Missile-capable frigate BRP Jose Rizal inches closer to entering PH Navy’s fleet

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Jan 19, 2020): Missile-capable frigate BRP Jose Rizal inches closer to entering PH Navy’s fleet (By Frances Mangosing)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy’s first missile-capable frigate, the future BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), is moving closer to join the naval fleet.

Outgoing Navy chief Vice Adm. Robert Empedrad, who will retire in early February, said that they are in the “final stage” on evaluating if the upcoming warship has met the requirements in the contract.

“Actually tapos na ‘yung sea trial ng ship at sea. Na-test na nila lahat and then okay na. There is some fine-tuning in the weapons systems,” he said. (Actually we’re done with the sea trials. They have tested everything and it’s done.)

Tactical Data Link 16

But it remains to be seen whether or not the combat management systems (CMS) or the “brains” of the ship is finally compatible with Tactical Data Link (TDL) 16, a military network used by NATO and allied forces to exchange data in real time.

The Department of National Defense and Armed Forces of the Philippines are aiming that its various platforms would be set up with TDL 16.

The Philippine government signed a deal with Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the construction of two frigates for P16 billion in 2016. It was the selection of the ships’ CMS that triggered a controversy in late 2017.

Empedrad’s predecessor, Vice Adm. Ronald Joseph Mercado, was sacked from his post by the DND for supposedly insisting on a certain brand of CMS preferred by the Navy.

The Philippines Navy’s Technical Working Group and Project Management Team had selected Tacticos Thales for the CMS, which met their requirement of TDL 16 compatibility.

HHI recommended two brands of CMS for the Philippine warships — Tacticos Thales and Hanwha Systems. It first offered Tacticos Thales to the Navy, but later suggested to use Naval Shield of Hanwha Systems, which was not yet compatible with TDL 16.

Hanwha Systems previously committed itself to developing the TDL 16 compatibility by 2019. But in May last year, Hanwha said it would only be possible by 2020 because of the issues between Korean armed forces and US requirements.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1215063/missile-capable-frigate-brp-jose-rizal-inches-closer-to-entering-ph-navys-fleet