The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is now entering the era of drone-carrying carriers after the RSS Victory was launched yesterday. Victory is the first ship in the Multi-Role Combat Vessel (MRCV) class that can launch aerial, surface and underwater drones. It will replace the Victory-class guided-missile corvettes in service since 1989. The MRCV was launched under the RSN's modernisation plan.
RSS Victory is the first of six ships built by ST Engineering at their shipyard in Benoi. It is the largest ship ever used by the RSN at 8,000 tonnes, 150 metres long, 22 metres wide, travelling at a speed of 22 knots and carrying less than 100 crew. All of the ship's propulsion systems are powered by electric motors powered by diesel engines.
As an MRCV, it can accommodate a variety of modular equipment. Up to eight modules can be swapped out according to the mission. These modules are in the form of cargo containers that are easy to assemble and disassemble.
The construction process from keel to complete hull took just 12 months. The RSS Victory hull will now undergo the process of equipment installation, system integration and sea trials before it is expected to begin operations from 2028.
A fairly fast process when compared to the Royal Malaysian Navy's Maharaja Lela-class frigates which were launched in 2017 but are only expected to operate from 2026. ST Engineering was able to build Victory quickly because it used a digital twin design system with various design changes and the system was tested virtually first before being integrated into the actual ship.
