According to information published by the Philippine newspaper on June 10, 2021, the Philippine Navy plans to deploy its BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), a Jose Rizal-class guided missile frigate for an operational mission.
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Philippine Navy BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) Jose Rizal-class guided missile frigate(Picture source Philippine Navy)
The BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) is the second ship of the Jose Rizal-class of guided missile frigates in service with the Philippine Navy. The ship was formally commissioned in March 2021.
The BRP Antonio Luna was designed and built by the South Korean company Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and the design is based on the Incheon-class frigates of the Republic of Korea Navy. Changes were made on the base design by making use of features found on newer frigates of the R.O.K. Navy, considering reduced radar cross-section by having cleaner lines, smooth surface design, reduced overhangs and a low free-board.
On 24 October 2016, the contract to supply two brand new general purpose stealth frigates was signed between the Philippine Department of National Defense, represented by Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana, and Hyundai Heavy Industries, represented by its Senior Vice President Mr. Ki Sun Chung, under the presence of officials from the DND, AFP, PN, HHI, and the South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines.
The Jose Rizal class is a multi-role guided missile frigates built for the Philippine Navy by the South Korean company Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI). Currently, two ships are in service with the Philippine Navy, the BRP Jose Rizal FF-150 and the BRP Antonio Luna FF-151.
The Jose Rizal class is powered by Combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion system that includes four MTU-STX 12V1163-TB93 12-cylinder diesel engines and up to three diesel generators. The ship can reach a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h) with a maximum cruising range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km). She has a complement of 110 people and has an endurance of 30 days.
The BRP Antonio Luna is fitted with Hensoldt TRS-3D Baseline D multi-mode phased array C-band search radar, Kelvin Hughes SharpEye I-band & E/F-band navigation radars and Selex ES NA-25X fire control radar. The Electro-Optical Tracking System of the ship includes Safran PASEO NS. Electronic warfare equipment and decoys include the Elbit Systems Elisra NS9300A and two Terma C-Guard DL-6T decoy launchers.
The BRP Antonio Luna is armed with one OTO Melara 76 mm Super Rapid naval gun, one ASELSAN SMASH 30mm automatic cannon, four S&T Motiv K6 .50cal (12.7mm) machine guns, one Close-in weapon system, four LIGNex1 SSM-700K C-Star anti-ship missile on twin canisters, two SEA triple torpedo tubes for K745 Blue Shark torpedo, two MBDA Mistral Simbad-RC twin launchers and 8-cell Vertical Launching System.
