Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Friday led the launching of the Philippine Navy’s second missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF151) as it took to the water for the first time in a launching ceremony in Ulsan, South Korea.

Lorenzana was with officials from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of Korea at the shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

To recall, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) first acquired BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) for the Navy as part of the Frigate Acquisition Project, which started in May 2013, to modernize the military.

According to the Defense chief, the new warship is armed with anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and electronic warfare operation capabilities and both vessels were acquired under Horizon 2 of the Revised AFP Modernization Program through a contract with HHI signed in 2016 by him and HHI owner and vice president Kisun Chung.

The state-of-the-art warships will be equipped with surface to surface missiles, surface to air missiles, torpedo launchers and weapon systems for four-dimensional warfare, to be capable of engaging air, surface and sub-surface threats.