Navy’s new corvette from South Korea arrives in PH
The newest acquisition of the Philippine Navy (PN), a South Korean-made corvette, finally arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday, April 8.
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. led the welcoming ceremony for the future BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06) at the Naval Operating Base in Subic, Zambales.
It was named after a Filipino independence activist and general who participated in the Philippine revolution and led forces in Batangas and Cavite during the Philippine-American War in the 1900s.
Fast forward to the present time, the BRP Miguel Malvar will also be a leading force in upholding the country’s territorial integrity as it is expected to be used in patrolling the West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid Chinese aggression.
“Miguel Malvar is here today not only to serve as a deterrent and protector of our waters, but also as an important component in joint and combined operations as we work alongside allies and uphold the norms of international law,” he said.
The vessel is the lead ship of her class. It measures 118.4 meters in length and 14.9 meters in breadth, and weighs 3,200 tons. It has a cruising speed of 15 knots or roughly 28 kilometers per hour, and a range of 4,500 nautical miles or around 8,330 kilometers.
It is equipped with advanced weaponry such as anti-ship missiles, vertical launch systems, and three-dimensional active electronically scanned array radar.
Teodoro said the arrival of the state-of-the-art surface combatant “signifies a critical step toward developing a self-reliant and credible defense posture.”
This is particularly crucial as Teodoro outlined four key areas of focus for the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines: first is developing core capabilities and strategic basing; second is identifying continuous sources of revenue for sustainment; third is training and education, and fourth is integrating domain awareness and multi-threat response systems.
“This includes, not only investing in capabilities, but once again, training capable and competent people in the appropriate technical skills,” he said.
The defense chief acknowledged the enduring partnership of the Philippines with South Korea, citing the latter’s continued support in providing capabilities and investments that promote sustainability, resilience, and job creation.
“We thank our reliable partners, the people and the government of the Republic of Korea… not only in providing capabilities, but in building sustainability, redundancy, and resilience through actual capital investments,” he said.
“One of the hallmarks of an investment horizon for this country is the blue economy. How can you develop a blue economy if you do not have a strong navy? You need a strong navy as an anchor, as a backbone, as a spine of the blue economy. So, this is our offering to those that went before us, to the heroes who went before us, who we will honor tomorrow,” he added.
The delivery was a partial fulfillment of the P28-billion deal sealed by the DND with South Korean manufacturer HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in 2021 for the acquisition of two brand-new corvettes.
BRP Miguel Malvar was launched on June 18, 2024 at HHI's shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea. It underwent sea trials before the delivery.
The second Malvar-class corvette, the future BRP Diego Silang (FFG-07), was launched last month and is expected to be delivered in the latter part of 2025.