Singapore cuts steel for third, fourth MRCVs

A computer-generated image of the MRCV. (Singapore Ministry of Defence)

Singapore's ST Engineering has carried out the steel cutting ceremony for the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN's) third and fourth multirole combat vessels (MRCVs).

The ceremony signals that construction planning and contract execution for the MRCV programme have reached a level of maturity that allows parallel progress on multiple hulls.

Held on 29 April at ST Engineering's shipyard, the ceremony was presided over by the RSN's Head of Naval Engineering and Logistics, Military Expert 7 (ME7) Khoo Koh Giok.

In his remarks, ME7 Khoo said the continued evolution of the MRCVs would require changes in how capabilities are inducted and supported across their lifecycle.

He added that the RSN's partnership with the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and ST Engineering would be central to ensuring that the vessels remain relevant for future missions amid this evolution.

ST Engineering is contracted to design and build a total of six MRCVs for the RSN. The vessels are intended to progressively replace the navy's Victory‑class corvettes, which entered service between 1990 and 1991.

The RSN has described the class as an instrumental component of its future force structure, with the vessels designed to operate as motherships for a range of manned and unmanned systems in support of naval operations.

The MRCV is the largest and most technically sophisticated warship ever constructed in Singapore. The class has an overall length of 150 m, a beam of 21 m, and a displacement of about 8,000 tonnes. It is designed to achieve speeds of more than 22 kt and an operational range exceeding 7,000 n miles, roughly double that of the RSN's Formidable‑class frigates.