Philippines Receives Second Malvar-class Missile Frigate ‘BRP Diego Silang’

The Philippines' second Malvar-class guided missile frigate, soon to be commissioned as BRP Diego Silang (FFG-07), has arrived in the country, the Philippine Navy (PN) announced on September 9.

The ship carried out joint maneuvers with the Philippine Coast Guard’s offshore patrol vessel, BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301), off Zambales.

The first ship, BRP Miguel Malvar, was commissioned in May.

Malvar-class guided missile frigates, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HII), are designed for offshore combat, patrols, and defense. They are armed with 8 surface-to-surface missile tubes for anti-ship warfare, a 76mm dual-purpose gun for surface and air targets, and a 16-cell Vertical Launching System (VLS) for anti-air defense. For anti-submarine operations, the ships carry triple torpedo launchers and can deploy an AW-159 Wildcat helicopter from their flight deck and hangar. Equipped with phased-array radar and sensors, they support long-range patrols and surveillance missions, while also taking part in cooperative exercises with allied navies.

Both vessels displace 3,200 gross tons, are 118.4m long, 14.9m wide, and have a range of 4,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 15 knots.

Before the Malvar-class additions, the most modern ships in the Philippine fleet were the Jose Rizal-class frigates: BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151).