at the original budget allotted for the project under the Horizon 2 phase being at around Php 61 Billion, as factors like inflation came into play, not to mention that the offers made through DSCA always come with other components included in the entire F-16 package presented in the website. This includes the number of munitions and spare parts items in the presented package, of which its breakdown will get covered throughout this discussion.

In the previous offer before the update, the details presented on the DSCA website refer to the potential sale of at least twelve (12) units of F-16 Block 70/72 Viper multirole fighter jet, of which ten (10) are single-seater F-16Cs, and the remaining two (2) units are the double seater, conversion trainer F-16Ds. 

The price tag presented for this arrangement comes at around US$2.43 Billion, of which it comes at around Php 118.34 Billion during the June 24, 2021 exchange rate of US$1.00 = Php 48.69.

As usual, aside from the increase in the number of units in the updated release, both the spare parts and ammunition package also increase, ranging from the AIM-9X sidewinder missiles to Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles or AMRAAMS, of which reports provided might have the numbers change to make the deal more bearable for the Department of National Defense to consider. Also included are the sensors and other crucial aircraft subcomponents that are part of the F-16 system deployed onboard.

This discussion will delve more into the details surrounding the updated release from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency website, particularly into the breakdown of armaments, spare parts, and aircraft units included in the package as compared to the original 2021 figures. 

Going further, the missile systems discussed will also come with a glance, providing details on its capabilities that might help improve the capabilities of the Philippine Air Force; especially if they get this multirole fighter jet aircraft type.

THE NUMBER OF JETS

From the initial 12 units, the new DSCA release now calls for 20 units, an increase of 8 more units.
File image.

One immediate change that came from the updated release from the DSCA website for April 1, 2025, as compared to the first iteration way back in 2021, is the number of F-16 Viper units included in the deal, intended for the Philippine Air Force’s multirole fighter jet acquisition project. The change also reflects the direction of the air service branch’s primary objectives in securing the needed numbers under this project, which will cover shortly throughout this sub-topic.

In the original release of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency or DSCA website in 2021, the information provided calls for the sale of at least twelve (12) F-16 Block 70/72 Viper through Foreign Military Sales or FMS arrangement, whereby the breakdown comes down to at least ten (10) single-seater F-16 Block C variant and at least two (2) double-seater F-16 Block D conversion trainer variant. The latter will help pilot aspirants to familiarize the aircraft’s operational function, among other combat purposes.

In the numbers provided in 2021 reflects the original multirole fighter jet acquisition project requirements of the Philippine Air Force of that period, whereby the service branch aims to have at least twelve (12) units of multirole fighter jets that will probably form into a squadron, with a meager budget of around Php 61 Billion. 

Of course, given the components released as a package in the DSCA website, the budget required for twelve (12) F-16s plus other components surpassed that of the presupposed budget allotted.

The current 2025 version of the offer has since increased to at least twenty (20) units of F-16 Block 70/72 Viper, of which sixteen (16) units are the single-seater F-16 Block C variant, while the remaining four (4) units are the dual-seater, conversion trainer variants of the F-16 Block D variant. This clearly reflects the Philippine Air Force’s updated numbers for its Multirole Fighter Jet Acquisition Project, of which the Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro now calls for a total number of at least forty (40) units of this aircraft. 

This means that Lockheed Martin, with this information provided by the DSCA website for the Philippine Air Force’s multirole fighter jet requirements, will cover at least half of the total number that the air service branch aims to get under this updated arrangement provided by the said end-user, along with the Department of National Defense. 

From this, the remaining twenty (20) units of aircraft might still be open to other competitors, especially if the first half pushed through, awarded to the US aerospace company.

The increase in the number of units of F-16 Block 70/72 Vipers on the website release reflects not only on the desires of the Philippine Air Force in finalizing this portion of the multirole fighter jet project, but also for Lockheed Martin to push its marketing further into securing this project. That also means further cementing its foothold in the Philippine defense and aerospace market, adding up along with the C-130J-30s and S-70i Black Hawk Helicopters that the Philippine Air Force purchased from this said manufacturer.

