2ND LITTORAL MISSION VESSEL LAUNCHED

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has welcomed a new ship into its fold -- the newest Littoral Mission Vessel (LMV), Sovereignty.

On 16 Apr, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean officiated the launch of the RSN's second LMV and his wife Teo Poh Yim launched the ship. The event was held at the Singapore Technologies Marine (ST Marine) Benoi Yard.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Teo emphasised that the seas were at once Singapore's lifeline and source of vulnerability, and security forces must enhance their capabilities to keep threats at bay.

He said: "The interruption of sea traffic, or of a threat coming from the many vessels sailing through these waters, will have a serious impact on us here in Singapore."

"To deal with the increasing range and complexity of seaborne threats, our maritime security forces have to work very closely together, making the most effective use of the resources and manpower that we have."

An indigenous ship

To this end, Mr Teo explained that the LMVs represented a step forward in the RSN's technological progress.

He said: "The launch of the second ship in a series of LMVs shows our commitment to continue to defend Singapore The LMVs represent a considerable increase in capability -- at the high end, they are able to operate naval helicopters, which our PVs today are unable to do; they can operate UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) as well.

"At the lower end they have the Long Range Acoustic Device and water cannons to deal with the lower levels of maritime threats that the LMVs may encounter. All in, the LMVs represent a significant increase in capabilities with a reduction in manpower requirements."

The LMVs, designed and built in close collaboration among the RSN, the Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA) and ST Engineering, are a new generation of smarter, faster and sharper ships that further strengthens RSN's ability in the seaward defence of Singapore.

Features include advanced combat capabilities and technologies such as an integrated Command Centre that brings together the ships' Bridge, Combat Information Centre and Machinery Control Room and a range of lethal and non-lethal options to deter or defend against various threats.

Mr Teo also highlighted the collaborative work between the RSN and the local defence technology community in creating an indigenous ship that meets the RSN's unique needs.

"The ability to design and build our own ships to include a lot of indigenous technology indicates the importance of engineering for Singapore. The ability to do that means that we can optimise the platforms that we have, whether they are ships, whether they are aircraft, (or) land capabilities, to make sure that we can tune the equipment to our own needs and also use a lot less manpower and capitalise on the well-trained and well-educated people that we have."

"All in, the LMVs represent a significant increase in capabilities with a reduction in manpower requirements."

Third-generation Sovereignty

The LMV, Sovereignty, is the third RSN ship to be christened as such. The name was first used for an Independence-class Patrol Craft (PC), which was in use from the 1970s to the 1990s. It was then used for a Fearless-class Patrol Vessels (PVs) that was commissioned in 1998.

In his speech, DPM Teo revealed his affinity with all three ships named Sovereignty: he had sailed with PC RSS Sovereignty as a young naval officer and was later involved in shaping the programme for the Fearless-class PVs, before launching the LMV today.

Major (MAJ) (Ret) Richard Teo, the first Commanding Officer (CO) of the PC RSS Sovereignty, was present at the event to witness the launch of the third generation Sovereignty.

"It's a fantastic moment for me, coming back 45 years later for the launch of the third Sovereignty," said the 72-year-old RSN pioneer, who commanded the ship from 1971 to 1972. "The first ship was built in the United Kingdom and brought to Singapore to complete its fitting. But from that time, we learnt what a small fighting ship could be and do for us."

MAJ (Ret) Teo was also impressed by the integrated platforms utilised on board the LMV: "We are all into the digital age. Understanding how digitisation works in our lives and how we can perform our duties with these wonderful additional equipment and resources will give us the edge. The platform we have for a fighting ship of this particular nature will put us way ahead of the competition."

Updates on Independence

Sovereignty is the second of eight LMVs that will be introduced into the RSN. The eight LMVs are set to replace the RSN's aging Fearless-class PVs, which have been in service for about 20 years.

The first LMV, Independence, was launched on 3 Jul 2015. On the progress of the first LMV, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Chew Chun-Chau, Head of the LMV Project Office, revealed that the ship would be joining the RSN very soon: "The installation of the combat systems for the first LMV began right after launching. This was followed by harbour acceptance test and platform sea trials. With the completion of the platform sea trials, the ship will be delivered to the RSN in May."

Sovereignty is expected to be commissioned in 2017 and all eight LMVs, fully operational by 2020.