The keels for the first two offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) being built for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) have been laid at the Western Baltic Shipyard in Klaipėda, Lithuania, on 7 April, the service announced on its social media accounts on the same day.
The keel-laying ceremony was officiated by Singapore’s Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral Aaron Beng, and attended by Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Sean Wat, as well as other representatives from the RSN and their Lithuanian counterparts, Defence Science and Technology Agency, German prime contractor Fassmer, BLRT Grupp, and Singaporean defence and engineering company ST Engineering.
Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) earlier announced in November 2023 that selected German shipbuilder Fassmer to build four new OPVs for the RSN. The vessels are now being built in Lithuania and Germany, according to the RSN.
The new OPVs will replace the same number of Sentinel-class Maritime Security Response Vessels (MSRVs) – currently operated by the RSN’s Maritime Security and Response Flotilla as an interim solution – from 2028 onwards.
MINDEF did not disclose detailed specifications of the new ships and the contract value, although it noted that these are based on a “proven OPV design” in service with the German Federal Police (Bundespolizei).
“[The OPVs] are designed with high manoeuvrability to operate in Singapore’s congested waters, and equipped with a suite of lethal and less-lethal capabilities to provide flexibility and calibrated response against a wide spectrum of maritime threats,” said MINDEF in its statement.
Fassmer earlier delivered four 86 m-class OPVs to the Bundespolizei and known as the Potsdam-class. These are armed with a BAE Mk110 57mm main gun and feature a stern helicopter deck that can support medium-sized helos such as the service’s Airbus H215 Super Pumas as well as provision for two boats and five 20-foot containers.
The RSN is looking to replace the 55 m MSRVs, which are essentially stripped-down versions of retired Fearless-class patrol that have in turn been replaced by the Independence-class Littoral Mission Vessels (LMVs).
by Jr Ng
