The Philippine Navy’s second 3,200-ton corvette, which is considered a successful example of South Korea’s K-ship exports, was successfully launched in the waters off Ulsan.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced that it held a launching ceremony for the second 3,200-ton Philippine corvette, the ‘Diego Silang’, at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries headquarters in Ulsan on the 27th (Thursday). This is the second ship following the first ship, the ‘Miguel Malvar’, which was launched in June of last year.
The event was attended by Philippine military and government officials, including Undersecretary for Acquisition of the National Defense Salvador Melchor B. Mison, Jr.; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Romeo S. Brawner; Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jose Ma. Ambrosio Ezpeleta; and Ambassador to South Korea Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega.
From Korea, the event was attended by Lee Sang-gyun, CEO of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries; Cho Hyun-ki, Director of the Ministry of National Defense’s Power Resources Office; Lee Sang-woo, Director of the Korea Submarine Program Division of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration; and Ahn Sang-min, Commander of the Naval Quartermaster Corps (Rear Admiral).
The Diego Silang is a state-of-the-art warship with a length of 118.4 m, a width of 14.9 m, a cruising speed of 15 knots (approximately 28 km/h), and a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,330 km). It is equipped with cutting-edge weapon systems such as a close-in defense weapon system, a vertical launching system, a hull-mounted sonar, and a search radar.
“I am very pleased to have successfully launched the second ship, Diego Silang, following the first Philippine corvette,” and “Based on the strengthened cooperative relationship between our two countries, we will continue to actively support the success of the Philippine military’s modernization.”
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries President Lee Sang-kyun
The ship is named after Diego Silang, a leader of the Philippine independence movement who resisted Spanish rule and established an independent province. The Diego Silang is scheduled to be delivered to the Philippine Navy in September after sea trials and final equipment.
Previously, the Philippine government had been carrying out a military modernization project to secure a number of ships to modernize and strengthen the power of its navy, and had ordered a total of 10 ships from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, including two frigates (2016), two patrol ships (2021), and six offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) (2022).
“HDHHI’s innovative technologies and high-quality shipbuilding capabilities have played a vital role in the modernization of the Philippine Navy. This project will further strengthen the relationship between our two countries.”
Salvador Melchor B. Mison, Jr., Undersecretary for Acquisition at the Philippine National Defense Agency
Meanwhile, the first ship, ‘Miguel Malvar’, launched in June last year, is scheduled to be delivered to the Philippine Navy on the 31st of this month, five months ahead of schedule. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has proven its global competitiveness in terms of performance, cost, and delivery date by delivering all ships early, from the first 2,600-ton Philippine frigate delivered in 2021 to the 3,200-ton corvette.
In addition, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is taking the lead in enhancing the competitiveness of K-maritime defense industry through establishing partnerships for overseas bases, establishing local construction systems, and standardizing technology transfer packages based on cutting-edge technologies in the shipbuilding sector.
