ST Engineering launches final ship in eight vessel LMV series

JANUARY 26, 2019 — Singapore Technologies Engineering reports that its Benoi, Singapore, shipyard has successfully launched Fearless, the final ship in a series of eight Littoral Mission Vessels (LMVs), designed and built by the group for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)..

To date, ST Engineering has delivered RSS Independence, RSS Sovereignty, RSS Unity, RSS Justice, RSS Indomitable and LMV Fortitude.

ST Engineering was awarded the eight ship contract in 2013. The fleet of eight LMVs will replace the Fearless-Class Patrol Vessels, also designed and built by the Group in the 1990s.

The LMVs measure 80 m in length, with a beam of 12 m, and displace 1,250 t. They have a crew of 23 and a top speed stated as “in excess of 27 knots.”

“Though 2.5 times larger than our patrol vessels, the littoral mission vessel can operate with a leaner crew,” says the Republic of Singapore Navy. “Its modular design means it can be quickly outfitted for disaster relief, surveillance, mine countermeasure operations and more.”

“Today marks a major milestone in the shipbuilding history of ST Engineering,” said Ng Sing Chan, President, Marine, ST Engineering, speaking at the launch ceremony. “Six years ago, together with MINDEF, RSN, and Defence Science and Technology Agency, we embarked on this journey to design and build these eight state-of-the-art Independence-Class Littoral Mission Vessels (LMVs). This is the last of the eight to be launched and named. For this project to come to this stage is yet another testament to our deep engineering capabilities in large-scale engineering projects.”