Seoul: Hanwha Systems Co., a defense solutions unit of South Korea's Hanwha Group, announced on Wednesday that it has secured a 40 billion-won (US$27.7 million) contract to supply advanced combat management systems (CMS) to the Philippine Navy. This marks the fifth contract of its kind with the Southeast Asian nation.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Hanwha Systems will provide CMS and tactical data links (TDL) for the Philippine Navy's two 3,200-ton next-generation frigates. The CMS functions as the central command of a ship, integrating all equipment, including sensors, weapons, and communications systems, into a unified system to enhance threat countermeasures. Meanwhile, TDL facilitates the real-time sharing of tactical information among naval units.

Hanwha Systems noted that the equipment will be specifically tailored to suit the operational environment of the Philippines, which comprises more than 7,600 islands. This latest deal builds on Hanwha Systems' previous contracts with the Philippine Navy, which began in 2017.

Hanwha Systems emphasized that the CMS has been developed entirely with proprietary technology. The company has already supplied these systems to a variety of surface and underwater vessels utilized by the South Korean Navy.