CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — When Singapore’s defense minister, Chan Chun Sing, spoke at the launch ceremony of a novel class of warship for his country’s navy this week, he likened the vessel to the fictitious spaceship Battlestar Galactica.

“It isn’t just a ship by itself, but one that’s integrated with artificial intelligence and an evolving brain,” he said of the new 8,000-ton warship, the largest ever surface combatant in Singapore’s navy.

The 492-foot (150m) Victory, the first of six Multi-Role Combat Vessels (MRCV), was launched at ST Engineering’s Benoi shipyard in Singapore on Oct. 21. The warship will now transfer to the shipbuilder’s Gul yard for outfitting, integration and sea trials.

With a contract awarded to ST Engineering in March 2023, the MRCV is a combination of a frig

See Full Page