As the numbers added for this new iteration of the multirole fighter jet acquisition project fully delved on, the next portion to talk on is on the munition aspects of the updated release, with comparisons provided between the recent one to the original release in 2021. 

This portion, at a glance, has an increase with the number of munitions included and also on the type of munitions provided, some of which might help provide the firepower requirements for a Philippine Air Force multirole fighter jet to use during missions.

THE MUNITIONS

Munitions include the AIM-9X Sidewinder Missile.
Image Source.

Aside from the number of units mentioned in the upgraded deal for F-16 Block 70/72 Viper, another thing to check in the details is the number and type of munitions that forms part of the package, as each of the presented firepower provides additional capabilities for the said multirole fighter jet’s operational requirements, as the Foreign Military Sales arrangement of the United States DSCA always come with its package as complete, although details might still subject for further negotiation with the Philippine side.

The 2025 updated release provides additional forms of munitions that have not offered in the original 2021 version for the F-16 Block 70/72 offer to the Philippine Air Force, the following will come as a list with a glance on the capabilities of each offered munition for this project, ranging from air-to-air missile munitions to guided bombs and guided bombing kits that can fit on unguided munitions, most of which being new capabilities that will help augment the air service branch’s existing munitions inventory.

One notable munition included on the package for the F-16 Block 70/72 Viper are the AIM-9X air-to-air missile munitions, of which these Sidewinders, as it commonly called, come as an improvement to the AIM-9L Sidewinder that typically found fitted with the Philippine Air Force’s FA-50PH Lead-In Fighter Trainers made by Korea Aerospace Industries or KAI. This is not surprising, as the AIM-9X is currently the latest variant of the Sidewinder family of air-to-air missile munitions.

As quoted in this spec sheet that talks about the AIM-9 Sidewinder family, the AIM-9X variant has the same rocket motor and warhead as the AIM-9M. Major physical changes from previous versions of the missile include fixed forward canards and smaller fins designed to increase flight performance. The guidance section gets redesigned and features an imaging infrared seeker, and its propulsion section now incorporates a jet-vane steering system for enhanced post-launch ability. 

Another interesting air-to-air missile munition recently included in the package on the F-16 Block 70/72 Viper for the Philippine Air Force is the AIM-120C-7/C-8 AMRAAM or the Advanced Medium Air-To-Air Missiles, of which twenty-four (24) units comes included in this package. 

The AIM-120 AMRAAM is a beyond visual range or BVR missile, of which such capability is currently nonexistent in the Philippine Air Force, hence its inclusion might improve the air service branch’s air defense capabilities.

Of course, included in the munitions package list is the 500 lb Mark-82 bombs, of which the Philippine Air Force surely have in its inventory, some of which fitted with kits that form the GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs for surgical strikes and precision-related mission objectives.  All the mentioned munitions will provide the full support for the operational requirements of the F-16 Block 70/72 Viper, as an effort to establish the multirole fighter jet force of the Philippine Air Force.

Aside from the munitions, the next point of discussion that will complete this topic will be on the spare parts support of the package, of which the F-16 Block 70/72 Viper aircraft provided to the Philippine Air Force will not only limit to the units bought but also with spare parts support that will increase its operational time, along with providing the needed support infrastructure that ensures the air service branch’s ability to sustain the operations of the multirole fighters in the following decades of operations.

SPARE PARTS, SENSORS, AND SUBCOMPONENT KITS

Spare engines also come as part of the package.
This is an U.S. Air National Guard photo by Audra Flanagan, via DVIDS.

Another part of the package that the United States Foreign Military Sales arrangement provided by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency or DSCA on their website are the sensors and spare parts package of the F-16 Block 70/72 Viper, most of which are likely integrated with the units provided for the Philippine Air Force’s multirole fighter jet requirements, with the provided extra numbers intended as a spare parts hulk for prolonged operational airworthiness.

One notable component to point on is the supply of twenty-four (24) F110-GE-129D or F100-PW-229 Engines (20 installed, 4 spares), which means the engines come at both installed and spare part configuration that ensures continuous operational airworthiness of the F-16 Block 70/72 Viper, along with the bureaucratic description of providing and including the installed subsystems onboard the aircraft as part of the deal with the Philippine Air Force, aside from discussing the fighter jet units at a glance.

