The Philippine Navy (PN) said its newest offshore patrol vessel, the future BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), along with five sister ships to be delivered within the next two to three years, can be optimized for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions.
Navy spokesperson Captain Marissa Martinez said in a Friday interview that the capability is enabled by the vessels’ “mission modules,” which allow them to be configured for various operational roles. ASW is a naval mission where surface combatants are tasked with detecting, tracking, and, if necessary, destroying hostile submarine contacts.
“The mission modules for the OPVs I mentioned include ASW,” she added.
Aside from ASW, other mission modules for the Rajah Sulayman-class include search and rescue, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Depending on the ships’ tasks, these modules can be loaded before leaving port.
Martinez added that the Rajah Sulayman-class OPVs will be very effective for ASW as these ships are equipped with a helideck, unlike older ships of similar design in the PN.
“They can be paired with our ASW helicopters for these missions,” she said.
The PN has two AW-159 “Wildcat” anti-submarine helicopters in service as of this posting. Reports indicate that around four to six more units are to be acquired to equip the two brand-new Miguel Malvar-class guided missile frigates and the Rajah Sulayman OPVs.
In addition to ASW and other missions, the Rajah Sulayman OPVs can be deployed for operations “in the littorals until the EEZ (exclusive economic zone).”
The future BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20) is the lead ship of the Rajah Sulayman-class OPVs and the first OPV constructed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the PN. It is designed for sustained operations, allowing for a consistent and responsible naval presence in the country’s maritime zones, including the West Philippine Sea.
These ships can also support maritime patrols, domain awareness, and law enforcement missions in accordance with international law, contributing to the protection of Filipino fisherfolk and the promotion of safe maritime activities.
Contracts for these OPVs are worth P30 billion. The ship was launched on June 11, 2025, at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.
