The guided-missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna has returned to the Philippines after sustaining minor damage during naval exercises in Malaysia, the Philippine Navy confirmed yesterday.
“Yes, we had the arrival ceremony yesterday (Thursday) in Subic [in Zambales],” said Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, in a San Juan City forum when asked if the warship is now back in the country.
BRP Antonio Luna was damaged on the port (left) side of its freeboard, or the distance between the waterline and the upper main deck of a ship, Navy spokesperson Capt. Marissa Martinez said on Tuesday.
Martinez said the incident happened on Aug. 27 at the Lumut Naval Base in Perak state during the Malphi-Laut Exercise 2025. The drills of Manila and Kuala Lumpur were held from Aug. 27 to 29.
Trinidad said the full assessment of its damage, including the cost of the damage and any effects on weapon systems, will be completed in “probably a week or two.”
“But I would say that it did not impede the operational performance of the ship,” Trinidad said.
“More importantly, what we will look at is the operational capability of our weapons systems,” he continued.
The official also pointed out that the initial repair of BRP Antonio Luna was already done by the crew while underway.
Commissioned in 2021, the BRP Antonio Luna is a South Korean-built frigate with a 2,600-ton gross displacement. Rex Espiritu
