SINGAPORE’S Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has signed a contract with Penguin International Limited to construct two landing crafts, intended to progressively replace the Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN) ageing Fast Craft Equipment and Personnel (FCEP) and Fast Craft Utility (FCU) vessels, which have been in service for more than 30 years.
The landing craft will be assessed for its suitability to meet the RSN’s operational requirements before any decision is made on the full replacement of the FCEP and FCU. This reflects MINDEF’s progressive approach towards capability development, ensuring that new platforms are rigorously evaluated before full fleet replacement.
Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) will work with the RSN and Penguin International to design and develop two landing craft which will then be rigorously evaluated on suitability to meet Navy’s evolving ops needs before a decision is made on full fleet replacement. Delivery of the craft is expected from 2029.
According to Penguin International, this deal is the company’s first naval shipbuilding programme as a prime contractor. A release from the company stated that “the RSN landing craft programme will be executed entirely in Singapore and will draw upon Penguin’s in-house engineering, production and project management resources at our Tuas shipyard.”
The contract award also follows the recent successful delivery of the first of six large carbon-fibre composite superstructures and masts for the RSN’s Multi-Role Combat Vessel (MRCV) programme, also known as the Victory-class. The MRCV is designed to be a mothership for unmanned aerial, surface and sub-surface systems, with six MRCVs aimed to enter into service in the future.–-shp/adj/dl (Pix:DOD)
