Singapore Navy littoral mission vessels to be equipped with SharpeEye radars

Republic of Singapore Navy’s Littoral Mission Vessel (LMV) program is to be equipped with SharpeEye navigation radars, Kelvin Hughes, a British manufacturer of navigation systems, announced August 8.

The lead ship of the fleet, Independence, was delivered in May of this year equipped with two I-Band (X-band) SharpEye systems. A further seven vessels will be similarly equipped with the same systems.

These eight new LMVs will replace the Singapore Navy’s current fleet of Fearless-class patrol vessels and will be configurable to undertake a wide spectrum of operations. More than twice the size of the current class of patrol vessels in service with the Republic of Singapore Navy, LMVs measure 80 meter in length and displace 1,250 tonnes. All eight vessels are expected to join the fleet by 2020.

As described by Kelvin Hughes, the SharpEye does not require a magnetron and transmits a low power, patented pulse sequence. Doppler processing adds another dimension to the analysis of the radar returns and increases the probability of detection of targets.

According to the company, the radar is able to distinguish between targets of interest and clutter caused by adverse weather conditions through a series of electronic filters. Customisable waveforms can be configured for specific threats and to track specific targets, such as helicopters.

Alan Koong, Kelvin Hughes’ Regional Sales Manager, commented: “We’re delighted to be helping the Republic of Singapore Navy to maximise the effectiveness of its new LMV fleet. This is a further vote of confidence in our industry-leading SharpEye™ technology which is currently being employed by 27 of the world’s navies.”