By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
The Philippine Navy (PN) on Monday announced that one of the six offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) it ordered from South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the prospective Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), arrived in the country on Jan. 17.
The vessel is scheduled for technical inspection and assessment before it is commissioned and officially accepted into service.
“The PN’s newest OPV, the future BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), has arrived in the country from South Korea, which marks another significant addition to the Navy’s growing modern fleet, on January 17, 2026,” PN public affairs office chief Commander Marie Angelica Sisican said in a statement.
South Korean media earlier reported that the ship departed Ulsan on Jan. 13 for its voyage to the Philippines. Upon entering Philippine waters, the vessel was met off the coast of Zambales by the country’s first guided-missile frigate, BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), in accordance with standard naval protocols.
“After completing coordination and meeting procedures at sea, the future BRP Rajah Sulayman will begin post-delivery activities and technical checks,” Sisican said.
She added that BRP Rajah Sulayman is scheduled to undergo acceptance and pre-commissioning processes before its formal entry into active service.
“(This) underscores the PN’s commitment to strengthening its maritime defense and law enforcement capabilities through a modern, multi-domain, and self-reliant force,” Sisican said.
BRP Rajah Sulayman was launched on June 11, 2025, at the HD HHI shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.
The BRP Rajah Sulayman is the first of the six OPVs ordered from shipbuilder HD HHI, worth around P30 billion in 2022. (PNA)
