Philippines’ first missile-capable frigate to be launched on May 23

The future BRP Jose Rizal, the first of two guided missile frigates ordered by the Philippines from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), is scheduled to be launched at HHI’s Ulsan yard on Thursday, May 23.

The vessel honours Jose Rizal, a doctor and writer whose works have been credited as among the inspirations for the Philippine independence movement in the 1890s.

The future Jose Rizal will have a length of 107 metres, a beam of 13.8 metres, a displacement of 2,600 tonnes, and four diesel engines that will deliver a maximum speed of 25 knots. Armament will include a 76-millimetre naval gun, a 30-millimetre autocannon, 12.7-millimetre machine guns, torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).

The frigate is scheduled to be commissioned into the Philippine Navy in 2020.