Brunei receives second ex-Singapore Fearless-class vessel

The Royal Brunei Navy's Al-Faruq , seen here during its handover ceremony at RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base on 2 October. (Republic of Singapore Navy)

The Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) has taken delivery of another ex-Singapore Fearless-class patrol vessel.

The vessel, which will be in service as KDB Al-Faruq with pennant number 99, was handed over to the service in a ceremony at RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base in Singapore on 2 October.

Janes first reported in March 2023 that Brunei has agreed to receive two ex-Singapore Fearless-class patrol boats that were decommissioned by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) in 2019 and 2020.

As-Siddiq is the first of these two vessels, and it was handed over to the RBN on 15 March 2023. It was commissioned on 21 March at the RBN's naval base in Muara, Brunei.

Both As-Siddiq and Al-Faruq were transferred as a gift and a token of the close defence relations between the two smallest Southeast Asian countries.

The transfer was officially proposed by the RSN in December 2019, and a technical visit to discuss training and logistics requirements was carried out in Singapore for RBN personnel in October 2021.

Training for the RBN's pioneering crew of As-Siddiq began in Singapore on 22 December 2022.

The Fearless class comprises 500 tonne water-jet-propelled patrol boats that are powered by two MTU 12V-595-TE90 diesel engines.

It has a top speed of 20 kt and a standard range of about 1,800 n mile at its cruising speed of 15 kt. All vessels were built by then Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited (currently known as ST Engineering Marine).