Singapore shipbuilder ST Engineering Marine has laid the keel for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)’s first Multi-Role Combat Vessel (MRCV) on 22 October, the service announced in social media post on the same day.
“Our first MRCV is projected to join the RSN from 2028 onwards,” the RSN stated in its post.
“The MRCVs will function as a ‘mothership’, capable of operating unmanned systems,” it added. “They are also designed with modularity and will support a wide spectrum of missions and operations.”
The MRCVs are designed by Swedish defence prime Saab in collaboration with Denmark’s Odense Maritime Technology (OMT) and is based on a modified version of the latter’s Royal Danish Navy’s Absalon-class and Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate design merged with elements of Saab’s composite topside and systems integration technology, but are being built and subsequently maintained by ST Engineering Marine.
Saab is also supplying and integrating six composite superstructures. The company earlier supplied composite superstructures for the RSN’s eight Littoral Mission Vessels (LMVs).
In March 2023 the Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) announced that ST Engineering Marine was awarded a contract for the detailed design and build of six MRCVs. Neither the contract value nor specifications of the new vessels were disclosed.
MINDEF earlier announced that the MRCVs – which will replace six ageing Victory-class missile corvettes – will function as mother ships that would host a range of unmanned air, surface, and subsurface vehicles. The MRCVs will be delivered progressively to the RSN from 2028 onwards.
The MRCVs will also be designed to undertake a wide spectrum of missions from “peace to war”, although MINDEF has yet to provide specific details. However, the ability of the MRCVs to embark uncrewed aerial, surface, and underwater vehicles (UAVs, USVs, and UUVs) provide some possible hints of potential roles.
For example, the RSN has already fielded 16 m-class USVs that have been optimised for mine countermeasures (MCM) and maritime security (MARSEC) missions.
by Jr Ng