Aside from the engines, the aircraft’s sensors have also included in the package, of which it refers to the twenty-two (22) AN/APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Scalable Agile Beam Radars (SABR), (20 installed, 2 spares). 

The numbers provided for the F-16 Block 70/72 Viper’s main radar come similarly to the said multirole fighter aircraft’s engines in terms of spare, except that there are two (2) fewer spares for the AESA radar, but still sufficient for operational requirements based on this given parameter.

Including in the package are the twelve (12) AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATP) and twenty-four (24) Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Joint Tactical Radio Systems (MIDS-JTRS), whereby the former provide improved long-range target detection/identification and continuous stabilized surveillance for all missions, including close air support of ground forces and the latter serve as a suite that connects an F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jet to the Link-16 Tactical Data Link network.

The said components form an integral part of the F-16 Block 70/72 Viper’s own capabilities, which go beyond its dogfighting and beyond visual range (BVR) missile shooting capabilities. 

The latter components mentioned provide the needed information and communication exchange between units of a larger network system employed by an armed force, all playing a crucial role in coordination and quick decision making that defines the outcome of the conflict.

Adding to the spare parts and subcomponents list are the following items: AN/ARC-238 radios; AN/APX-127 or equivalent Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) Combined Interrogator Transponders (CIT) with Mode-5, KY-58 and KIV-78 cryptographic devices, AN/PYQ-10 Simple Key Loaders (SKLs); KGV-250X cryptographic devices, Scorpion Hybrid Optical-based Inertial Trackers (HObIT) or Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems II (JHMCS II) helmet mounted displays, and night vision devices (NVDs).

While the list provided on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency or DSCA is more comprehensive than the content of this article, the final items provided come as an integral part of the offered F-16 Block 70/72 Viper as an essential subcomponent installed onboard. 

Also, all the components provided in the comprehensive release are all for the improvement of the Philippine Air Force’ capabilities, as this means a lot for the air service branch’s first multirole fighter jet since the AFP Modernization has started.

LOOKING FORWARD

Information received has suggested that there is a promising prospect on the horizon.
File Image.

As the Philippine Air Force’s multirole fighter jet acquisition project pushes through, there are still some hurdles that need to be overcome prior to this project to get fulfilled, especially if this means purchasing new F-16 Block 70/72 for the air service branch. 

One of the primary concerns relating to this project is the budget availability, of which both the Philippine ambassador to the United States and the Secretary of National Defense are highlighting this concern that prevents the project from pushing through.

What remains now is the formal offer that the United States might bring into this deal that involves the said twenty (20) units of F-16 Block 70/72 Viper multirole fighter jets, along with the subcomponents, spare parts, and munitions included in the package as presented on the Defense Security Cooperation Agency or DSCA website release. 

The aerospace company Lockheed Martin said that they are optimistic about seeing this offer pushing through, suggesting a government-to-government approach as an idea to get it done.

Aside from the interesting tidbits on the package provided on an official website from one of the United States government’s own agencies, another thing to highlight on is Lockheed Martin’s ‘total package’, whereby they also present other tidbits that involve industrial development and tech transfer aspects such as in-country maintenance, repair and overhaul capacity. The said tidbits are for the support of the newly enacted Self Reliance Defense Posture Revitalization Act or the Republic Act 12024.

Despite the optimistic output provided by the aerospace manufacturer that produces the F-16 Block 70/72 Viper from its South Carolina production line, the discretion of a formal offer for the twenty (20) units of the said multirole fighter jet still lies with the United States government, of which they are still yet to provide an official one at the time of this writing. This still makes the multirole fighter jet acquisition project of the Philippine Air Force still relatively open to the competition.

Relating to the grand scheme of ongoing developments within the Philippine Air Force’s push for modernization, the Department of National Defense and the Korea Aerospace Industries or KAI, has signed a contract calling for an additional of twelve (12) FA-50 Lead-In Fighter Trainers, which is correlated to the multirole fighter jet program, particularly that this Korean-made light fighter serve as a stepping stone for pilots in terms of experience before embarking on board dedicated multirole fighters.

