The Republic of Singapore Navy expects the first example of its Littoral Mission Vessel (LMV) to enter service from 2016 onwards According to Rear Admiral Ng Chee Peng, Chief of the Singapore Navy, the LMVs "will be designed with baseline operational capabilities for maritime security operations (MSO) and be configurable to meet specific mission requirements." A class of eight LMVs is set to replace a class of 11, 55m, 500tonne Fearless class patrol boats, which are expected to reach the end of their operational lifespans in 2020 after 20-plus years of operational service. The LMVs are being designed by Singapore Technologies Marine (ST Marine), which announced a contract award for the new units in late 2012. The vessels are to be built at ST Marines Benoi yard.
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