ST Engineering Marine has given further insights into why the company developed a 170 m variant of the Endurance-class landing platform dock (LPD).
Speaking to Jane's at Singapore Airshow 2020, a senior representative of the company, who prefers not to be named, clarified that the product was conceived in response to a potential contest overseas.
"The Endurance 170 was developed out of our existing Endurance 160 product, and it was done to meet specifications that were mandated by the prospective customer", said the representative, who declined to reveal any details on the potential buyer.
The representative has also downplayed apparent connections that have been made between the Endurance 170, and Singapore's impending Joint Multi Mission Ship (JMMS) programme.
"There have been no discussions between DSTA [Defence Science and Technology Agency] and ST Engineering on the JMSS project at this point of time, and I am not aware of any plans to do so at the moment", he confirmed.
The Singapore government first announced in 2014 that it would be replacing the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN's) fleet of four Endurance-class LPDs with an unspecified number of JMMS platforms.
Further announcements in 2019 and early-2020, which confirm Singapore's plan to acquire the short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL)-capable F-35B fighter aircraft, further heightened expectations that the JMMS would be a through-deck platform.
The Endurance 170 has an overall beam of 30.8 m, a draft of 6.6 m, and displaces 19,000 tonnes. The vessel has a top speed of 20 kt, and a range of 7,000 n miles at 15 kt.
(Jane's)