Singapore lays down keel for first multirole combat vessel

Keel for the Republic of Singapore Navy's first MRCV seen here at its keel-laying ceremony on 22 October 2024. (Republic of Singapore Navy)

Singapore has laid down the keel for the country's first multirole combat vessel (MRCV).

A ceremony to mark the keel-laying was carried out on the premises of state-affiliated defence company ST Engineering on 22 October, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) disclosed the same day.

Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) announced in March 2023 that it has awarded ST Engineering the contract to design and build a total of six MRCVs for the RSN.

This announcement came just days after Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) disclosed that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Saab to co-develop and design the MRCVs.

These new frigate-like vessels will replace the RSN's fleet of Victory-class corvettes, which have been in service since 1990.

Steel for the first MRCV was cut in March 2024.

Neither MINDEF nor DSTA have given detailed specifications of the MRCVs, but official computer-generated imageries that have been released so far depict a ship with an overall length of between 110 and 130 m.

These images also depict a superstructure and composite mast with reduced radar cross-section (RCS) features, presumably to enhance the vessel's overall stealthiness.

Images released by the RSN in its social media channels to announce the keel-laying milestone on 22 October also indicate that the MRCV will have a beam that is either comparable with or larger than the service's Formidable-class frigates.

The RSN is scheduled to receive its first MRCV in 2028.

For more information, please seeSingapore MRCV class (FFGHM).