The recent developments provided sheds the possibility for the multirole fighter jet acquisition program to push through, although this would not come smoothly as there are still some concerns needed to iron out with some of those mentioned now finding its way for the materialization of the project and eventually for the Philippine Air Force to get its decent and dedicated fighter aircraft. The project comes at a significant importance to other defense-related projects like the land-based defense systems, as mentioned.

Ultimately, the goal for the Philippine Air Force is to improve its overall air defense capabilities, sufficient to conduct its duty of protecting the country’s airspace that comprise the entire Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone or PADIZ, while adhering to the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Re-Horizon 3 modernization initiative, itself aligning to the Department of National Defense’ Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept or CADC.

All the mentioned efforts aim for the improvement of the defense of the Philippine republic and its core interest.

(c) 2025 PDA.

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Additional A-29 Super Tucano for the Philippine Air Force?

Adding more aircraft on top of existing ones is usually a logical move from a logistics standpoint, as organizations like the Philippine Air Force streamline its fleet of aircraft that it benefits the service branch at both the spare parts support and commonality standpoint. 

This report encompasses the desire of the service branch to expand its number to at least a squadron of close air support aircraft, which means a lot for ensuring that capabilities maintain while the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines expand its firepower capacity further.

AS PROVIDED IN THE NEWS

The Philippine Air Force aims to get six (6) more A-29 Super Tucanos, totalling the number of aircraft to twelve (12) units or a squadron of such aircraft.
Image Source.

At the turn of another year, the Philippine Air Force ended the year 2024 with the decommissioning several of its OV-10 Broncos and the remaining AH-1S Cobra that it received from Jordan through a donation made in 2019. 

Initially, speculations in the defense community make it worrying that the decommissioned aircraft will not come with replacements that will keep the Philippine Air Force’s close air support capabilities, which eventually turns out that this will not be the case.

In the same day that the decommissioning ceremony has conducted by the Philippine Air Force, the announcement also came out that the air service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines opt to purchase six (6) additional A-29 Super Tucano close air support aircraft from Brazil’s Embraer in a way to replace the aircraft decommissioned. It comes with further assurance from the Brazilian aerospace firm, with their own release regarding the contract signing of that similar number of Super Tucano orders.

In the same release made by Embraer, the projected delivery date of the Super Tucano close air support aircraft from the signing of the contract will take place by year 2026, or at least one and a half (½) to two (2) years, given that the Brazilian aerospace firm also faces order backlogs from orders made by other countries. The backlogs highlighted the success of the aircraft for export to various countries’ air forces, with the 2026 delivery date giving assurance that there will not be much waiting time.

For context, the Philippine Air Force operate at least six (6) units of the Super Tucano aircraft, of which this order will render the service branch at least twelve (12) units or what will be a squadron of close air support aircraft that simplifies logistical chains and commonality of its operations for pilots to use in their respective mission requirements. Add to this is any likelihood of capability upgrade that might come with this sale of aircraft that the Philippine Air Force will get from the Brazilian aerospace firm.

As the discussion for the platform itself has already covered in this website, more of the details for this entry will entail more on this project’s detail through the recently released Procurement Monitoring Review that the Department of National Defense released for the Second (2nd) half of 2024, the number of OV-10 Broncos and AH-1S Cobra helicopters decommissioned, and the upgrades that the Super Tucano will probably receive through this sale.

AS PROVIDED IN THE PROCUREMENT MONITORING REVIEW

The bids and awards committee of the Department of National Defense regards the additional A-29 Super Tucano of the Philippine Air Force as 'completed'.
Image Source.

The Department of National Defense typically releases its Procurement Monitoring Report as part of a government transparency initiative mandated for agencies to post their accomplishments on their website, of which it gives the glimpse of projects that are both completed and have the procurement process still ongoing. This project is available on the DND Bids and Awards Committee 2 Procurement Monitoring Report encompassing the 2nd half of 2024, as of January 10, 2025.

In the completed procurement activities, the first of the list is the Philippine Air Force’s Additional Close Air Support Aircraft Project, of which this is the official name for the additional A-29 Super Tucano close air support aircraft that got a contract signed recently. 

