On the last week of June 2022, the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) and South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) signed the PHP 30 billion (USD 533 million) offshore patrol vessel (OPV) contract, which seeks to provide six OPVs to the Philippine Navy (PN).
The project aims to further enhance the maritime patrol capabilities of the PN and includes technology transfer, particularly human engineering operators and maintenance training of equipment, operations training, technical publications, and manuals.
It also includes a design ownership, granting PN the license to manufacture/build using the OPV’s design for the exclusive use of the Philippine government.
These planned OPVs measure 94.4 meters long, 14.3 meters wide, and gave a displacement of 2,400 tons, maximum speed of 22 knots, cruising speed of 15 knots, and a range of 5,500 nautical miles.
The initial funding for the PN’s OPV project amounting to PHP 3 billion (USD 53 million) was released by the Philippines Department of Budget (DBM) in mid-June under Special Allotment Release Order (SARO)-BMD-D-22-0004970.
(Source: Philippines News Agency)
