Abukuma-class escorts for the Philippine Navy

How useful would six Japanese Abukuma-class escorts be to the Philippine Navy?

Very useful for persistent presence and maritime-security work, even though their size and capabilities place them closer to corvettes than modern frigates.

The proposed transfer would give the Philippines six older escorts suited to maintaining a visible presence in contested waters. Harpoon, ASROC, a 76 mm gun, torpedo launchers and serviceable sensors give the roughly 2,000-ton ships useful surface and anti-submarine capabilities. Their air defence relies on guns. Japanese terminology calls them destroyer escorts, while the comparison here places them closer to corvettes than modern frigates. Their value lies in having enough vessels to respond to repeated fishing-vessel and coast-guard incursions without paying for a large destroyer's capabilities on every patrol.