Part 2 of 2: Buying strategic depth
For 4 months, Malaysian Govt vessels engaged in intrusions into territorial waters off Tuas. This includes the period from Dec 2018 to April 2019 & the 9 Feb 2019 collision between M’sian Govt vessel, Polaris & a Greek vessel in Singapore port waters.
With the 1987 E-2C acquisition, the RSAF became a tertiary air force but that in itself was insufficient for deterrence against Malaysian hostility — as the 1991, 1998 & 2018 bilateral tensions demonstrated. The 2018-2019 tensions with Malaysia, in particular, aided:
It was reported on the contracts awarded by DSTA to Saab & Singapore Technologies Marine Ltd for the MRCV, but DSTA itself has not confirmed the size of the MRCV.
![Keycap: 7 :seven: 7️⃣](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/0037-20e3.png)
![Keycap: 8 :eight: 8️⃣](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/0038-20e3.png)
(a) the decision by the Singapore Navy to build 6 new 8,800 ton Multi-Role Combat Vessels (MRCV) with the 1st vessel to be delivered by ST from 2028;
(b) the award a contract to Fr. Fassmer GmbH & Co. for 4 new 1,890 ton OPVs to be delivered from 2028 onwards; &
(c) the decision by the RSAF to acquire the F-35Bs earlier.
![Keycap: 9 :nine: 9️⃣](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/0039-20e3.png)
(a) Like the MRCV, the German Navy’s F-125 at 7,200 tons is as large as a destroyer. The Singapore Navy’s MRCV at 8,800 tons, when built will dwarf any TNI AL or RMN vessel & bigger than the RSN’s 7,600 to Endurance class LPDs.
(b) But if @xaviervav’s updated information is true, the MRCV at 8,800 tons would mean that the Army Deployment Force could deploy a quick reaction force on the MRCV.
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