The SIGMA class is a Dutch-built family of modular naval vessels, of either corvette or frigate size, designed by Damen Group.
SIGMA stands for Ship Integrated Geometrical Modularity Approach. The basic design of the SIGMA Patrol Series can vary as the hull segments are designed as components. Ships can vary in the number of hull segments and in the order in which they are placed. The ship's dimensions of length and beam lead to the individual SIGMA type names: the SIGMA 9113 is long with a beam of , the SIGMA 10513 is in length again with a beam of
The design was derived from the earlier High Speed Displacement hull form by Marin Teknikk AS in the 1970s.
Versions There are three types of Sigma combatants Sigma frigate Sigma corvette Sigma fast attack corvette
Simplified comparisons between the different Sigma models. +Comparisons between the different SIGMA models Compact SIGMA 7310 "Sigma corvette 7310", Damen. SIGMA 9113"Sigma corvette 9113" Damen. SIGMA 9813 SIGMA 9814 SIGMA 10513 SIGMA PKR 10514 SIGMA 10514 POLA SIGMA PES 10714CO User – Vietnam People's Navy Type Fast attack corvette Corvette Frigate Frigate Frigate Frigate Frigate (Long Range Patrol Vessel) Frigate Length 74.2 meters 90.01 meters 97.91 meters 99.91 meters 105.11 meters 105.11 meters 107.5 meters 107.5 meters Beam 10.00 meters 13.02 meters 13.02 meters 14.02 meters 13.02 meters 14.02 meters 14.02 meters 14.02 meters Draft 3.10 meters 3.60 meters 3.75 meters 3.75 meters 3.75 meters 3.75 meters 3.75 meters 3.93 meters Displacement 900 tons 1,692 tons 2,075 tons 2,150 tons 2,335 tons 2,946 tons 2,575 tons 2,808 tons Main machinery 4x 3.900 kW 2 x 8.910 kW 2 x 8.910 kW tbd 2 x 8.910 kW 2 x 10.000 kW 2 x 13.410 kW 2 x 10.000 kWSpeed (cruising) 18 knots 18 knots 18 knots tbd 18 knots 18 knots 18 knots 14 knots Speed (maximum) 34 knots 28 knots 28 knots tbd 28 knots 28 knots 28 knots 26 knots Endurance 2,000 nmi 3,600 nmi 4,000 nmi tbd 4,000 nmi 5,000 nmi 5,000 nmi+ 8,200 nmi Primary sensors Thales NS-100 Thales MW08 (Thales NS50) Thales SMART-S MK2 Thales SMART-S MK2 Thales SMART-S MK2 Thales SMART-S MK2 Thales SMART-S MK2 SAAB SEA GIRAFFE 4A Complement 50 80 91 103 110 122 122 125 Helicoptercapabilities none deck only deck and hangar (9 ton) deck and hangar deck and hangar (9 ton) deck and hangar(10 ton) deck and hangar (10 ton) deck and hangar (10 ton)StatusDesign conceptOperationalOperationalCancelledOperationalOperationalOperationalUnder development
There are multiple new SIGMA designs released in early 2015 these are the: SIGMA 8313 SIGMA 8011 SIGMA 7613 SIGMA 6610
They are likely to be part of the Compact SIGMA series, a new series small sized combatants with shorter range and up to 2 weeks mission endurance with the same combat systems as the larger version. Besides these smaller designs, there are also larger designs, such as the SIGMA 11515 frigate and the SIGMA 12516 frigate.
During DIMDEX 2024 Damen presented a Batch 2 version of the Sigma 10514 POLA which has a length up to 130 meters, a width between 14 and 17 meters and a draft of 4 meters.
Operators Current operators Indonesia operates four SIGMA 9113 and two SIGMA 10514 s. Mexico operate one SIGMA 10514 LROPV, ARM Benito Juárez (F 101). Morocco operates two SIGMA 9813 class heavy corvettes (with VLS) and a SIGMA 10513 class light frigate based on a modified design.
Potential operators Greece - Damen Schelde submitted a proposal to the Hellenic Navy for SIGMA 10514HN Corvetes based on the SIGMA 10514. This proposal along with Naval Group's proposal for Gowind 2500 are the candidates for the future Hellenic Navy's corvettes to replace the older s. Malaysia - Although SIGMA-class design not be chosen as Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, Damen with Malaysian shipyard, Gading Marine has offered their improved SIGMA 9113 LMS design for RMN Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) second batch during Defence Services Asia 2022 (DSA 2022). Peru - The Peruvian Navy plans to acquire between three and six ships, with a displacement of 3,000 to 4,000 tons. During the 6th International Exhibition of Technology in Defense and Prevention of Natural Disasters (Sitdef 2017) Damen Group offered the SIGMA-class design to the Peruvian Navy. It believes that the variety of models of frigates offered by the SIGMA series allows to fit without difficulty to the requirements of the Peruvian Navy. Poland - Damen Schelde submitted its SIGMA PL 10514 in two variants for the competition to supply the Polish Navy with options for their Miecznik & Czapla programmes. Miecznik will be a coastal defense ship and Czapla a patrol ship.
