THE BRP Miguel Malvar, the Philippine Navy’s (PN) newly commissioned frigate armed with guided missile, is also the command’s warship to have a vertical launch system (VLS) specifically designed to counter aerial threats.
Philippine Navy spokesman Capt. John Percie Alcos made the observation when asked what sets the BRP Miguel Malvar—commissioned on May 20—apart from other vessels in the fleet.
“Number One, it is our first asset (that has a ) VLS on-board. Number Two, why is it special? The warships that we have, that have anti-air warfare capability, you still have to maneuver to be able to fire. With BRP Miguel Malvar, you don’t have to maneuver anymore, it is omni-directional, you can fire in any position you are in,” he added.
The VLS is an advanced missile storage and launch platform installed on naval vessels, designed to enhance their capability to meet aerial threats effectively.
According to Alcos, the VLS fitted on the BRP Miguel Malvar consists of 16 launch tubes and is optimized for surface-to-air engagements. This configuration significantly boosts the frigate’s ability to counter air threats, making it a formidable presence in the fleet.
Currently, the BRP Miguel Malvar stands as the most advanced and heavily armed ship in the Philippine Navy’s inventory. The frigate has a displacement of 3,200 gross tons, an overall length of 118.4 meters, and a beam of 14.9 meters. It has an operational range of 4,500 nautical miles, a cruising speed of 15 knots, and can reach a maximum speed of 25 knots.
Designed for multi-domain combat, the BRP Miguel Malvar is equipped with cutting-edge sensors, surveillance systems, and weapons platforms capable of detecting and engaging threats from the surface, subsurface, and air.
Its arsenal includes an Oto Melara 76mm main gun, a 35mm Aselsan close-in weapons system (CIWS), four .50 caliber heavy machine guns, eight C-Star surface-to-surface missile launchers, two triple launchers for Blue Shark torpedoes used in anti-submarine warfare, and 16 VLS tubes for air defense.
Before the arrival of the BRP Miguel Malvar, the most modern warships in the Philippine Navy were the two Jose Rizal-class frigates. These vessels have a displacement of 2,600 gross tons, measure 107.5 meters in length with a beam of 13.8 meters, and are armed with a 76mm Oto Melara main gun, four C-Star missile launchers, two triple torpedo tubes, two Simbad RC twin-Mistral missile launchers, and four .50 caliber machine guns.
