President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the budget to fund the transfer of Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy Flight III Pohang-class corvette ROKS Chungju (PCC-762) to the Philippine Navy, this was revealed by MaxDefense Philippines on December 28, 2017.
According to MaxDefense, citing some sources, the announcement was made during the Offshore Combat Force’s year-end party over a week ago.
“Pres. Duterte is said to have signed the DBM recommendation and order to release funding for the transfer of the former ROKN Flight III Pohang-class corvette ROKS Chungju to the Philippine Navy worth Php250 million,” MaxDefense said in its social networking page.
“The officers, men and women to man it would be sent to South Korea by January 2018,” MaxDefense added.
“The PN would be getting the Chungju as it is, except for removal of some ROKN-only equipment and replacement of obsolete items like the navigation radar. But the ship in its pre-retirement form still has its 2 Oto Melara 76mm Compact guns, two twin Otobreda 40mm guns, two triple lightweight torpedo launchers, among others. The PN’s budget request also include acquisition of ammo for these guns,” MaxDefense said.
The Offshore Combat Force is operating under the Philippine Fleet of Philippine Navy.
(Update)