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PH Navy's C-Star anti-ship missile makes comeback in 'Balikatan' 2025

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno
April 25, 2025, 12:22 pm

MANILA -- The Philippine Navy's (PN) most potent anti-ship weapon, the South Korean-made LIG NEX 1 C-Star "sea-skimming" surface-to-surface cruise missile, will again play a major role in this year's "Balikatan" exercise.

According to the "Balikatan" information kit, the C-Star cruise missile will be fired anew in the "maritime strike" (MARSTRIKE) portion of the drills on May 5, targeting a decommissioned World War II corvette.

On May 8, 2024, a C-Star was fired for the first time by the BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150).

It served as the coup de grace for the decommissioned naval tanker, the former BRP Lake Caliraya (AF-81), which was struck by the smaller NLOS (non-line of sight) missile fired by the BRP Lawrence Narag (PG-907) during the MARSTRIKE in last year's Balikatan off the waters of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

Both missiles hit the target squarely, sinking the target vessel, which was also pummeled by Philippine and US aircraft with their airborne weapons.

Last year's C-Star firing was a historic event for the PN as in the past, Filipino naval ships only had naval guns with effective ranges of 3 km. to 16 km., depending on the caliber. In comparison, the C-Star has an estimated range of 180 km. to 200 km.

The C-Star is the primary anti-ship weapon of the BRP Jose Rizal and its sister ship, the BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151). The frigates, delivered and commissioned in 2020 and 2021, respectively, are equipped with four C-Star launch tubes each.

Meanwhile, the soon-to-be-commissioned BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06) and its sister ship, the BRP Diego Silang (FFG-07), are expected to be armed with eight C-Star launch tubes aside from the usual anti-air missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, and a 76mm main gun, along with secondary gun systems.

For this year's MARSTRIKE, the decommissioned World War II corvette, the former BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19), will be targeted and sunk off the Naval Education Training Command in San Antonio, Zambales.

The former BRP Miguel Malvar was originally the USS Brattleboro (PCER-852), a rescue patrol craft of the US Navy that was transferred to the Philippines in 1976.

Before its transfer to the PN, the ship served the then Republic of Vietnam Navy, having been transferred there by the US Navy in 1966.

Aside from the C-Star, other assets that could be used to sink the World War II corvette are the Philippine Air Force's FA-50PH fighter jets, the US military's F-16s and F-35s, and possibly the F-18s. (PNA)