South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is advancing administrative and contractual procedures to secure a formal follow-on order from the Philippine Navy for additional 3,200-tonne guided-missile frigates during the third quarter of 2026. Speaking during parent company HD Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering’s second-quarter earnings conference call on July 29, executive leadership confirmed that the prospective Philippine procurement represents a key near-term international naval benchmark where tangible operational and financial results are imminently expected. This follow-on acquisition builds upon a preliminary announcement in late December 2025 regarding two supplementary 3,200-tonne combatants, aimed at further expanding the surface combatant fleet of the Armed Forces of the Philippines under the long-term Revised AFP Modernization Program. HHI is aggressively expanding its global defense footprint across Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America, leveraging specialized ship designs such as Swedish icebreaker technology alongside its established surface combatant portfolio.
The upcoming surface vessels will build directly upon the platform architecture of the Miguel Malvar-class frigate, a design originally designated under HHI’s internal product nomenclature as the HDC-3100 (and HDF-3100) corvette before its administrative reclassification to guided-missile frigate (FFG). Developed using the earlier 2,600-tonne Jose Rizal-class frigate as an operational baseline, the Miguel Malvar-class represents a substantial structural and capability enhancement designed to fulfill the Philippine Navy’s stringent Horizon 2 requirements. Featuring an overall length of 116 meters, a beam of 14.8 meters, and a full-load displacement of 3,100 to 3,200 tonnes, the hull form incorporates a Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) propulsion arrangement capable of achieving maximum sprint speeds exceeding 25 knots and an operational cruising range of 4,500 nautical miles. Structural modifications from earlier baseline frigates include an extended hull volume and an expanded flight deck capable of accommodating heavier maritime operational helicopters, alongside a primary armament footprint featuring a 76 mm main naval gun, space for a 16-cell vertical launching system (VLS), triple torpedo tubes, and a gun-based close-in weapon system (CIWS) mounted atop the helicopter hangar.
Mission systems for the class feature an integrated, multi-national mission suite led by South Korea’s Hanwha Systems, which supplies its Naval Shield Integrated Combat Management System (CMS) Baseline 4 alongside tactical data links under a KRW40 billion (USD27.7 million) sub-contract. Primary air and surface surveillance is provided by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Elta Systems via the ELM-2258 Advanced Lightweight Phased Array (ALPHA) 3D active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, capable of tracking low-flying sea-skimming threats out to 25 km and high-altitude targets out to 250 km. Navigation and surface search capabilities are augmented by UK-based Hensoldt UK’s Mk11 SharpEye radar systems, which are also being deployed across HHI-built 2,400-tonne offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the same customer. Long-range optronic target identification and fire control functions are handled by Safran’s PASEO XLR extra-long-range electro-optical system, complemented by full-ship internal close-circuit television (CCTV) monitoring solutions provided by Imenco via Electrix Co. Ltd.
Under-water warfare capability for the class relies on specialized torpedo launching systems (TLS) supplied by UK defense firm SEA, which is delivering two twin-barrel or triple-barrel launchers per vessel under direct contract with HHI. The highly adaptable SEA TLS design enables the Philippine Navy to deploy a wide range of NATO-standard and regional lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes, including the US-designed Mark 44, Mark 46, and Mark 54, the UK Sting Ray, the Italian A244-S, the French MU90 Impact, and South Korea’s K745 Blue Shark. By standardizing sensors, combat management architectures, and ASW effectors across the original Miguel Malvar-class units and the prospective Flight II follow-on batch scheduled for delivery around 2029, the Philippine Navy is streamlining logistics and maintenance pipelines while significantly upgrading its blue-water defense and deterrent capabilities in Southeast Asian maritime zones.
