BRP Jose Rizal Frigate and HMNZS Aotearoa Replenishment Ship Hold Sea Trial Together

15 April 2020

BRP Jose Rizal Frigate and HMNZS Aotearoa Replenishment Ship (all photos : Philippine Navy)

The Philippine Navy’s future frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and Royal New Zealand Navy’s future replenishment ship HMNZS Aotearoa have conducted sea trial together.

A video of the said sea trial was released by Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). Both ships were built by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

“Aotearoa conducting Replenishment At Sea (RAS) Station Keeping Trials off the South Korean coast recently. Accompanied by a Philippine Navy Light Patrol Frigate, the trials assessed the ability for a ship to approach and remain alongside Aotearoa as a confirmation of the ship’s pressure and suction zones during refuelling or replenishment. She passed with flying colours,” RNZN said.

Flag Officer-in-Command Rear Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo already said that delivery of future BRP Jose Rizal is facing delay due to COVID-19 pandemic.

BRP Jose Rizal was expected to be delivered third week of April and was scheduled to be part of Western Pacific Symposium (WPNS)-International Fleet Review (IFR) in May in Manila. WPNS-IFR was indefinitely postponed due to COVID-19.

(Mintfo)