KSOE President Ka Sam-hyun, right, shakes hands with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin N. Lorenzana after inking a deal to deliver six Wonhae patrol ships, at the Department of National Defense of the Philippines in Manila, Monday. Courtesy of HHI

By Kim Hyun-bin

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) signed a contract with the Philippine Department of National Defense, Monday, to construct six 2,400-ton offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) worth $573 million.

The signing ceremony of the OPV contract was held at the Philippine Department of National Defense in Manila, in the presence of Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, Philippine Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces General Andres Centino, Philippine Navy Vice Commander Caesar Bernard N. Valencia, Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (KSOE) President Ka Sam-hyun, HHI Naval & Special Ship Business Unit Chief Operating Offer Nam Sang-hoon and Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines Kim In-chul.

Each OPV for the Philippine Navy weighs in at 2,400 tons, 94.4 meters long, 14.3 meters wide, and will finish construction at HHI's Ulsan shipyard by 2028. Each vessel will be equipped with a 76mm main gun, two 30mm secondary guns and a helideck capable of operating a helicopter and unmanned aerial vehicles.

HHI previously signed a contract with the Philippine Department of National Defense for the construction of two corvettes in 2021, as well as to build two BRP Jose Rizal-class frigates in 2016.

"I am glad that our strategy, in which we preemptively developed and exported various types of naval vessels by studying global market demand, has come to fruition," HHI COO Nam Sang-hoon said. "We will continue to lead the naval ship market by focusing on technological development through intensive investment in R&D, along with business diversification."