Photo credit: katoult
Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has signed a contract with German company Fassmer to acquire four new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs)…The ships are based on an OPV design operated by the German Bundespolizei (Federal Police). Furthermore, they are designed with high maneuverability to operate in Singapore’s congested waters.
In a comment, a reader, Katoult, who I see provided the photo above, pointed me to an even better article on the topic at Naval News, thanks.
I have a lot of respect for Singapore’s decision makers. They are very tech savvy and, like the US, cannot depend on cheap labor in large numbers. I am a bit surprised they did not use a version of their Littoral Missions Vessel design for this mission. This is the fourth nation to choose a Fassmer OPV design. It does appear to be a bit more seaworthy and incorporates a hangar that the Littoral Missions Vessel does not include. I think we will see unmanned systems operating from these ships.