New guided-missile frigate enters the Lephi navy to get rid of the name of the "Master" class fleet
The service of the "José Rizal" has created many historical records for the Philippines-the Philippines' first guided-missile frigate, the Philippines' first possession of ship-to-ship and ship-to-air missiles, and the Philippines' first time in 20 years Later he regained his torpedo weapons.
Our reporter Zhang Qiang
Recently, the Philippines’ first guided-missile frigate "José Rizal" officially entered the Navy. According to the statement of the Philippine Navy, the "Jose Rizal" frigate has a maximum speed of 25 knots and a cruising range of 4,500 nautical miles. It is the first frigate capable of missile attack in the history of the Philippines. It is equipped with a missile system and many weapons. Combat missions such as air defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine. The second frigate of the same class will be delivered in half a year.
In this regard, military science writer Chen Guangwen said: "The overall level of the'José Rizal' guided-missile frigate is comparable to that of light frigates in other Southeast Asian countries. In particular, the ship’s armaments are modernized compared to the existing warships of the Philippine Navy. The SSM-700K anti-ship missile is the first long-range anti-ship missile equipped by the Philippine Navy. The missile has a maximum range of 180 kilometers, which will greatly enhance the anti-ship capabilities of the Philippine Navy. Its service is for the Philippine Navy. It can be described as a historic breakthrough, which marks that the Philippine Navy has officially got rid of its obsolete equipment."
For the first modern ace battleship
In September 2016, the Philippines and Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea signed a contract to build two "José Rizal" class frigates at a cost of 18 billion pesos (about 360 million US dollars). The two guided missile frigates were built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, with the "Jose Rizal" frigate as the lead ship.
Public information shows that the "José Rizal" has a total length of 107 meters and a staffing of 110 people. It is powered by four diesel engines and is powered by a full diesel engine. The maximum speed is 25 knots, the cruising speed is 15 knots, and the continuous cruise capability at sea is 30 day. Its sister ship "Antonio Luna" was launched in November 2019 and is currently still being outfitted.
Chen Guangwen introduced that the "José Rizal" class light frigate adopts a stealth design, and is equipped with modern search radar, sonar system and command system. The weapon equipment includes 76mm caliber rapid-fire naval gun, SMASH 30mm automatic weapon station, The launcher that can launch the SSM-700K anti-ship missile made in Korea, the French "Northwest Wind" Simbad-RC double-mounted short-range air defense missile system, the triple-mounted 324 mm torpedo launching system, and the 8-unit CAMM short-range air defense missile Vertical launch system, and it can carry an AW-159 anti-submarine helicopter. In addition, the ship is also equipped with chaff and decoy self-defense systems against missile attacks.
It should be pointed out that the "José Rizal" was designed on the basis of Hyundai Heavy Industries' HDF-2600 export frigate.
"The HDF-2600 export frigate is a simplified version of the Daegu-class frigate in South Korea. The Daegu-class frigate used by South Korea is 3,080 tons, while the frigate built for the Philippines is only 2,600 tons." Chen Guangwen said that the difference between the ship and the Daegu class is mainly The displacement is reduced by nearly 480 tons, and the power system is not the diesel-fuel alternate power of the Korean frigate, so the maximum speed is also 5 knots lower. In terms of weapons and equipment, except for anti-ship missiles and torpedoes, the other models are designated by the Philippines, while the Daegu-class is equipped with a 127mm main gun and 16 units of K-SAAM missile vertical launch system developed by South Korea. Therefore, the combat capability gap between the two is relatively obvious.
"From a comprehensive point of view, the ship can conduct air defense, surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and electronic warfare. For the Philippine Navy armed with the ``old ship'' of World War II, it can be described as the first modern ace warship." Chen Guangwen said. .
Created multiple historical records
For a long time, the equipment situation of the Philippine Navy has not been satisfactory. With limited budgets, the main task of the Philippine Navy in the past was to deal with the "sea strikes" of the rebels. It was a nearshore navy that mainly carried out counter-insurgency and focused on island operations.
