Singapore’s ST Engineering has secured a subcontract from Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) to design and supply systems for a fleet of eight missile gunboats for the Kuwait Naval Force.
Under the six-year deal, worth approximately 600 million Singapore dollars ($467 million), ST Engineering will provide a full suite of platform design, integration, and technical expertise.
Based on the Singaporean firm’s proprietary Fearless-class patrol vessel design, three of the gunboats will be built at ST Engineering’s shipyard in Singapore, while ADSB will construct the remaining five.
“We are honoured that the Kuwait Naval Force has chosen our Fearless-class design for their new Missile Gun Boat,” said Tan Leong Peng, president of ST Engineering’s Marine business.
Delivery of the first vessel is scheduled for mid-2027, ADSB CEO David Massey told Breaking Defense in January 2026.
Fearless-Class in the Middle East
The development follows Kuwait’s June 2025 order for eight Falaj-3 vessels under a $2.45-billion contract led by EDGE Group, with ADSB serving as the shipbuilder.
The deal included ammunition, logistics, and in-service support, with EDGE describing it as the region’s largest naval shipbuilding export at the time.
Tan also noted that “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.”
ST Engineering previously supplied Fearless-class-based patrol vessels to Oman, while ADSB and the Singaporean firm also partnered in 2021 on the UAE Navy’s Falaj-3 patrol vessel program.
