SINGAPORE, Oct 2 — Singapore has launched the first of a new class of offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) designed to respond to a range of maritime security incidents and meet the growing demands of wider maritime security operations.
The Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN) first OPV, Sentinel, was launched at the Fassmer shipyard in Berne, Germany.
The Defence Ministry (Mindef) said the OPVs were designed to meet increased demands and a broader scope of maritime security operations, with calibrated capabilities enabling them to respond to a range of incidents in a measured and proportionate manner.
“Inheriting the missions of the Sentinel-class Maritime Security and Response Vessels (MSRVs), the OPVs provide flexibility to fulfil maritime security operations and protect Singapore’s territorial waters,” it said in a statement on Friday.
