Singapore decommissions three more Fearless-class patrol vessels

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has decommissioned three more Fearless-class patrol vessels.

RSS Fearless (pennant number 94), RSS Brave (95) and RSS Dauntless (99) were retired in a ceremony held on 27 August at the Tuas Naval Base, marking the service’s progressive handover of operational duties from Fearless-class patrol vessels to the new Independence-class Littoral Mission Vessels (LMVs), the eighth of which was launched in January 2019.

RSN patrol vessels RSS Fearless (foreground), RSS Brave (middle), and RSS Dauntless (background-left) during their decommissioning ceremony on 27 August at Tuas Naval Base. (MINDEF)

Following the recent decommissioning, only two of an initial 12 Fearless-class vessels – RSS Gallant and RSS Freedom – remain in RSN service, according to Jane’s Fighting Ships .

RSS Fearless and RSS Brave were commissioned on 5 October 1996, while RSS Dauntless was commissioned on 3 May 1997.

During their operational service these three ships, all of which featured anti-submarine warfare capabilities, “advanced defence relations by participating in bilateral and multilateral exercises with foreign navies” and were “an integral part of the Maritime Security Task Force’s (MSTF)’s High Readiness Core and truly lived up to 182 Squadron’s motto of being ‘Sharp and Vigilant’”, according to a statement issued by Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) that same day.

The MSTF is responsible for daily patrols, boarding, and escort operations in the Singapore Strait.