"After the 1990s, due to the lack of funds for the Philippine defense development, the Philippine Navy could only continue to receive second-hand ships from'Western friendly countries' for a long time. The main frigate' Raja Humabang When the number was retired, it was even a “third-hand ship” with a 74-year history of service, with a full-load displacement of only 1,650 tons. The overall level can be imagined. After the withdrawal of the US military, the Philippine Navy has not made much progress, and its equipment is also It is still dominated by old ships, which can be said to be a veritable'Master' class fleet." Chen Guangwen said that after Aquino III came to power, the Philippines began to commit to introducing some newer ships to improve its comprehensive combat capabilities, but In fact, what he got was still the "Master" ship that was sold and given away by the US Navy.
In 2011, the Philippine Navy received the "Hamilton" class patrol ship retired from the US Coast Guard, with a displacement of 3,250 tons. The first ship was named "Del Bilal" with the bow number "PF-15". It is called a frigate, which is also the most advanced and largest warship owned by the Philippine Navy since its establishment. Subsequently, the Philippines also acquired two other "Hamilton" class patrol ships, namely PF-16 "Alcaras" and PF-17 "Ponifacio".
"However, this class of ship is not a warship, but a frigate retired by the U.S. Coast Guard. It is equivalent to a Chinese maritime surveillance ship. The largest weapon is a 76mm naval gun and two 25mm rapid-fire guns. It is simply unable to perform modern naval combat missions. Although the ship of this class is still not equipped with modern missiles and torpedoes, and the average age of the ship has reached about 50 years, it still has greatly improved the combat capability of the Philippine Navy." Chen Guangwen said.
For this reason, the service of the "José Rizal" has created multiple historical records for the Philippines-the Philippines’ first guided-missile frigate, the Philippines has ship-to-ship and ship-to-air missiles for the first time, and at the same time allows the Philippines to After 20 years, he regained his torpedo weapons.
The overall strength of the sea is still limited
“Because the national power is not very strong, it is difficult for the Philippines to come up with funds to purchase new modern warships. However, when Aquino III stepped down in 2016, he had decided to order new frigates from abroad to'maintain maritime sovereignty'.” Chen Guangwen introduced, from From the most economical point of view, the Philippines ordered two simplified light frigates from South Korea. The overall level of the ship is comparable to the light frigates of other countries in Southeast Asia, but the ship’s weaponry is much more modern than the existing warships of the Philippine Navy.
"In addition to surface warships, the Philippine Navy is also seeking to have underwater combat power." Chen Guangwen said, in August 2018, the Philippines and Russia reached a draft memorandum of understanding, Russia will provide assistance for the Philippines to establish a submarine force. The Philippines expressed interest in the Russian 636.3 Alrosa class submarine. This type of submarine is an improved version of the "Kilo" class submarine. Although it does not have an AIP system, the overall performance is good and the price is moderate.
Although the modernization of the Philippine Navy has been rapid in recent years, the level of technical equipment has improved slightly, and it has developed into an inshore navy with relatively complete arms configuration, but its overall strength is still limited. "It should be pointed out that even if the Philippine Navy completes the modernization process, but limited to its scale, its combat capability is still average." Chen Guangwen said.
The reporter noted that the Philippine Air Force recently issued a statement that the six Hermes-900 mid-height and long-endurance UAVs purchased from Israel are expected to be delivered this year. It is said that this kind of UAV can well undertake the task of patrolling the long coastline of the Philippines. Today, the "José Rizal" frigate has entered the Philippine Navy. In a sense, the Philippine army has more means and options for combat and defense in its maritime direction.
In this regard, Chen Guangwen said that after the two "José Rizal" class frigates are put into service, the Philippine Navy's ability to safeguard the sovereignty of the Philippine Islands will be greatly enhanced. From a tactical point of view, two frigates with certain combat capabilities can provide a certain deterrent capability for the Philippine Navy, and the combination of the ship and the Hermes-900 UAV can allow the Philippine Navy to maintain maritime rights and interests. Not only will the initiative be enhanced, but it can also provide a larger range of operations, patrols, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities while maintaining its own maritime rights and interests.
"Moreover, if the'José Rizal' can participate in the U.S.-organized'Ring-Pacific Military Exercise'-2020 joint military exercise as scheduled, it will not only be a new historical beginning for the Philippines, but it will also learn from it. Advanced naval warfare tactics have cultivated a group of officers, sailors and mechanics who can skillfully use and manage modern naval ship management and technology for the Philippine Navy to adapt to the future development plan of the Philippine Navy." Chen Guangwen said.