A TRULY INTEGRATED EXERCISE

In the dry and dusty Mojave Desert in southern California, more than 300 servicemen from the Air Force and Army are taking part in one of the largest integrated strike exercise ever conducted by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Exercise Forging Sabre is a 12-day exercise held at the United States Marines Air Ground Task Force Training Centre (MAGTFTC).

It focuses on testing out live-linkages and system integration between the AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, and other sensors and shooters in the SAF, such as the F-16 fighter jets, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Artillery and Commandos.

It has the distinction of being the first SAF live integrated exercise that involves all three CONUS (Continental US) Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) detachments - Peace Vanguard, Peace Prairie and Peace Carvin - together with gunners from the Artillery.

In addition, a control headquarters comprising integrated operations planners, sensors managers from both the RSAF and the Army has also been formed specially for this exercise.

"The second first is that this is really a live process integration - vertically from the control headquarters, right down to the platform, as well as horizontal integration across platforms and services," said Colonel (COL) Philip Lim, Director of Exercise Forging Sabre.

"It is also the first autonomous live-firing exercise that we are conducting in the US and it bears testimony to the good relations between the SAF and the US military."

The purpose of the exercise is to validate the command and control processes and procedures of SAF's integrated strike capability in a live tactical setting.

"Above all, Exercise Forging Sabre, in the live weapons delivery phase, will be a proof of that capability," added COL Lim.

With 932 square miles - about twice the size of Singapore - of new terrain to adapt to and an elevation of over 3,000 feet to contend with, the servicemen have responded well.

"The weather has been extremely cold, the terrain is not entirely familiar, and the conditions out there are extremely harsh and adverse," said COL Lim of the challenges the men had to face.

"The troops have come a long way from home to this place, but I sense a tremendous amount of energy and they are very excited to participate in this significant exercise," he added.

"They are truly professional and committed."

A total of 125 servicemen were deployed from Singapore for the exercise. They are joined by their CONUS counterparts: about 160 personnel from Peace Vanguard and Peace Prairie detachments. Accompanying them are six Apache attack helicopters and three Chinooks heavy-lift helicopters.

The Peace Carvin II detachment and their F-16s will fly in directly from Arizona, where they are based in the US, for specific missions during the exercise.

The exercise ends on 21 Nov.

>> Visit the Ex Forging Sabre website for more information