IMDEX 2023: Singapore equips Sentinel class with Italian non-lethal we…

The multirole acoustic stabilised system on MSRV Sentinel , seen here while the ship was at Changi Naval Base during IMDEX 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)

The Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN's) Sentinel-class maritime security and response vessels (MSRVs) are being equipped with Sitep Italia's multirole acoustic stabilised system (MASS).

The non-lethal weapon system was spotted on first-of-class, MSRV Sentinel, during the warship display segment of the IMDEX 2023 naval exhibition that is taking place at Changi Naval Base from 3 to 5 May.

Janes has verified that the system will be installed across all four vessels in the Sentinel class. Each ship is receiving two pedestal-mounted MASS units, and these are being installed on the vessel's port and starboard bridge wings.

The MASS is a remote-controlled non-lethal weapon system designed for asymmetric maritime threats such as pirates, smugglers, and illegal fishing boats. The system's main feature is its acoustic hailing device, which can project audio instructions and warnings at distances of up to 3,000 m. The device can also inflict pain-inducing sounds at distances of up to 125 m.

Besides the acoustic hailer, the MASS is also equipped with a 5,000 mW laser dazzler that can temporarily blind its targets. The dazzler can be operated in either strobe or continuous modes.

In addition to these non-lethal effectors, the MASS has been incorporated with a xenon searchlight, a laser rangefinder, and thermal and high-definition (HD) cameras to assist the crew with target identification and search-and-rescue missions.

Sitep Italia has also partnered with Danish military-specification lights manufacturer Wiseled to offer a laser illuminator variant of the MASS, which promises better light projection capabilities. This variant is equipped with Wiseled's Falcon laser illuminator, instead of the xenon searchlight.