The Republic of Singapore (RSN) marks its 56th anniversay today.
Ahead of Navy Day, the RSN released a video yesterday showing a 3D rendering of its Multi-Role Combat Vessel, a class of warship which is slated to replace the Victory-class Missile Corvettes (MCVs).
The renderings show a surface combatant whose topside superstructure appears to have been inspired by the 114-metre Formidable-class stealth frigate (FFS) design. The arrangement of the A-gun, space and weight reserved for a vertical launching system, the bridge, enclosed air/surface search radar mast, missile deck, sensor mast for EW, funnel and main engine air intakes, and helicopter hangar on the MRCV mirror the arrangement found on the FFS.
The RSN appears to have liked the FFS missile deck, because the MRCV has an open space on her superstructure that would likely represent space and weight reserved for the MRCV's principal armament - the Proteus Blue Spear 5G SSMs. The FFS missile deck provided RSN planners with the flexibility to reconfigure the stealth frigate for other maritime duties. For example, Harpoon missile racks - up to three quad missile racks can be fitted port and starboard, with exhaust venting seaward - were removed and replaced by a foldable crane and RHIBs for VBSS during anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.
The provision for stern-launched craft on the MRCV, which could include unmanned surface vessels (USVs), is interesting. This design feature takes up the space where the variable depth sonar is installed aboard the FFS. So unless a hull-mounted sonar is fitted - unlikely due to operating conditions around Singapore - it is possible that the MRCV will rely on its USVs for anti-submarine work, paired with the embarked naval helicopter.
Speculation abounds as to the MRCV's final hull form, design, layout, sensor and weapon suites. Interestingly, snippets from the IMDEX 2023 show indicate that major subsystems, such as the Safran PASEO XLR extra long-range naval optronic, have already been selected. It's abit like buying your furniture and carpets before building your house.
Having said that, the RSN video is a great start because one would assume the MRCV's configuration would not differ markedly from the arrangement depicted in the rendering.
Food for thought: I dug up an old MCV drawing when the Singapore Ministry of Defence first showcased this new class of warship in the April 1988 issue of Pioneer, the monthly magazine of the Singapore Armed Forces. Take a look at the drawing in Pioneer. While the hull and superstructure comform with what we would recognise as the Victory-class MCV, major bits and pieces were missing. Compare the 1988 drawing with the one from German shipbuilder, LΓΌrssen, which design and built the leadship of the class.
Can you identify the interesting bits that were left out?
Thales In one of the interview at IMDEX 2023 confirmed selection of their MFR for the MRCV. Sea Fire?
ReplyDeleteYea agree David. RSN does indeed love the FFS missile deck especially with now that they adopted the Absalon/Iver huitfeldt design where containerized modular payload could be fitted.
ReplyDeleteThe big space in the missile deck seemed to imply that the RSN could maintain at least a 24xBlue spear missile armament load plus extra space for modular payload for extra Anti Air missiles to complement to usual Bow VLS setup.
Would also be interested to know the final displacement that Mindef/RSN would announced as we all know they have a habit of under declaring the true tonnage on our warships looking at the endurance class LST example.