The upcoming commission of two purpose built Jose Rizal-class frigates is unprecedented for the Philippines, who has relied heavily on second-hand warships since independence. But this strategy has proven flawed. Defence planners must maximise the strategic value of the two frigates through appropriate deployment, and a comprehensive plan for naval modernisation is crucial, wrote RSIS Research Fellow Wu Shang-Su in a commentary. But the Philippine’s journey to meet the defence demands of its immense maritime territory will be a long one, he added.

…Shang-Su Wu is a Research Fellow in the Regional Security Architecture Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.