Korea to supply two more next-gen frigates to the Philippines in $587 million deal

Korea will supply two additional next-generation frigates to the Philippine Navy under a project worth 850 billion won ($587 million).

A ceremony marking the arrival of the Philippine Navy's Miguel Malvar-class frigate, built by Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, is held at the Subic naval base on Luzon Island in northern Philippines on April 8. [EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA IN THE PHILIPPINES]

Korea will supply two additional next-generation frigates to the Philippine Navy under a project worth 850 billion won ($587 million).

The Philippines is a U.S. ally that has repeatedly clashed with China in the South China Sea, and some observers say Seoul’s emergence as a key partner in Manila’s naval buildup carries strategic significance. The momentum could also work in Korea’s favor as it seeks to take part in the Philippines’ planned submarine purchase of at least two units.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said on Friday that it signed a contract in Manila with the Philippines’ Department of National Defense for the Philippine Navy’s second frigate acquisition project. The deal is a major component of the Philippine military’s modernization plan — the “Horizon 3” project — under which core partner HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will deliver two 3,200-ton frigates to the Philippine Navy by 2029.

HD Hyundai has already won orders for and delivered 10 vessels, including patrol ships, as part of Horizon 3. In June last year, the Korean company also held a launching ceremony for the Philippines’ 3,200-ton Miguel Malvar-class frigate. The company has built trust in the Philippines by completing deliveries ahead of schedule, leveraging what it touts as its strength in fast delivery. Local media have also reported that HD Hyundai is pursuing a contract to supply the Philippine Navy with two mid-sized submarines worth about 2 trillion won.

Korea’s rising profile in the Philippines’ naval expansion aligns with Manila’s push to strengthen security cooperation with trusted partners such as the United States, Korea and Australia, amid China’s growing influence in the South China Sea. The Philippines has faced a series of direct confrontations at sea, including being hit multiple times by water cannon blasts from Chinese coast guard vessels.

Sea trials of the Diego Silang, the second vessel of the 3,200-ton Miguel Malvar-class frigates delivered to the Philippine Navy by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in October this year [HD HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES]

The Horizon 3 project — a 10-year plan backed by a budget of around $34.1 billion — is widely seen as aimed at strengthening the Philippine Navy and narrowing capability gaps in regional maritime security.

China’s pressure on the Philippines is also linked to Manila’s status as a key U.S. ally in the region. Korea’s contribution to boosting the Philippine Navy’s capabilities can therefore be interpreted as supporting the U.S. side in the broader U.S.-China rivalry playing out in the South China Sea.

The United States, the report adds, is looking at ways to use cooperation with Korea’s shipbuilding industry — particularly the Masga, or “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again,” initiative — to build regional infrastructure that could support maritime operations, such as enabling ship construction and maintenance, repair and overhaul, in preparations for contingencies including a potential crisis in the Taiwan Strait.

“The Philippines is one of Korea’s key defense industry partners in Southeast Asia, which has effectively made Korean-made weapons the backbone of its military by successively acquiring two FA-50 light attack aircraft contracts, as well as two Korean frigates, two patrol vessels and six offshore patrol ships,” said DAPA.

DAPA added that institutional groundwork has been strengthened since the two countries signed an implementing arrangement in 2009 for the procurement of certain defense items, allowing direct contracting between Korean firms and the Philippine defense ministry. DAPA said this has helped the Philippines become, in its words, a “subscriber” country for Korea’s defense exports — meaning a repeat customer.

A FA-50 light attack aircraft [KOREA AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES]

The two countries are also deepening cooperation in air force capabilities. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said Friday that it signed a 93 billion won contract to upgrade 11 FA-50PH aircraft that were delivered between 2015 and 2017. The project will run through 2029. The FA-50PH is the Philippine export version of the FA-50 Fighting Eagle, a Korean-made light attack aircraft.

“The upgrades will enhance the FA-50PH’s ability to operate precision-guided weapons, extend its range and expand sustained operational capabilities, while also strengthening network-based combined operations capability,” said KAI. The company expects a total of 23 FA-50PH aircraft — including additional jets ordered in a separate contract signed in June — to contribute to strengthening the Philippine Air Force’s air defense capabilities.

The report notes that follow-up support and upgrade capabilities — including the various maintenance needs that arise over an aircraft’s service life of at least 30 years — are increasingly seen as critical in aircraft exports, especially as life cycle maintenance costs can reach two to five times initial acquisition costs.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY LEE YU-JUNG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]