Sea mines are insidious weapons — they can lie in wait underwater for years before exploding, and are incredibly tough to neutralise once active. It takes a hard-hitting mine countermeasure vessel (MCMVs) to deal with them.
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Size and Capacity
Smaller than the behemoth shipping vessels that churn through Singapore’s narrow straits, the Bedok-class mine countermeasure vessels can manoeuvre around larger ships to keep the seabed clear of mine threats and obstacles.
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Length:
47.5 metres
Beam:
9.6 metres
Displacement:
360 tonnes
Crew:
32
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Manoeuvrability
These mine countermeasure vessels are built for mobility to better tackle their underwater foes — it is able to do a 360-degree turn on its axis.
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Speed:
In excess of 15 knots
Range:
2,000 nautical miles
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Weapons and Capabilities
Odd but true: our MCMVs' hulls are made from a special form of glass – fibreglass. Why? This lowers the acoustic and magnetic signature of the vessel, lowering the risk that it will trigger a mine.