The mode of procurement is through Direct Contracting, which is justified under the New Government Procurement Act or the Republic Act 12009 for follow-on orders of assets already serving the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

It took the Department of National Defense’ Bids and Awards Committee 2 to accomplish the entire procurement process at least three (3) months to complete, whereby the Pre-Procurement Conference took place on October 23, 2024, then the Letter of Invitation to Bid posting on November 28, 2024. This keeps ongoing through the Eligibility and Opening of Bids, all took place on December 2. Finally, issuing of the Notice of Award (NOA) for the project took place on December 19, with the contract signed between the Department of National Defense and Embraer taking place in the final week of December.

Going further, the budget for the contract as provided in the Procurement Monitoring Report for the additional Super Tucano close air support aircraft amounts to around Php 6,596,782,750.00 (Php 6.597 Billion), which is higher than the contract price provided for the first batch of six (6) Super Tucano close air support aircraft that the Philippine Air Force ordered from Embraer amounting to Php 4,872,598,000.00 (Php 4.873 Billion). This reflects the inflation and likely the upgrades that get incorporated into the new orders.

The following discussion entails primarily to the overall composition of the Super Tucano close air support aircraft that the Philippine Air Force might have upon its completion of delivery, along with developments as of the time this article published regarding the expanding number of entities and air forces that operates the Brazilian-made aircraft, and ultimately, the upgrades that might likely come with this batch of aircraft that might come as lacking on the previously ordered batch of aircraft.

TOTAL COMPOSITION AND POTENTIAL UPGRADES

Rafael Advanced Systems Limited presents the Icebreaker anti-ship missile, a game-changing munition that may enhance the Super Tucano aircraft's capability.
A screen grab from a Rafael Advanced Systems video presentation.

Upon the completion of the delivery of at least six (6) A-29 Super Tucano close air support aircraft to the Philippine Air Force, the air service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will end up having at least twelve (12) units or a single squadron of close air support aircraft that counts as useful against counterinsurgency threats and future territorial-based threats against the country. Since the delivery of the first six (6) aircraft, the Super Tucano itself came with an introductory upgrade to its capabilities.

Case in point, the Brazilian Armed Forces started an upgrade program that will improve the capability of its Super Tucano close air support aircraft, which includes new electro-optical sensors, reinforced armor, and self protection threats against missile threats. 

Their upgrades came on top of their integrated cockpit with Wide-Angle Display or WAD interface that comes similarly to the Brazilian JAS-39 Gripen E/F fighter aircraft, along with advanced networking integration with the Swedish-developed fighter jet.

One significant thing to check on is the newly developed multi-domain missile solution provided by the Israeli defense company Rafael, which is the ‘IceBreaker’ precision-guided anti-ship missile munition. Suitable for light attack aircraft such as the Super Tucano close air support aircraft, the IceBreaker anti-ship missile will enable the Brazilian produced aircraft to have territorial defense capabilities, especially now that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is shifting into this domain of primary concern.

The missile munition developed and unveiled by Rafael will further expand the firepower capabilities of the Super Tucano close air support aircraft of the Philippine Air Force, particularly that the air service branch now is on its way to secure at least six (6) additional aircraft to form a squadron of this platform in its inventory. 

This enables the Philippine Air Force to use the aircraft for both close air support and territorial defense operations, with the latter augmenting coastal defense systems and missile systems onboard naval vessels.

As these upgrades for the Super Tucano already taking up accordingly by various entities like the Brazilian Air Force, this path might be worthy for the Philippine Air Force to consider, especially that it will maximize further the utility of its close air support aircraft to conduct and undertake mission objectives that this aircraft will come as a better option to provide on. Also, this capability might surpass the ones that the air service branch decommissioned recently out of service.

15TH STRIKE WING’S RECENTLY DECOMMISSIONED ASSETS

On 28 December 2024, the Philippine Air Force decommissioned both the OV-10 Bronco and the AH-1S Cobra Attack Helicopter, serving the organization for one last time.
Image Source.

