Construction starts on 1st of Philippine Navy’s new frigates

South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has started construction of the first of two 2,600-ton frigates ordered by the Philippine Navy.

The steel-cutting ceremony for the frigate was held in Ulsan, South Korea, on May 1, 2018.

As informed, each of the new frigates will feature a length of 107 meters and a width of 12 meters. In addition, the ships will have a speed of 25 knots and a cruising range of 4,500 nautical miles.

The ships are designed for superior operational performance and survivability, especially in harsh marine conditions in the Philippines, according to HHI.

The first frigate will be delivered to the Philippine Ministry of Defense in the second half of 2020. The construction of the second frigate is expected to commence in September this year, with the delivery scheduled for the first half of 2021.

In October 2016, the Philippine Ministry of Defense awarded the contract for frigate construction to HHI. It was initially expected that the first of two ships could be delivered in 2020 but issues with the choice of a combat system supplier delayed the project by six months, pushing the delivery timetable back.