Quora Answer: Is the Draft Singapore’s Formidable-Class Frigates Too Deep for the Region?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Singapore’s Formidable-class frigates have a draft of 6 metres.  Given that the immediate waters of the Malay Archipelago are shallow, and confined, would that not make the Formidable-class too large?”

The Formidable-class frigates are stealth frigates.  They are multi-mission derivatives of the French Navy’s famous La Fayette-class frigates.  The sensor array can identify targets up to 150 NM away, over three dimensions, meaning both air, surface, and underwater targets.  The operation range is over 4,200 NM.  They are also the most well-armed vessels of their class.

As can be inferred from the sensor array, and weapons, the mission profile of the Formidable-class frigates is not the littoral waters of the Malay Archipelago, but the Indian and Pacific Oceans.  Singapore has the South China sea in mind.  A single frigate provides a substantial anti-air blanket for other surface vessels in the fleet, and outclasses anything any other nation in Southeast Asia can field.  This is because they are not meant to defend Singapore against our neighbours.  That would be overkill.  They are meant to keep the lanes of navigation open in the South China Sea, and the Lakshadweep Sea, and secure our economic lifeline, in the event of tensions, or an outright shooting war.