Failed bids Brazil - Damen and Saab AB joined in a consortium called "Damen-Saab Tamandaré" with a bid to supply the Brazilian Navy with four new Tamandaré-class frigates. On 28 March 2019, Damen lost the competition to a consortium led by TKMS and Embraer with a project derived of the MEKO A-100-class corvettes. Egypt - Damen Schelde was in competition for four SIGMA corvettes (+ two options) for the Egyptian Navy. The French Gowind-class corvette won this bid. The other competitor was the TKMS MEKO A200. Malaysia - Damen Schelde participated in the competition to supply the Royal Malaysian Navy with six frigates under the Second Generation Patrol Vessel program. It was chosen as the winner but unfortunately, Malaysia's Defence Minister had changed the result to the French Gowind class due to interference from Boustead Naval Shipyard. The other competitor was the MEKO A200. Oman - Oman had an interest in buying four SIGMA corvettes/frigates in March 2011. The Dutch queen Beatrix planned a state visit to Oman, one of the reasons for the visit being the potential sale of the ships to the Royal Navy of Oman. The official visit was cancelled due to the unrest in Oman at the time, although the queen did go to an unofficial dinner with the Sultan of Oman. The official visit took place later in January 2012. During the first visit to Oman, the Royal Netherlands Navy sent its air defence warfare frigate to Muscat. In April 2012 it was announced that they lost to the Singaporean by ST Engineering. Damen had offered the SIGMA 7513. Philippines - Damen Schelde bought bidding documents but did not submit an offer. Romania - Romania is planning to purchase four corvettes in the upcoming seven years, which have to be built and equipped in a Romanian building yard. Previously, in December 2016, the Romanian government decided that Damen Group would build four SIGMA light frigates for 1.6 billion euro at the Damen Galați Shipyard. However, the new Romanian government is repealing this decision and will re-open the procurement again. Nonetheless, Damen Group is a top contender for the job, since it has the only shipyard in Romania that has recent experience with building new naval ships reasonably fast and at a competitive price. In July 2019, the Romanian authorities announced the selection of Naval Group and its partner Santierul Naval Constanta (SNC) for the programme to build four new Gowind multi-mission corvettes. United Arab Emirates - Damen had submitted an offer (likely the SIGMA 9813 or SIGMA 9814) for the s. It lost to a corvette based on the Italian . Vietnam - Vietnam in 2011 shows interest in buying four SIGMA corvette with two of them to be built by DSNS in Vietnam. The design were revealed to be SIGMA 9814 during Vietship 2014 Nava Exhibition in Vietnam. As of 2016 the program seems to be cancelled.
Under construction Mexico Mexico has ordered 8 SIGMA 10514 LROPV based upon the Indonesian variant with different weapon systems and different role. The Mexican navy will use its SIGMA frigate as a long range patrol vessel. The keel was laid on 17 August 2017, and was launched on 23 November 2018 and service to begin in 2020. The ship will be built in six modules, with two of these modules built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding in Vlissingen in the Netherlands, and the remaining four by the Mexican Navy shipyard in Salina Cruz under the supervision of Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding. The SIGMA will replace the four Allende class (ex-USN ), and two Bravo class (ex-USN ) of frigates.
Under development Colombia In September 2022, the Colombian Ministry of Defense announced that COTECMAR and Damen will co-develop five new frigates for the Colombian Navy based on the Sigma-class design. The Colombian Navy awarded a contract to COTECMAR to build the service's first frigate under the Strategic Surface Platform (Plataforma Estratégica de Superficie or PES) project on 22 November 2022. The ship's design was finalized in 2023 between Cotecmar and Damen Naval, construction can begin by 2025. In April 2024, the program were reported to have been facing problems and is expected to miss its planned construction date. In August 2024 it was reported that Damen and COTECMAR had signed a contract for the construction of a frigate based on the Sigma 10514 model. As part of the agreement Damen will supply technical support and components for the construction, while the frigate will be built by COTECMAR. Construction of the frigate is planned to begin in 2026 and to be completed in 2030.
In February 2025 Damen and Saab signed a contract for the delivery of the 9LV combat management system and 9LV fire control system, alongside radar and sensors systems. These systems include the Ceros 200 radar, EOS 500 electro-optical fire control director and Giraffe 4A radars. The following month, in March, a contract was signed between Damen and Heinen & Hopman for the delivery of the overall HVAC-R system. That same month Damen also signed a contract with BAE Systems to supply a Bofors 40 Mk4 naval gun system. In June 2025 Damen selected Alewijnse to integrate all major electrical systems aboard the PES frigate. Later that month it was reported that Kongsberg had been selected to supply twin controllable pitch propellers (CPPs) and shaftlines for the frigate. In September it became known that De Jong & Lavino was selected for the delivery of all steel materials needed to build the PES frigate. In October Damen and Terma signed a contract for the supply of the C-Guard Decoy Launching System.
In January 2026 it was reported that Georg Fischer had been contracted for the PES project. The following month it was announced that first steel had been cut at the Mamonal facility of COTECMAR, which officially marks the start of construction. The frigate will be built by making use of a modular block strategy, with a total of 52 steel blocks being used to assemble the hull.
Variants
Indonesia SIGMA 9113
The Indonesian variant is based on the SIGMA 9113 design. Work on the first of the class, KRI Diponegoro (365), began with the first steel cutting conducted in October 2004. The ship was christened on 16 September 2006 and commissioned on 2 July 2007 by Admiral Slamet Soebijanto, Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff.
Options for two other units were exercised in January 2006 with the first steel cut commenced on 3 April 2006 in Damen's Schelde Naval Shipbuilding yard, Vlissingen-Oost yard and not in Surabaya as stated earlier.
On 28 August 2007, Jane's Missiles and Rockets reported that Indonesia was having problems securing the export license for the MM40 Exocet block II and was considering Chinese made C-802 anti-ship missiles as alternatives. However, the ships have already been delivered with the Exocet missiles.
In 2018 Thales has upgraded the Indonesian Navy's Diponegoro-class corvette through the installation and refurbishment of the Kingklip hull-mounted sonar system.
In 2019 the Diponegoro-class corvettes were upgraded with MM40 Exocet block III missile.