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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 dollar 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[]

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The original article can be found at Independence-class patrol craft and the edit history here.