South Korean-made "Big Protection" in the Philippines

At the weekend, the Philippines and Japan made a big news: buying ships!

And they bought 6 ships at once.

It was a hot day, so I quickly searched for it.

They are the Asama-class frigates of the former Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.

They have been in service for over 30 years.

Although the Philippine Navy occasionally thinks about buying new ships,

their ability to pick up scrap is still as good as ever.

Legacy of Showa: Asama-class Frigates

Philippine netizens calculated:

Buying 6 Asama-class frigates, plus the previous 4 from South Korea,

The main fleet reached 10 ships, more than the 8 055-class main ships of its neighbor, East University.

10:8, the advantage is on me!

On May 20th, the Philippine Navy's "Miguel Malvar" (FF-06) frigate held a commissioning ceremony at Subic Bay Naval Base. The ship has a displacement of 3,200 tons, a length of 118m, a top speed of 25 knots, and a range of 4,500 nautical miles. The Philippines purchased two of them, one has already been delivered, and the other is expected to be delivered by the end of the year.

Previously, the Philippines also bought Jose Rizal-class frigates from South Korea, which are a scaled-down version of the Incheon-class frigates of South Korea. A total of two were purchased. This was the first time the Philippine Navy had non-second-hand warships over 1,000 tons, the first time it had missile frigates, the first time there were anti-ship missiles and air defense missiles on the warships, and the first time in 20 years that the warships had torpedoes.

Adding these 6 ships bought from Japan, there are a total of 10 frigates. If we include the Pohang-class frigate "Conrado Yap" gifted by South Korea in 2019 and refurbished, but the anti-ship missiles on board have been removed, the Philippines uses it as a patrol ship.

Pohang-class Frigate

Notably, the Philippines also ordered 6 patrol vessels from South Korea. On June 27, 2022, the Philippine Department of Defense signed a contract worth 3 billion pesos (approximately 555 million USD) with Hyundai Heavy Industries to purchase 6 new coastal patrol vessels. The first ship, "King Salim," will be officially delivered to the Philippine Navy in March 2026.

More concerning is that the largest warship in the Philippine Navy is an amphibious landing ship acquired from Indonesia, namely the LD-601 Tarlac and LD-602 Davao. These two ships were purchased in 2016 and 2017, and their original designs were both from South Korea. South Korea has become an important partner in the development of the Philippine Navy.

Combined with the United States and Japan, these three countries have become key suppliers for the development of the Philippine Navy. It's clear what their intention is. However, as an old Chinese saying goes: "The ant tries to shake the big tree, which is laughable and self-defeating." No matter how many warships they buy, they will eventually become a home for corals in the South China Sea or be dragged into a naval museum somewhere.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523937688295211560/

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