Singapore launches first multirole combat vessel

Singapore's first MRCV, the future RSS Victory , seen here at its launch ceremony on 21 October 2025. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)

Singapore held a launch and christening ceremony for its first multirole combat vessel (MRCV) on 21 October.

The vessel will be in service as RSS Victory once it is commissioned. Its launch ceremony was held at ST Engineering's Benoi Shipyard.

Victory is the first of six MRCVs that have been ordered under a 2023 contract with ST Engineering, and the new vessels will replace the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN's) fleet of ageing Victory-class corvettes that have been in service since 1990.

The MRCV is designed to operate as a mother ship for unmanned aerial, surface, and underwater systems, and is envisaged to significantly expand the RSN's ability to conduct operations across multiple domains.

The MRCV is the largest and most complex warship ever built in Singapore. It measures 150 m in length with an overall beam of 21 m and displaces 8,000 tonnes.

The vessel is capable of speeds in excess of 22 kt and has an operational range of more than 7,000 n miles, which is twice that of the RSN's Formidable-class frigates.

It can remain at sea for more than 21 days and will feature a baseline crew complement of less than 100 personnel.

The MRCV's suite of weapons include the Leonardo 76 mm/62 Super Rapid Strales gun and the Typhoon Mk 30-C 30 mm remotely controlled weapon system.

Defence against hostile aircraft is provided by MICA and Aster surface-to-air missile systems and a surface-to-surface missile system that has not been disclosed by the RSN. However, this will likely be the Blue Spear missile developed jointly by ST Engineering.