Independence-class patrol craft
The Independence class patrol craft was a series of patrol vessels (gun) built by Vosper Thornycroft in the 1970s for the Republic of Singapore Navy.
History
Due to the independence of Singapore in 1965, there was a need to organize and expand maritime patrol and monitoring capabilities for the fledgling country. A SGD $30 million contract was signed with Vosper Thornycroft by then Permanent Secretary of the Defence and Interior Ministry, Mr George Edwin Bogaars in June 1968 for 6 gun armed patrol craft for the Maritime Command (MC) which was the predecessor of the current Republic of Singapore Navy.[1] The first vessel were built by Vosper in Portchester, Portsmouth, United Kingdom while the remainder were constructed at the Vosper Thorneycroft Uniteers (VTU) Singapore yard in Tanjong Rhu.[2] All patrol craft were commissioned by January 1972 and were decommissioned by the early 1990s.
Design
These patrol craft were based on Vosper's 110 ft design and came in two classes. The A-class were fitted with a 40mm Bofors gun forward and a 20mm Oerlikon gun aft, both capable of engaging air and surface targets. The B-class were fitted with a 76.2mm Bofors gun forward, which had a surface and shore bombardment capability, and a 20mm Oerlikon gun at the aft.
Ships of class
| Name | Pennant number | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSS Independence | P 69 | 8 July 1970 | -- | |
| RSS Freedom | P 70 | 18 Nov 1969[3] | 14 Feb 1971[4] | -- |
| RSS Justice | P 71 | 21 Apr 1971 | -- | |
| RSS Sovereignty | P 72 | 3 July 1971[5] | -- | |
| RSS Daring | P 73 | 30 Jan 1972[6] | -- | |
| RSS Dauntless | P 74 | 30 Jan 1972[6] | -- |
References
- ↑ "Onwards and Upwards : Celebrating 40 Years of the Navy" (PDF). Mindef.gov.sg. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
- ↑ "THE FIRST SINGAPORE-BUILT 110 FEET FAST PATROL BOAT FOR THE …". Nas.gov.sg. 1969-11-18. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
- ↑ "SPEECH BY DR. GOH KENG SWEE, MINISTER FOR FINANCE, AT THE LAUNCHING OF SAF PATROL BOAT R.S.S. "FREEDOM" AT THE VOSPER THORNYCROFT UNITEERS YARDS AT TANJONG RHU, ON TUESDAY, 18TH NOVEMBER, 1969 AT 5.00 P.M". Nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
- ↑ "Commissioning Ceremony Of RSS Freedom". Nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
- ↑ "R S S "Sovereignty" Its Commissioning Ceremony At The …". Nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
- 1 2 "Text Of Speech By The Minister For Science And Technology, …". Nas.gov.sg. 1972-01-30. Retrieved 2015-06-20.