Future Philippine Navy corvettes to be built in South Korea

The Philippine Department of National Defense has selected South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the construction of two new guided missile corvettes for the Philippine Navy.

Each vessel will have a displacement of 3,200 tonnes, a length of 116 metres, a beam of 14.8 metres, a maximum speed of 25 knots, and a range of 4,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 15 knots. Armament will include a 76-millimetre naval gun, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, and a 35-millimetre close-in weapon system.

The corvettes will also be fitted with active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

Both vessels are scheduled to be delivered to the Philippines by 2026.

The release of initial funding for the corvettes’ purchase was approved by the Philippine government earlier this month while the newbuilding contract was awarded to HHI on Tuesday, December 28.