BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG6); BRP Gabriela Silang Arrives at Pearl Harbor
For the first time for the ship and those on-board, both the BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG6) and BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) has reached Honolulu, Hawaii as part of the Philippine contingent that will take part on this year’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises, which will include thirty (30) countries, forty (40) surface ships, fourteen (14) national land forces, more than one-hundred fifty (150) aircraft, and twenty-five thousand (25,000) personnel.
The arrival of the ship, which took place on June 22, 2026 comes at it departed from its homeport of Naval Operating Base Subic on June 4, 2026, and its quick replenishment and technical detour on Guam, until it passed by the International Dateline, the first one for the guided missile frigate since its commissioning on May 20, 2025. This endeavor showcased the capabilities of both the ship and its crew throughout the voyage to Hawaii for the exercise, that will last from June 24 to July 31, 2026.
Throughout the journey from the Philippines to Hawaii, the guided missile frigate comes accompanied with other ships such as the Formidable-class frigate RSS Steadfast (70) from the Singaporean Navy, Thaon di Revel-class patrol vessel Giovanni delle Bande Nere (P434) of the Italian Navy, Cheon Wang Bong-class landing ship ROKS Cheon Ja Bong (LST-687) of the Republic of Korea Navy, and the Kongo-class destroyer JS Kongo (DDG-173) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
The ships aformentioned took part on multiple drills while the voyage is taking underway, of which it involves the air defense preparedness of the ships and crew involved, along with conducting another drill that puts the said warships into ‘leapfrog maneuver’ that tests the formation of the vessels and exhibiting the communication and ship handling skills of each participating navies’ personnel.
In more than a month duration of the exercise, the Philippine Navy guided missile frigate will take part in multiple activities that will put it and its crew into learning and taking part on engaging and testing its capabilities in the test, with the exchange of expertise and ensuring interoperability with participating navies being the main theme of the entire exercise. This might eventually trickle down to the operational routine not only of the ship and its crew, but also to the service branch as a whole.
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(c) 2026 Pitz Defense Updates, a Pitz Defense Analysis extension.