Philippines Buying Maestrale Frigates May 2026

In 2012–2013, the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) explored acquiring two retired Maestrale -class frigates from the Italian Navy for roughly $270 million.

: These ships were meant to provide a "stop-gap" capability to address growing territorial disputes in the South China Sea. philippines buying maestrale frigates

Following the cancellation of the Italian deal, the Philippines turned to South Korea’s for its primary naval modernization. : The Maestrale frigates were eventually sold to

: The Maestrale frigates were eventually sold to Indonesia in a larger deal involving modern FREMM frigates. Shift to South Korean Warships philippines buying maestrale frigates

: Military leaders eventually decided that used 20-year-old ships would have maintenance costs that were too high. Instead, they opted to pursue a competitive bidding process for brand-new frigates .

While the Philippines initially considered purchasing from Italy as part of its military modernization, the deal was ultimately dropped in favor of acquiring brand-new, more advanced vessels . The Botched Maestrale Deal