Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced on April 26 that the Philippine Navy’s future frigates will be equipped with a lightweight ALPHA 3D Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system.
In a statement, the company said it had signed an agreement with a South Korean shipyard.
) to integrate the radar on two of the latter’s multi-role frigates that it has contracted to build for the Navy.
Developed by IAI’s ELTA division, the ALPHA 3D radar system shares technology with the larger MF-STAR radar and features a modular structure and fully digital software-driven architecture that enables it to be continuously enhanced through software updates to address new threats. The radar will be fully integrated with the Combat Management System (CMS) provided by South Korea’s Hanwha Systems.
“This agreement is a testament to IAI’s close collaboration and collaboration with the modern and Asian defense ecosystem. Incorporating IAI’s groundbreaking AESA technology into the Philippine Navy’s new ships demonstrates the [HHI] Said Yoav Tourgeman, Vice President of IAI and CEO of ELTA.
The Philippine Department of Defense (DND) signed a $535 million contract with HHI for two new corvettes in December 2021. The Philippine Department of Defense did not reveal further details of the new corvettes at the time, but said the ships would be able to undertake anti-surface, anti-submarine and air defense operations. It is believed that HHI will use a version of its 3,100-ton and 114-meter-long HDC-3100 platform concept.
The first frigate is expected to be handed over to the Philippine Navy in 2023, and the second frigate is scheduled for delivery in 2025.
The contract marks the second major defense acquisition between HHI and the Philippines. The company earlier won a bid to build two new frigates for the Navy, which are based on the South Korean Navy’s Incheon (FFX-I)-class platform. Both ships are now in service as the Jose Rizal class.
by Jr Ng
