HD Hyundai Heavy Industries-Built Escort Ship Participates in US-Philippines Joint Exercise

36km Fleet-to-Fleet Missile Launch Training Receives Praise

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced on the 10th that the 2,600-ton Philippine frigate 'Jose Rizal,' delivered in 2020, participated in the Balikatan exercises conducted since the 22nd of last month in the South China Sea and other areas.

The operational appearance of the frigate 'Jose Rizal' delivered by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to the Philippine Navy in 2020.
[Photo by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries]

Balikatan, meaning "shoulder to shoulder" in Filipino, is a representative joint exercise started by the United States and the Philippines in 1991. This year, more than 16,000 personnel participated, including observers such as Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro.

The Jose Rizal, the main warship of the Philippine Navy participating in the exercise, perfectly hit a target approximately 36 km away during the fleet-to-fleet missile firing drill conducted on the 8th (local time) in the northern waters of the Philippines, receiving high praise locally. Last year, it visited Ulsan for major maintenance and received top-level maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services.

In addition to the Jose Rizal, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries delivered another frigate of the same class (Antonio Luna) to the Philippine Navy in 2021 and is currently constructing two patrol vessels and six offshore patrol vessels.

Joo Won-ho, head of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Special Ship Business Division, said, "The results of this exercise serve as an example of how South Korea's shipbuilding capabilities and operational know-how have contributed to the development of allied naval forces, further enhancing the international trust and competitiveness of K-defense industry."