FRENCH MEDAL OF HONOUR FOR FORMER CHIEF OF NAVY

Former Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral (RADM) (NS) Ronnie Tay, was conferred the medal of Officer in the Order of Legion d'Honneur (Legion of Honour) by His Excellency Pierre Buhler, Ambassador of France to Singapore, on 13 Nov.

This prestigious award was presented to RADM (NS) Tay in recognition of his significant contributions in boosting cooperation between the navies and defence industries of Singapore and France.

He played a key role in developing the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) into the 3rd Generation Navy, successfully bringing into service six Formidable-class frigates that were built in cooperation with France.

Expressing his appreciation at receiving the award, RADM (NS) Tay said: "It is indeed a great honour for me and my family."

"This award is a reflection of the excellent ties of friendship and cooperation between the defence forces of France and Singapore, as well as a testimony to the strong relationship between the French navy and the RSN," he added.

Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Order of the Legion d'Honneur became the first National Order in 1830. It remains the highest decoration in France, with the President of the French Republic as the Grand Maitre (Grand Master) of the order.

This award honours outstanding service by civilians or military servicemen, both French as well as foreign. The five ranks and titles are Knight, Officer, Commander, Grand Officier (Grand Officer) and Grand Croix (Grand Cross).

Past award recipients from Singapore include former Chiefs of Defence Force, Chiefs of Intelligence, Permanent Secretaries and Service Chiefs.