In the final weeks of December 2024, the Philippine Air Force opted to decommission both of its OV-10 Bronco close air support aircraft and the remaining donated AH-1S Cobra Attack Helicopter from Jordan, citing sustainability costs and reduced availability of spare parts to maintain and operate both platforms. 

This put both platform’s service with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to a close, enabling newer aircraft such as the T-129 ‘Atak’ Attack Helicopters from Turkey and Super Tucanos to take over.

It put an end to the decades worth of service for the several decommissioned OV-10 Bronco close air support aircraft that have started in the 1990s when it replaced the North American T-28 Trojan aircraft that came before it, and the purchase of the additional A-29 Super Tucano close air support aircraft from Brazil simply serve as the continuation of developing change on such aircraft in the Philippine Air Force’s inventory. This comes as the modernization efforts enable it to purchase newer military hardware.

The decommissioning ceremony also put an end to the AH-1S Cobra Attack Helicopters of the Philippine Air Force, of which it only served at least five (5) years in service within this military branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Donated by Jordan, it provided a transitory platform for the pilots to get experience in operating a dedicated attack helicopter, until the first batch delivery of the T-129 ‘Atak’ Attack Helicopters from Turkey took place in the year 2022.

It is worth to note the track record that the decommissioned aircraft had when it went in service with the Philippine Air Force, particularly with the OV-10 Bronco and its multiple sorties against both the communist and Moro separatist threats scattered across the country. 

One notable example is with its performance in the 2017 Marawi Siege, of which its pilot’s precision strike capability proves to be an effective strategy to eliminate the threat posed by the occupying Islamic radicals in the city.

Overall, this signifies the change reflected by an ongoing modernization process that affects all branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which includes the Philippine Air Force. 

It points to a constant improvement of capabilities and the purchase of newer military aircraft comes with an ease of maintenance for the personnel that are taking care of the country’s military platforms, as its current production provide access to spare parts and operability that ensure its prolonged service within the military.

ENDING NOTE

The Philippine Air Force sees the Super Tucano CAS as the future of a close air support capability platform.
From David Branco Filho, Flickr.

The Philippine Air Force, upon the completion of at least six (6) more A-29 Super Tucano Close Air Support Aircraft under the acquisition project that calls for more aircraft of such type, the service branch will probably end up having at least a squadron of the Brazilian-made platform that will replace the recently decommissioned aircraft such as the OV-10 Bronco aircraft and the AH-1S Cobra Attack Helicopters. This means that there will not be any reduction in the 15th Strike Wing’s overall capabilities.

In the acquisition project for additional Super Tucano aircraft, one thing to point out is the fast pace of the entire process, something that the defense community of the Philippines look forward to in other acquisition projects of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, especially the ones earmarked under the 2025 General Appropriations Act. 

Notable projects aimed under this year are the Frigate Acquisition Project - full complement, additional FA-50 light fighter trainer aircraft, and AFP cybersecurity upgrades.

The fast pace of the procurement process is likely getting faster upon the full implementation of the New Government Procurement Act or the Republic Act 12009 by government agencies including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, especially once the newly crafted Implementing Rules and Regulations or IRR sets into place by the GPBB or the Government Procurement Policy Board. This enables the Philippine military to fast-track its military projects, significantly improving its badly needed capabilities in a short time.

After serving beyond three (3) decades of serving the Philippine Air Force, several of the iconic OV-10 Bronco close air support aircraft will now lay into rest, ending an era that it was the mainstay close air support aircraft of the service branch’s 15th Strike Wing. 

The time has now come that a newer aircraft will come in, and the fleet of A-29 Super Tucano close air support aircraft now becomes the spiritual successor of the OV-10 Bronco, in a manner that the latter replaced the T-28 Trojan aircraft in the 1990s.

In this final note, the ongoing projects signify an ongoing change that is taking place within the Philippine Air Force and the Armed Forces of the Philippines at-large, improving its capability by securing newly produced aircraft to meet its end requirements, while relieving itself with the ever-increasing maintenance cost of keeping the older platforms in service. 

And with this change comes a promising future that the Philippine defense achieves its desirable posture, ensuring its national sovereignty and integrity.

(c) 2025 PDA.

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