Singapore - German shipbuilder Fassmer GmbH & Co. KG and its Lithuanian partner, Western Baltic Shipyard, have held a keel laying ceremony for the first two of four Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) to be delivered to the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The event, which took place in Lithuania on April 8th (local time), was attended by Singapore's Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant-General Aaron Beng, and Chief of Navy, Rear-Admiral Sean Wat, along with other Singaporean government officials.

The OPV construction project officially commenced in October 2024 with the first steel cutting ceremony, and aims to deliver the vessels sequentially starting from 2028. Under the contract, Western Baltic Shipyard will be responsible for constructing the hulls, while Fassmer, as the design authority and main contractor, will undertake the final assembly and outfitting of the vessels in Berne, Germany.

Fassmer stated via its LinkedIn account, "It was an honor to welcome the Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant-General Aaron Beng, and Chief of Navy, Rear-Admiral Sean Wat, as well as high-ranking officers from the Singapore Armed Forces, the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), ST Engineering Marine, the Lithuanian Navy, and representatives from the BLRT Grupp to the keel laying ceremony." The company added, "We are proud to contribute our experience in naval shipbuilding to the build-up of the Republic of Singapore Navy's new fleet. These vessels will be reliable, efficient, and ready for their future missions."

The Singapore Navy's next-generation OPVs are based on the German Federal Police's Potsdam-class offshore patrol vessels. The Potsdam class currently consists of four vessels: Potsdam, Bamberg, Bad Düben, and Neustadt, with the most recent, Neustadt, having been commissioned in June 2023.

The Potsdam-class OPVs have a length of 86.02 meters and a beam of 13.42 meters. They are each powered by two Wärtsilä diesel engines producing 4,080kW and two 600kW electric motors. With variable pitch propellers, they can achieve a top speed of 21 knots.

The vessels are armed with a BAE Systems Bofors 57mm Mk3 57mm main gun and two .50 caliber machine guns as secondary armament. Additionally, the stern features a flight deck capable of supporting the landing and take-off of the German Federal Police's Airbus Helicopters H215 Super Puma helicopter, along with internal space to accommodate five mission containers, indicating a versatile operational capability.

The introduction of these new OPVs is expected to significantly enhance the Singapore Navy's maritime security and its ability to protect Singapore's maritime sovereignty. Built through the collaboration between Fassmer and Western Baltic Shipyard, these vessels are anticipated to become a core asset in bolstering the operational capabilities of the Singapore Navy.