The steel cutting for the second frigate of the Philippine Navy (PN) was held in South Korea last Monday, a Philippine Navy spokesman said Wednesday.

Commander Jonathan Zata, citing Captain Sergio Bartolome, the Navy representative supervising the frigate construction project, the ceremony for the second frigate with project number P160 was held at the Shin Hwa Tech (sub-contractor of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for steel cutting) located at Pohang City, South Korea.

“The HHI project manager and staff attended the activity together with representatives from Lloyds Shipping register, Philippine Navy and executives of Shin Hwa,” he said.

The steel cutting ceremony signals the start of construction of the vessel. It can be recalled that the construction of the first frigate for the Philippine Navy started following its steel cutting ceremony which was attended by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and other defense officials in April.

Zata said after the steel cutting the keel laying, or placement of the backbone of the ship, for the first frigate will be done on October 16 at dock Nr 6 of HHI Special and Naval Shipbuilding Division, Ulsan, South Korea.

Zata said the first frigate is expected to be delivered in the country by 2020 while the second one is expected by 2021.

“The Philippine Navy frigate project is part of the ongoing modernization program that seeks to provide a credible defense capability for the PN and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),” he said. Robina Asido/DMS