BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150)

BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150)
BRP Jose Rizal at RIMPAC 2020
Career	Philippines
Name:	BRP Jose Rizal
Ordered:	24 October 2016
Builder:	Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan, South Korea
Laid down:	16 October 2018
Launched:	23 May 2019
Commissioned:	10 July 2020
Status:	In active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class & type:	Jose Rizal-class frigate
Displacement:	2,600 tons
Length:	107.5 m (353 ft)
Beam:	13.8 m (45 ft)
Draft:	6.9 m (23 ft)
Installed power:	4 × MTU-STX 12V2000-M41B diesel generators, each producing around 650 kW (872 shp)
Propulsion:	Combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) arrangement: 4 × MTU-STX 12V1163-TB93 12-cylinder diesel engines
Speed:	25 knots (46 km/h)
Range:	4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km)
Endurance:	30 Days
Boats & landing craft carried:	2 × RHIB
Crew:	65 organic + 25 non-organic
Sensors and processing systems:	Combat System: Hanwha Systems Naval Shield Baseline 2 ICMS Search radar: Hensoldt TRS-3D Baseline D multi-mode phased array C-band radar Navigation radar: Kelvin Hughes SharpEye I, E/F band radars Fire control radar: Selex ES NA-25X fire control radar Electro-Optical Tracking System: Safran PASEO NS (Naval System) Tactical Data Link: Hanwha Group Hanwha Systems Link P (Link K Derivative) Air warfare Data Link 16 (planned) Maritime Data Link 22 (planned) Sonar: Harris Corporation Model 997 medium frequency active/passive ASW hull mounted sonar, Thales CAPTAS-2 Towed Array Sonar (planned)
Electronic warfare & decoys:	ESM:Elbit Systems Elisra NS9300A Countermeasures : Terma C-Guard, 2 x DL-6T launcher group with 6 x 130mm tubes
Armament:	Guns: 1 x Oto Melara 76 mm Super Rapid Gun, 1 x ASELSAN SMASH 30mm Secondary Gun, 4 x S&T Motiv 12.7mm K6 Heavy Machine Guns, 1 x Close-in weapon system (FFBNW) Anti-air missile: 2 x Twin MBDA Simbad RC with Mistral missiles, 1 x single 8-cell Vertical Launching System (FFBNW) Anti-surface missile: 2 x Twin LIGNex1 SSM-700K C-Star Anti Ship Missile Torpedoes: 2 x SEA Triple Trainable Torpedo Launchers
Aircraft carried:	1 × Leonardo AW-159 Wildcat naval helicopter
Aviation facilities:	Flight deck and enclosed hangar

BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) is the lead ship of her class, ordered for the Philippine Navy. It is also the first purpose-built frigate of the service, as its major warships were mostly transferred from other navies and reclassified as frigates.

The frigates are expected to be delivered to the Philippine Navy by 2020, and will become the service's primary warships until the introduction of new and more powerful warships.

Construction and Design

The BRP Jose Rizal was designed and built by South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and was based on the HDF-2600 frigate design, which in turn was derived from the Incheon-class frigate of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN).

Changes were made on the base design by making use of design features found on newer frigate designs for the ROKN like the Incheon-class' successor the Daegu-class frigate, considering reduced radar cross-section by having cleaner lines and smooth surface design, and reduced overhangs. It also features a low free-board design similar also to the Daegu-class and the HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej of the Royal Thai Navy.

It was assigned the project number P159 by HHI, and the First Steel Cutting ceremony was held on 1 May 2018 in HHI's shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.

The Keel Laying ceremony was held on 16 October 2018, and the Launching was held on 23 May 2019.

From November 2019 to February 2020, HHI held six sea trials that tested:

• the vessel's general seaworthiness and propulsion and associated systems, including its radars,
• the communications and navigational equipment,
• firing of its Super Rapid 76mm main gun,
• weapons and sensors, vessel performance, and integrated platform management system.

The entire team of the Technical Inspection and Acceptance Committee witnessed the sea acceptance tests for the ship in South Korea, and reported that it had “generally satisfactory” results.

On May 23, 2020, the ship arrived in Subic Bay, Zambales after a five-day journey from Ulsan, South Korea. The commissioning was delayed after one of the ship's 65-crew tested positive for COVID-19 amidst the pandemic. On July 10, 2020, the ship was eventually commissioned into service, making the name BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) official.

Service history

The BRP Jose Rizal participated in RIMPAC 2020.

In December 2021, she was dispatched to Palawan to provide humanitarian assistance to communities affected by Typhoon Odette.

On 16 October 2022, Jose Rizal became the first Philippine Navy ship to conduct a Replenishment at Sea when she received 30,000 liters of fuel from HMAS Stalwart of the Royal Australian Navy.

On 27 April 2023, Jose Rizal participated in the sinking of BRP Pangasinan as part of the Balikatan 2023 exercise. The ship fired its naval guns at BRP Pangasinan.

On 15 June 2023, Jose Rizal arrived in Ulsan, South Korea for her first dry docking and refit period. The refit of both ships of the class was completed as of September 2023.

On 4 September 2023, Jose Rizal conducted a bilateral sail with the USS Ralph Johnson in the South China Sea.

On 8 May 2024, Jose Rizal fired an SSM-700K C-Star anti-ship missile at the decommissioned BRP Lake Caliraya as part of the Balikatan 2024 exercise. Also participating in the exercise was the BRP Lawrence Narag firing a Spike NLOS missile, aircraft from the Philippine Air Force and United States Air Force, and ATMOS 2000 artillery from the Philippine Army. The Lake Caliraya sunk at 10:49AM, over two hours after the exercise began.

Between 28 November to 29 November 2024, Jose Rizal tracked the Russian Navy submarine Ufa as the former conducted a surfaced transit of the West Philippine Sea within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, enroute to the Kamchatka Naval Base.

In February 2025, Jose Rizal was conducting a "regular maritime and sovereignty patrol" when she monitored three People's Liberation Army Navy vessels off. She warned off and issued radio challenges to the Chinese vessels. She conducted a joint patrol with BRP Gregorio del Pilar, French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, French frigate Forbin, French frigate Alsace, French frigate Provence, and Replenishment Ship Jacques Chevallier in the West Philippine Sea.

See also

• BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151)
• List of ships of the Philippine Navy