Future BRP Diego Silang arrives in PH from South Korea —Navy

The Philippine Navy on Tuesday said its second Miguel Malvar-class frigate, the future BRP Diego Silang (FFG-07), has arrived in the country from South Korea.

According to the Philippine Navy, the future BRP Diego Silang conducted meeting procedures and was welcomed by BRP Jose Rizal around 14 nautical miles northwest of Botolan, Zambales on Monday.

“The soon-to-be BRP Diego Silang will still undergo final preparations, acceptance procedures and commissioning before officially joining the PH Navy’s active fleet,” Philippine Navy spokesperson Captain Marissa Arlene Martinez said in a press briefing.

“Upon joining the active Fleet, the second Miguel Malvar-class frigate will enhance the PN’s operational readiness, maritime domain protection, and capability to uphold a free, secure, and rules-based international order,” she added.

The future BRP Diego Silang is the the second of the two Miguel Malvar-class frigates built by South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for the Philippine Navy.

The first one is BRP Miguel Malvar, which was delivered to the Philippines in April and was commissioned in May.

The Miguel Malvar-class frigates measure 118.4 meters long and 14.9 meters wide and are also equipped with anti-ship missiles, a vertical launching system, and an active electronically scanned array.

This delivery is part of the P28-billion contract signed between the Department of National Defense and Hyundai Heavy Industries in December 2021. —KG, GMA Integrated News