PH Navy frigate joins maritime drills with 2 Indian vessels in West PH Sea
A Philippine Navy (PN) frigate took part in a maritime partnership exercise with two Indian Navy ships in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Monday, Aug. 23.



BRP Antonio Luna (FF151), a missile-capable frigate, met INS Ranvijay (D55), a guided missile destroyer, and INS Kora (P61), a guided missile corvette, on the northwestern coast off Palawan as they performed several operational maneuvers at sea which were part of the combined evolutions during the exercise.
Col. Antonio Mangoroban Jr., acting commander of the Naval Forces West (NAVFORWEST), said both navies "were very much satisfied with the outcome of these interactions" which focused on enhanced interoperability and collaboration of the Philippines' and India's navies.
"As a newly-commissioned vessel of the Philippine Navy, BRP Antonio Luna is anticipated to be at par with her foreign counterparts and it is a breath of fresh air to see our modern navy partake in these maritime partnership exercises," Mangoroban shared.
BRP Antonio Luna was delivered to the PN in February 2021 by its South Korean manufacturer, Hyundai Heavy Industries.
After it was commissioned in March, the frigate has performed various functions including sovereignty patrols in the WPS.
Meanwhile, INS Ranvijay and INS Kora were deployed by the Indian Navy to improve maritime security coordination with partner nations such as the Philippines.
Both countries have enjoyed a long-standing friendly relationship for seventy-two years.
Since 1998, regular visits by Indian navy vessels to the Philippines have highlighted the two maritime nation-states' defense cooperation.
After the exercise, the Indian naval ships were scheduled to drop anchor at the Manila Port for replenishment.