The 2,600-ton state-of-the-art frigate Jose Rizal of the Philippine Navy, delivered by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (Photo courtesy of HD Hyundai)
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will export an additional 2 frigates to the Philippine Navy.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced on Dec. 26 that they signed a contract for the “Frigate Phase 2 Acquisition Project” worth $578 million (approximately 844.7 billion won) with the Philippine Department of National Defense. Through this contract, promoted as one of the major projects in the Philippine Navy’s modernization plan, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will deliver 2 state-of-the-art 3,200-ton frigates to the Philippine Navy by 2029.
This contract is the result of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries proving its competitiveness and building trust through the Frigate Phase 1 project, where it first secured warship orders from the Philippines in 2016. The two 2,300-ton frigates ordered at that time were delivered to the Philippine Navy in 2020 and 2021 respectively and are now playing an active role as the mainstay of maritime operations.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ rapid MRO support capability has also received positive reviews from the Philippines. The company has succeeded in building the navy’s trust by strengthening comprehensive cooperation, including follow-up support and local personnel training through education and training. At that time, the Philippines ordered warships from an overseas shipyard for the first time to modernize its naval forces, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries solidified the cooperative relationship by successfully completing the project.
Including the Frigate Phase 1 and 2 contracts, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured orders for 12 warships from the Philippines, including 2 patrol vessels in 2021 and 6 offshore patrol vessels in 2022. The 2 patrol vessels were delivered this year, and the 6 offshore patrol vessels are scheduled to be delivered sequentially until 2028, starting with the first ship “Raja Sulaiman” next year.
It is not only naval vessels that have captured the Philippine military. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) secured a contract for FA-50PH, an improved version of the domestically-produced supersonic light combat aircraft FA-50 for use by the Philippine Air Force (PAF), in 2014 and successfully completed delivery from 2015 to 2017. KAI also signed an additional contract for 12 aircraft of the same model in June this year.
KAI signed a performance upgrade and follow-up military support contract with the Philippine Department of National Defense on Dec. 27 for the 11 aircraft already delivered (excluding 1 aircraft that crashed out of 12). Through this project, KAI plans to enhance the FA-50PH’s precision-guided munition operation capability and extend its range to improve sustained operation capability.
K-defense’s ability to continue weapon exports to the Philippines is a result of the combination of the government’s active sales diplomacy and the technological capabilities of defense companies. The two countries signed the “Implementation Agreement for the Procurement of Specific Defense Materials between Korea and the Philippines” in 2009, creating an institutional framework for defense exports that enables direct contracts between Korean companies and the Philippine Department of National Defense. In October this year, President Lee Jae Myung met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and promised to cooperate as continuous security partners, adding momentum to defense exports.
DAPA Administrator Lee Yong-cheol said, “This Frigate Phase 2 project is a symbol of the unwavering trust that the Philippine government has shown in K-defense,” adding, “We will build a future-oriented partnership with the Philippines, a key defense cooperation partner in Southeast Asia, advancing toward personnel and technology cooperation in the naval sector and maritime security cooperation.” He added, “We will further solidify our defense cooperation relationship with the Philippines by expanding cooperation to other areas such as guided weapons and space.”
