MANILA -- The first sea trials of BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), the country's first-ever guided-missile frigate, proved successful.
"The first sea trials (which took place last November 23 to 27) was successful even in Sea State 4 conditions," Philippine Navy (PN) public affairs office chief Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas said in a message to the Philippine News Agency Tuesday.
Sea State 4 refers to conditions at sea where waves are reaching four to eight feet in height. BRP Jose Rizal can withstand up to Sea State 7 or conditions with very high waves.
"Another set of sea trials is tentatively scheduled for December 16," Roxas added.
BRP Jose Rizal's first sea trials took place off the open waters of Ulsan, Busan, and Mokpo in South Korea and done to measure its performance and general seaworthiness.
Present were the technical crew of South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) along with representatives from the international provider of classification, compliance and consultancy services to the marine industry, Lloyd's Register of Shipping.
Roxas said the sea trials are the last phase of construction before the frigate’s delivery to the Philippines scheduled tentatively in April or May 2020.
This took place six months after the vessel was launched at the HHI shipyard for the first time in Ulsan last May 23.
"The PHP8-billion warship is a big-ticket acquisition of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that is poised to be the benchmark of PN’s transformation journey," she added.
Incidentally, BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), the sister ship of BRP Jose Rizal, was launched in the same facility last November 8. The contract for the two ships was pegged at PHP16 billion with another PHP2 billion for weapon systems and munitions.
These ships are capable of conducting Anti-Air Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare, and Electronic Warfare Operations and it is fully equipped with surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, torpedoes, launchers, and weapon systems.
(PNA)