ST Engineering’s Marine business has secured a six-year sub-contract valued at about S$ 600 million (US$ 465 million) from Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) to design and supply the platform systems for a fleet of eight Missile Gun Boats that ADSB is constructing for the Kuwait Naval Force.
In addition to delivering the full suite of platform design, integration and technical expertise, ST Engineering will build three of the vessels at its Singapore shipyard.
This contract follows an earlier award in 2021 by ADSB for four similar Offshore Patrol Vessels for the UAE Navy. This win highlights the strong partnership with ADSB, as well as the Group’s deep naval engineering capabilities and its proven track record in delivering complex naval platforms.
“This win strengthens ST Engineering’s growing momentum in international defence markets, underscoring the Group’s ability to deliver sophisticated naval platforms and capture rising demand for advanced maritime security solutions in the Middle East,” said Tan Leong Peng, President of the Marine business at ST Engineering.
“We are honoured that the Kuwait Naval Force has chosen our Fearless-class design for their new Missile Gun Boat. The growing acceptance of our design across the Middle East, in Oman, UAE and now Kuwait, reflects customer confidence in its robust operational performance and adaptability,” he added.
The Missile Gun Boats will be based on ST Engineering’s proprietary Fearless-class patrol vessel, purpose-built for versatility and reliability which is well suited for operations in the Middle East.
The design features high redundancy for critical systems to maximise mission readiness and supports continuous operations. The vessels will also incorporate advanced platform systems that enhance navigation precision, manoeuvrability, enabling high performance in littoral and blue water deployments, prolonged patrols and naval duties across challenging maritime environments.
On 03 June 2025, UAE’s EDGE Group announced the signing of a major AED 9 billion (US$ 2.45 billion) defence contract with the Kuwait Ministry of Defence (photo) for the supply of FALAJ3 62-metre missile boats. This contract marks the largest naval shipbuilding export in the region and ranks among the highest-value naval export deals globally.
As the prime contractor, EDGE will lead the programme which includes the design, construction, trials, and delivery of the vessels, in addition to Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) and In- Service Support (ISS). EDGE will also provide the ammunition for the vessels, further demonstrating its end-to-end capability offering. Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), EDGE Group’s naval arm and the UAE’s leading shipbuilder, has been selected as the build subcontractor for the programme.
The FALAJ 3-class missile boat has also been selected by the UAE Navy, with the first vessel, ALTAF, formally commissioned into service in February 2025. This operational deployment reflects the vessel’s proven capability and performance in regional waters. With the latest agreement, these advanced 62-metre vessels are tailored to meet Kuwait’s operational requirements, offering high performance, advanced combat systems, and enhanced capabilities for littoral defence operations.
Drawing on over 50 years of expertise in naval vessel design and engineering, ST Engineering is a leading provider of turnkey naval shipbuilding. Its Marine business continues to invest in smart technologies, enabling the constructing of advanced, mission-ready platforms for modern naval forces.
ST Engineering is a global technology, defence and engineering group with a diverse portfolio of businesses across the aerospace, smart city, defence and public security segments. The Group harnesses technology and innovation to solve real-world problems, enabling a more secure and sustainable world. Headquartered in Singapore, it has operations spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., serving customers in more than 100 countries. (File Photo: On 03 June 2025, UAE’s EDGE signed a US$ 2.45 billion contract with the Kuwait Ministry of Defence for the supply of FALAJ3 62-metre missile boats © EDGE Group)
