Philippine Navy takes delivery of first Miguel Malvar-class corvette

The Philippine Navy officially welcomed its newest warship, the BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG06), during a ceremony that took place at Naval Operating Base Subic, Zambales, on April 8, 2025.

BRP Miguel Malvar, which was built by South Korean shipbuilding heavyweight HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI), arrived from South Korea on April 4, 2025.

The vessel, the first Miguel Malvar-class corvette, measures 118.4 meters long, with a range of 4,500 nautical miles, a cruising speed of 15 knots, and a maximum speed of 25 knots. Armed with advanced sensors and weapons systems, it is also capable of anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-aircraft missions. 

Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro said that the corvette is “an important component—not only in joint operations but in the equally important combined operations”.

He also emphasized key areas of focus in the country’s defense strategy: developing core capabilities and systems, ensuring sustainable revenue sources for sustainment, continuous training and education of personnel, and integrating domain awareness and response systems to establish a unified, multi-domain defense posture.

As the newest addition to the Philippine Navy fleet, the future BRP Miguel Malvar is expected to strengthen the country’s maritime defense and marks another milestone in the ongoing AFP Modernization Program.

To remind, last month, HD HHI launched the second Miguel Malvar-class corvette, BRP Diego Silang, for the Philippine Navy. The launching ceremony took place at the company’s Ulsan facilities on March 27, 2025.