Commentary: ‘Below the threshold of war’ is where Singapore’s new navy patrol vessels operate

SINGAPORE: Not every threat at sea calls for a warship. Many maritime security challenges today require more than routine law enforcement but less than a conventional military response. It is in this space that Singapore’s new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) are intended to operate. On Friday (Oct 2), the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) launched the first of its four OPVs which will join the Maritime Security and Response Flotilla to “enable more calibrated responses”. The OPVs, acquired from Germany’s Fassmer, will be delivered to the navy progressively from 2028 to replace the existing, smaller Sentinel-class maritime security and response…