Defense News
04/10/2012
Singapore Secures Patrol
Vessel Deal With Oman
By Wendell
Minnick
TAIPEI —
ST Marine (Singapore Technologies Marine), an arm of ST Engineering, has
confirmed a contract to design and build four patrol vessels (PVs) under Oman’s
Al Ofouq program.
The $700
million deal, announced on April 9, also has a provision for associated
logistics support for the Royal Navy of Oman.
The
Ministry of Defense of the Sultanate of Oman awarded the contract to ST Marine
through a competitive international tender that included Netherlands-based
Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and India-based Goa Shipyard.
ST Marine
will build four 74-meter patrol vessels based on its proprietary 500-ton
Fearless-class patrol vessel. Singapore produced 11 Fearless-class vessels
during the 1990s for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).
ST Marine
denied suggestions that the Fearless-class vessels are based on the Visby
design produced by Swedish ship and submarine builder Kockums.
“For the
record, the design of PVs is based entirely on ST Marine’s in-house
Fearless-class design,” said Adeline Wong, a vice president of communications
for ST Marine. “In addition, ST Marine and Kockums do not have any design
relationship.”
The
project will begin immediately, with the first vessel expected to be delivered
in the second quarter of 2015 and final delivery in the third quarter of 2016.
“This is a
significant contract to ST Marine, and we are confident that we will live up to
our reputation as a total naval solutions provider — from design to
construction to logistics support and hopefully through-life support for our
customer’s vessels,” Ng Sing Chan, president of ST Marine, stated in a press
release.
This deal
is the second this month boosting ST Marine’s profile in the international
maritime and naval vessel market.
On April
4, ST Marine announced a partnership with Kockums to create a joint venture
company called Fortis Marine Solutions. It will support the RSN’s six
Kockums-built submarines.
The
partnership was formed for the sole purpose of providing comprehensive
maintenance and overhaul services as well as life-cycle support for Singapore’s
submarines, said Lina Poa, a spokesperson for ST Engineering. “There is no
commercial side to it.”
While ST
Marine has been providing up to depot-level submarine maintenance, the joint
venture was formed with the main objective of improving in-country capability
in the refitting and life-cycle support services for the RSN submarine fleet.
“Fortis
Marine Solutions is an important widening of our activities in Singapore, and a
strong sign of our long-term commitment to provide the RSN with the best
support throughout the lifetime of our products,” said Ola Alfredsson, CEO of
Kockums.
“Singapore’s
aspirations to become a regional leader in naval technology and shipbuilding
will receive a major boost from the joint venture between ST Marine and
Kockums,” said Sam Bateman, a senior research fellow in the Maritime Security
Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. The school is
part of the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
“It will
markedly increase the ability of the Republic of Singapore Navy to conduct
major refits of its own submarines,” he said. “Singapore will thus have a huge
advantage over other submarine-owning Southeast Asian countries that will
continue to be dependent on overseas support for submarine repair and
maintenance.”
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