DR NG VISITS SAF READINESS EXERCISE

Amid the rumbling sounds of armoured vehicles and gunfire, Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) troops and M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers disembarked swiftly from a fleet of fast crafts at the coast and advanced steadily inland. They did this as F-16 fighter aircraft and Apache attack helicopters thundered across the sky simultaneously to provide fire support.

The battalion-level coastal hook operation took place on 2 Aug at Pulau Sudong, an island off the southern coast of Singapore. It saw about 450 soldiers, sailors and airmen work together to recapture the island in a scenario where it had been seized by an enemy force.

Witnessing the detailed orchestration of the joint military readiness exercise was Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen. This was the first time he visited an SAF exercise since assuming his current appointment in May.

The 1st Guards Battalion troops went on to repossess the airstrip located in the centre of the island and receive logistics supplies via a Super Puma helicopter, which was then used to evacuate casualties to the mainland.

Commenting on how the SAF stays operationally ready through such regular exercises, Dr Ng said: "This is routine for them (the troops). They must have confidence in the machines that we buy, the equipment that they have and their ability to execute these operations."

He added that he was most impressed with the troops, saying that while the SAF could equip them with the hardware, "if they don't put their heart and soul into it, it doesn't amount to much".

Dr Ng was accompanied by Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Neo Kian Hong and Chief of Army Major-General Ravinder Singh.