The future BRP Rajah Sulayman, the Philippine Navy’s newest warship, has sailed into home waters for the first time and been welcomed by another ship in the fleet.
The 94m, 2,450-tonne ship is the first of six offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) being built for the Philippines by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI). The South Korean firm won the contract in the middle of 2022 and each ship is expected to cost in the region of $96 million.
The second OPV, Rajah Lakandula, was launched towards the end of November last year and is currently undergoing sea trials. The other four are all under construction, with the sixth ship scheduled to be commissioned into service in 2028.
Based on HHI’s HDP-2200+ design, the OPVs carry a 76mm primary naval gun and have the capacity to carry an array of remote and close-in weapon stations, surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship missiles. They feature a hangar and helicopter landing deck capable of accommodating a medium-sized helicopter and/or uncrewed aerial system (UAS).
As per a Philippine Navy statement on social media, Rajah Sulayman was met off the coast of the Philippine province of Zambales earlier this week by guided missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal, in accordance with the nation’s standard maritime naval procedures.
It noted: “After completing coordination and meeting procedures at sea, the future BRP Rajah Sulayman will begin post-delivery activities and technical checks.”
Once acceptance and pre-commissioning processes have been completed, the new warship will formally enter active service.
- You can read more details on the Philippine Navy’s Facebook page