Philippine Navy commissions first guided missile frigate

The Philippine Navy commissioned its first purpose-built guided missile frigate in a ceremony in Subic Bay on Friday, July 10.

BRP Jose Rizal is the lead ship of a class of two frigates built by Hyundai Heavy Industries for the Philippine Navy. It has a length of 107.5 metres, a beam of 13.8 metres, a draught of 6.9 metres, accommodations for 65 crew and 45 other personnel, and four MTU-STX 12V1163 diesel engines that deliver a speed of 25 knots.

Armament includes anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, torpedoes, a 76-millimetre naval gun, 30-millimetre autocannon, and 12.7-millimetre machine guns.

Jose Rizal was formally handed over to the navy on May 18 and set sail for the Philippines later that same day. Upon arrival in home waters five days later, the ship and its crew underwent a mandatory 14-day quarantine as part of the country’s Covid-19 prevention efforts.