HD Hyundai Heavy to build two more 3,200-ton frigates for Philippine Navy

South Korean shipbuilding major HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has signed a contract to deliver two 3,200-ton frigates to the Philippine Navy.

As informed, the company signed the deal with the Philippine Department of National Defense (DoD) for the Philippine Navy Frigate Second Acquisition Program , marking a major milestone in Manila’s long-term naval modernization effort.

The contract was signed on December 26, 2025, in Manila and covers the construction of two new frigates, which will form a core element of the Philippine Navy’s Horizon 3 modernization plan. Delivery of both vessels is scheduled by 2029.

The new agreement builds on a long-standing defense partnership between South Korea and the Philippines. Since 2016, HHI has delivered two frigates and two 3,200-ton-class corvettes to the Philippine Navy, significantly strengthening the service’s surface combatant fleet. In parallel, the company is currently constructing six offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Philippine Navy, further expanding its footprint in the country’s naval shipbuilding programs.

Institutional support for this cooperation is rooted in the Implementation Agreement for the Procurement of Specific Defense Products between Korea and the Philippines , signed in 2009. The agreement established a framework that enables direct negotiations between Korean defense companies and the Philippine Department of National Defense, streamlining major procurement programs.

The Philippine Navy’s first modern frigates—the Jose Rizal-class—were procured in 2016 under the initial frigate acquisition project and delivered in 2020 and 2021.

With the second frigate acquisition now underway, the Philippine Navy continues to advance its transition toward a more capable, modern, and interoperable fleet.