The Diego Silang is scheduled to be delivered to the Philippine Navy in September after a sea trial and final assembly.
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 Thursday the 27th. This is the second ship following the first, the 'Miguel Malvar', which was launched in June of last year.
The Diego Silang is a state-of-the-art ship 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.
The ship was named after Diego Silang, a leader of the Philippine independence movement who resisted Spanish rule and established an independent state. The Diego Silang is scheduled to be delivered to the Philippine Navy in September after a sea trial and final assembly.
Previously, the Philippine government had been carrying out a military modernization project to secure a number of ships to modernize and strengthen its navy, and had ordered a total of 10 ships from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, including two frigates (2016), two corvettes (2021), and six offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) (2022).
At the launching ceremony that day, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries President Lee Sang-kyun said, “We are very pleased to have successfully launched the second ship, Diego Silang, following the first Philippine corvette,” and “We will continue to actively support the success of the Philippine military modernization based on the strengthened cooperative relationship between the two countries.”
Salvador Melchor B. Mison, Jr., Undersecretary for Acquisitions for the Philippine National Defense, said, “HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ innovative technology and high-quality shipbuilding capabilities have played a significant role in the modernization of the Philippine Navy,” and “This project will further solidify the relationship between the two countries.”
Meanwhile, the first ship, the Miguel Malvar, launched in June last year, is scheduled to be delivered to the Philippine Navy on the 31st of this month, five months earlier than planned. 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 the K-maritime defense industry by concluding partnerships with overseas bases, establishing a local construction system, and standardizing technology transfer packages based on cutting-edge technologies in the ship sector.