Philippine Navy’s first Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessel departs South Korea.

The Philippine Navy’s first Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessel, BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), has departed the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, following completion of sea trials and fitting-out.

On January 13, 2025, 서각 이유충 합판 그림 조각가 shared a YouTube video showing that the Philippine Navy’s first Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessel, the BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), has departed the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, following completion of sea trials and fitting-out. The ship is now underway on its delivery transit to the Philippines, with arrival expected in late January 2026, ahead of final inspections and commissioning in Subic.
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The BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20) has a cruising speed of 15 knots, a maximum speed of 22 knots, and an operational range of 5,500 nautical miles at cruising speed, paired with an endurance of 30 days. (Picture source: Youtube/서각 이유충 합판 그림 조각가)

Philippine Navy’s first Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessel, the BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), departed the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, and began its delivery transit to the Philippines after completing fitting-out activities and sea trials in South Korean waters, with arrival in Philippine waters expected during the third or fourth week of January 2026. Once in the Philippines, the ship is expected to proceed to Subic for final inspections, acceptance procedures, and commissioning. The delivery is linked to the Horizon 2 phase of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program, which prioritizes sustained offshore patrol and maritime security capacity. Expectations associated with the departure also include the possibility that the remaining five vessels could be delivered on an accelerated timeline through 2027 or early 2028 if construction and trials continue at the same pace.

The Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessels are being built under a 2022 contract valued at ₱30 billion, equivalent to $573 million, covering six ships scheduled for delivery between 2025 and 2028. Each vessel has a full-load displacement ranging from 2,400 to 2,450 tonnes and measures about 94 to 94.4 meters in length with a beam of 14 to 14.3 meters and a draft of about 3.7 meters. Performance figures include a cruising speed of 15 knots, a maximum speed of 22 knots, and an operational range of 5,500 nautical miles at cruising speed, paired with an endurance of 30 days. Propulsion is based on a combined diesel and diesel arrangement using two MTU-STX diesel engines driving controllable-pitch propellers, with the top speed associated with operation at 85 percent maximum continuous rating. The standard crew complement is 72 personnel, supported by automation and habitability features intended for extended deployments.

Armament on the BRP Rajah Sulayman consists of a forward-mounted 76 mm OTO Melara Super Rapid naval gun supported by two Aselsan Smash 30 mm remote-controlled weapon systems and additional 12.7 mm heavy machine guns, while potential additions include point-defense missile launchers, close-in weapon systems, or other mission-specific equipment. Small-boat operations are enabled by a stern ramp for a 9.5-meter rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) and two 7.2-meter RHIBs housed in side bays, supporting boarding, interception, rescue, and maritime law enforcement tasks. A stern mission area is designed for containerized payloads and specialized modules, including equipment sets for economic zone patrols, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and disaster response. Aviation facilities include a flight deck and hangar capable of operating helicopters up to 10 tonnes, such as the AW109, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.

The sensor and combat system fit integrates a Hanwha Systems combat management system with a Leonardo SPS-732 air and surface surveillance radar and a Safran PASEO XLR electro-optical identification and fire control system. Navigation and shiphandling are managed through an Anschütz Synapsis NX integrated bridge and navigation system, supported by Hensoldt SharpEye Mk.11 navigation radars. Defensive systems include electronic measures and Terma C-Guard DL-6T decoy launchers, each with six 130 mm tubes for infrared and radio-frequency countermeasures. Three of the six ships are planned to receive towed active-passive sonar systems supplied by the Canadian company GeoSpectrum Technologies to expand underwater detection capabilities. The class is also equipped with integrated communications and link-ready data systems to enable interoperability with other naval assets. Cost context associated with onboard systems includes an estimated PHP 5 billion per ship, about $95.5 million at 2021 rates, and a combined value of about $34.5 million for combat management system and tactical data link supply contracts across all six vessels.

The acquisition of the six Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) followed a government-to-government process after proposals from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Türkiye’s ASFAT, with Hyundai’s design evolving from the HDP-1500 Neo to the HDP-2200 and ultimately the HDP-2200+ configuration. Changes associated with this evolution include increased hull length, higher displacement, and improved modularity, with the final design receiving an Approval in Principle from classification society DNV for compliance with naval standards. The program traces its origins to the Philippine Navy’s Horizon 2 modernization phase launched in 2018, which authorized six new offshore patrol ships to replace aging World War II-era vessels. The class is intended to replace older Jacinto-class patrol vessels while complementing Jose Rizal-class frigates and upcoming HDC-3100 corvettes built by the same shipbuilder. Planned roles include maritime security, border surveillance, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, disaster relief, and sustained patrols in areas such as the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait, reducing the operational burden on older navy units and the Philippine Coast Guard.

Construction milestones for the BRP Rajah Sulayman include keel laying on February 5, 2025, and launching on June 11, 2025, followed by sea trials that began in November 2025 off the South Korean coast. The January 2026 departure marks the transition from trials to delivery, with final acceptance planned after arrival in the Philippines and handover expected by March 2026. The follow-on vessels are named BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS-21), BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-22), BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-23), BRP Datu Marikudo (PS-24), and BRP Datu Sikatuna (PS-25), with PS-21 launched in November and expected to be delivered in the coming months. The delivery schedule officially extends through 2028, but the pace of construction and testing supports the possibility of completing all six ships by the second half of 2027 or early 2028. The lead ship is named after a 16th-century chieftain of Manila and is intended to set the operational baseline for the class.

The Rajah Sulayman-class represents the third consecutive naval project between the Philippines and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, following earlier frigate and corvette programs initiated in 2016 and 2021. Over the past five years, the shipbuilder has delivered four frigates to the Philippine Navy, and once current projects are completed, it will have built a total of 12 warships for the service. In December 2025, an additional ₱34 billion contract, equivalent to $585 million, was signed for two new frigates, further expanding the scope of ongoing naval construction. Within the offshore patrol vessel program, the six ships are intended to form a standardized long-range patrol force capable of 30-day missions over 5,500 nautical miles, with common combat management, navigation, and electronic support systems. Their operational focus remains on low- to medium-intensity maritime tasks, deterrence support, and response missions, rather than high-end combat roles.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.