MANILA, Philippines, Aug 20 (NNN-PNA) – A second-hand warship donated to the Philippine Navy (PN) by South Korea, has arrived in the Philippines.
Philippine Fleet Commander, Rear Admiral Giovanni Bacordo, said that, the BRP Conrado Yap (Patrol Ship 39), docked at the Manila South Harbour, early on Sunday.
South Korea formally handed over the Pohang-class corvette to the Philippine Navy, on Aug 5.
Renamed BRP Conrado Yap (Patrol Ship 39), the ship was the former South Korean Pohang-class corvette Chungju, which served in the Korean Navy from 1987 to 2016.
Bacordo said, the ship is “the most powerful surface combat” ship of the PN today, adding, the newly-acquired ship is equipped with “anti-surface, anti-submarine and anti-air warfare capabilities.”
“It will boost our anti-submarine warfare capability, that is the implications of having it and then, of course, we have strengthened firepower for anti-surface warfare and for air warfare,” Bacordo said.
The ship measures 88.3 metres long, with a beam of 10 metres and a draft of 2.9 metres, while its displacement is at 1,216 tonnes full load. According to the PN, BRP Conrado Yap is rated for a crew of 118 personnel and can sustain operational presence for 20 days, it added.
Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte, approved the acquisition of warships and other naval assets, as part of plans to modernise and strengthen military capabilities.
Aside from corvettes, the Philippines also plans to buy eight fast attack interdiction craft missile. Other projects in the pipeline, include the upgrading of the navy’s two patrol vessels, acquisition of two submarines, and shore-based missile systems.– NNN-PNA
