SINGAPORE - A Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) warship is back in Singapore, eight days after being sent to sea to help search for the AirAsia plane which crashed in the Java Sea two weeks ago.

The Victory-class missile corvette, RSS Valour, arrived at Tuas Naval Base on Monday afternoon and was received by Chief of Navy, Rear-Admiral (Radm) Lai Chung Han.

Radm Lai thanked the sailors for their efforts in the multi-national search operation for QZ 8501.

"Our people have given their all and their best during the multinational search operation. They have worked tirelessly amidst challenging weather conditions and I want to commend them for their dedication and commitment," he said.

Radm Lai also paid tribute to the families and loved ones of the servicemen for their unwavering support.

Three other ships - RSS Persistence, RSS Kallang, MV Swift Rescue - and a six-man Autonomous Underwater Vehicle team will stay on in the Java Sea.

With the shift in focus to search efforts underwater, another RSN warship, RSS Supreme, will depart for Singapore on Monday evening for replenishment after assisting in search operations for more than a week, said the Defence Ministry in a statement.

To date, the Singapore Armed Forces has deployed more than 400 personnel, two RSAF C-130 aircraft, two Super Puma helicopters, five navy ships and a six-man Autonomous Underwater Vehicle team.