At 8,000 Tons, Singapore’s MRCV Matches the Size of U.S. Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyers

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA)– On October 22, Singaporean shipbuilder ST Engineering held a keel-laying ceremony for the first of six Multi-Role Combat Vessels (MRCVs) to be built.

Each MRCV, operated by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), is reported to weigh 8,000 tons, comparable to the displacement and size of the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

Once operational in 2028, the first MRCV will become the largest and heaviest combat vessel in Southeast Asia, designed for extended operations across various maritime environments.

With its destroyer-like dimensions, the vessel will be equipped with an array of advanced weapon systems for both offensive and defensive operations.

“The new MRCV will serve as a ‘mothership,’ capable of controlling unmanned assets in the air, on the surface, and underwater,” the Singapore Navy stated.

Designed to function as a mothership, the MRCVs will be able to operate both manned and unmanned systems in a seamless and flexible manner.

These vessels are built to support diverse missions while maximizing combat effectiveness.

However, the Singapore Navy and Ministry of Defence have not yet disclosed specific details on the vessel’s weight, size, or other capabilities.

The six MRCVs will replace the RSN’s Victory-class corvettes, which have been in service since 1989.

The steel-cutting ceremony for the first MRCV was held on March 8 this year, witnessed by the Chief of Navy and representatives from the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), the organization overseeing the construction of Singapore’s naval assets.

DSTA, part of Singapore’s Ministry of Defence, is collaborating with Sweden’s Saab and Denmark’s Odense Maritime Technology (OMT) to develop the MRCV’s design.

The Ministry of Defence awarded the design and construction contract for the six MRCVs to ST Engineering Marine Ltd, a subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering), in June last year.

All six vessels will be built at ST Engineering Marine’s facilities in Singapore, with deliveries to the RSN starting in 2028 and continuing in phases.

The MRCVs are designed to support diverse missions with optimal combat effectiveness and will be operated by a crew of 80 personnel.

In terms of armament, the vessels will be equipped with a 76mm naval gun, VL MICA and ASTER air defense systems, and “Blue Spear” anti-ship missiles, jointly developed by Singapore and Israel.

Additional systems include Thales’ SeaFire multifunction radar, Safran’s PASEO XLR electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) system, and Safran’s Next-Generation Decoy System (NGDS). – DSA