New littoral warship joins the Singapore Navy on its 50th anniversary

SINGAPORE — Commissioning a state-of-the-art warship to mark the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid tribute to the pioneering servicemen who helped build a modern maritime force from scratch, and urged those in current service to press on with the mission to keep the country safe.

Speaking at the Changi Naval Base on Friday (May 5) morning, Mr Lee recalled the birth of the Singapore Naval Volunteer Force at the Telok Ayer Basin under spartan conditions this day 50 years ago.

It had a handful of volunteers from the Singapore division of the Malayan Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, and the Singapore Women Auxiliary Naval Service. It had just two seaworthy ships, wooden ones at that. A third ship, the RSS Singapura, was moored to serve as the navy headquarters.

"But what our pioneers lacked in technology and resources, they made up for in their determination to defend ourselves," said Mr Lee, noting how the navy sent its midshipmen abroad for training, and progressively updated its hardware. In 1975, the fledging navy was named the Republic of Singapore Navy, one of the three services of the Singapore Armed Forces.

"Thus starting from two wooden ships, we now have a full-fledged Third Generation Navy...a navy that is admired at home and respected beyond our shores," he added.

The commissioning of the RSS Independence, the first of eight littoral mission vessels (LMV) that will replace the navy's 11 Fearless-class patrol vessels, marks a new milestone for the RSN.

It is the first of the navy’s next generation warships, and also the first to be "completely designed and built in Singapore, in close collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Agency", according to Mr Lee.

The new ships are designed to be versatile with an emphasis on automation and technology, allowing each ship to operate with 23 sailors. A conventional warship of a similar size normally has over 40 sailors.

The LMVs can sail faster and further than its predecessors despite being nearly 30m longer at 80m, and 2.5 times heavier than the Fearless-class patrol vessels.

The new ships can also be outfitted with different "blocks", or mission modules, according to operational demands. For instance, an LMV tasked to conduct search-and-rescue operations can be loaded with medical modules.

All eight LMV vessels are expected to be operational by 2020, with the second ship, Sovereignty, due to be commissioned this year.

In a ceremony after his speech, Mr Lee presented the commissioning warrant to Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Tay Choong Hern, marking RSS Independence's entry into active service.

The new ship is the third in RSN history to carry the historic and symbolic name of Independence. The name was originally given to the first new ship acquired by Singapore after gaining independence.

The first RSS Independence, a patrol craft, played a key role during the Laju ferry hijacking incident in 1974, where four terrorists attempted to blow up the Shell oil refinery on Pulau Bukom. In 1998, the name Independence was passed on to a new patrol vessel.

RSN pioneers, some of whom were present at the Telok Ayer Basin 50 years ago when the force was created, as well as crew members of the first two RSS Independence ships, attended the commissioning ceremony of the new warship on Friday.

"Your presence honours the new RSS Independence and its crew, and reminds us what the Navy is about: not just capable ships and up to date technology, but fighting spirit and dedication to the nation," said Mr Lee.

A series of celebratory events have been lined up to mark the RSN's Golden Jubilee. On May 15, the RSS Independence will bring President Tony Tan Keng Yam to the Singapore Strait, where he will review nearly 30 warships from more than 20 countries participating in Singapore's inaugural international maritime fleet review.