RSS Steadfast (70)

RSS Firm (70) History

RSS Steadfast (70) is an advanced modern naval frigate in service with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). Of course, with the expansion of China's naval power in the Asia-Pacific region, ships such as the Steadfast are playing an important role in containment and deterrence while defending the country's coasts and sealines.

One of the main design features of the boat is its very discreet appearance, which ditches many of the traditional "details" found on traditional boats in favor of crisp lines and subtle contours. In addition, the warship is equipped with the latest technological systems and weapons to deal with almost any maritime threat.

In the 1990s, a review of Singapore's current naval strength revealed that an upgraded ship was needed to replace the outdated Seawolf class missile ships. In an international competition, the French company DCNS Paris complied with Singapore's requirements, and the defense contract was officially signed in 2000. Following the deal, France will produce the first ship in the series - its class, as it will be determined to be a powerful class - while the Singapore shipyard will then build the final five ships further. The agreement includes sharing all of the inherent technology used by the lead ship.

The lead ship - aptly named RSS Formidable (68) - was laid in 2002, launched in 2004 and officially commissioned in 2007 after successful testing.

RSS Steadfast (70) becomes the third in a series of six Mighty-class combat frigates for the RSN. The sister ships now include RSS Intrepid (69), RSS Tenacious (71), RSS Stalwart (72) and RSS Supreme (73), the first pair commissioned in 2008 and the second pair commissioned in 2009.

RSS Steadfast itself was launched on January 28, 2005, and went live with RSS Intrepid and RSS Tenacious on February 5, 2008. The six ships make up the Republic of Singapore Navy's 185th Squadron, providing a formidable weapon for the small nation's naval expansion.

The design of the Steadfast exudes technical excellence in both its interior and exterior options. The boat is very clean and the entire movement is well tuned. There are no visible guard rails at the edge of the deck, and both the superstructure and weapons bays are installed under the sloping surface.

The bow has a deck gun mount and the stern has a helipad with a full internal hangar area. The profile of the side of the boat can be subtly embedded in the side walls of the superstructure. The bridge is located forward amidships, while the sensor mast is installed as part of a low-profile smoke funnel. The overall design is intended to be a radar cross-section counter, similar to how stealth aircraft are designed.

The building is mainly made of steel. RSS Steadfast has a combat crew of 71 officers and seamen and a small team of 19 crew members to manage all helicopters on board.

In the stern of the firm design, there is a full hangar that can accommodate up to two naval helicopters as required. Typically, the RSN will be equipped with a single U.S. Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk system, essentially a militarized export version of the highly successful Black Hawk series, modified for the rigors of maritime operations.

The helicopter is designed for multiple missions and can be used to transport passengers or cargo, resupply ships, engage in special operations, recover downed pilots or monitor enemy warships and submarines.

Regarding the onboard processing system, the Steadfast is equipped with the French Thales Herakles multifunctional search radar, and the Danish Terma Electronic Scanter 2001 navigation radar. The sonar is processed by an EDO Model 980 Active Low Frequency Tow Array. Electronic warfare is managed through the Israeli RAFAEL C-PEARL-M suite.

The Sagem Defense Securite system in France handles decoys from two front launchers and one rear launcher. Frigates like Steadfast are designed to operate alongside other ships and aircraft to maximize their effectiveness against potential or specific threats.

Stalwart is a conventionally powered surface vessel and therefore uses diesel turbines. The type is powered by 4 MTU 20V 8000 M90 series engines, each rated at 12,200 hp for an impressive total of 48,800 hp.

This gives the vessel a top speed of 27 knots and a range of 4,200 nautical miles in ideal conditions before refueling is required.

As a combat frigate, Steadfast is equipped with a range of weapons appropriate to the mission threat level. Thus, frigates can target enemies in the air, on the surface, or under the sea.

The Italian 76mm Oto Melara ultra-fast deck gun is mounted on the bow to deal with surface threats at long range. The weapon is housed in an unobtrusive box with facets and edges. For long-range surface threats, the ship is armed with eight U.S. RGM-84C Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Aerial threats are handled by a French DCNS Sylver A50 series 32-unit Vertical Launch System (VLS) equipped with MBDA Aster 15/30 surface-to-air missiles.

For anti-submarine warfare, Stalwart can utilize its 2 x B515 triple torpedo mounts.

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