The Philippine government is set to order two modern corvettes from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the country's defence secretary confirmed on Tuesday, August 20.
Mr Delfin Lorenzana told local reporters that the South Korean shipbuilder based in Ulsan was selected to supply the vessels upon the recommendation of the Philippine Navy.
Mr Lorenzana added that navy officials have cited systems and weapons compatibility as the main reason for recommending HHI, which is also currently building two Jose Rizal-class guided-missile frigates for the Philippines.
The officials believe that having almost similar systems and weapons on board the two differing warship types will help make training more efficient and thus ensure greater availability of crews who are qualified to operate either type.
Philippine Navy flag officer in-command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad had earlier remarked that the corvettes, which are expected to cost approximately PHP 14 billion (US$270 million) apiece, will feature more advanced weapons systems than those that will be installed on the Jose Rizal-class ships.