GOING BEYOND OUR SHORES

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) continues to contribute detachments to reconstruction efforts and counter-piracy operations in Afghanistan and the Gulf of Aden respectively.

"Pilot, TACCO, new contact 002, one o' clock, five miles, eyes out," the Tactical Coordination Officer (TACCO) from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) says to the pilot after spotting a suspicious fishing vessel on his radar.

The pilot whips out his binoculars in search of the vessel. Upon sighting it, he flies the plane towards the vessel, and signals to the aircrew specialist to take an aerial picture of the vessel. The picture is then analysed to determine if the vessel might be a potential pirate threat.

This is a familiar scenario on board the Fokker-50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) based in Djibouti since mid-April. The deployment of the aircraft includes about 35 SAF personnel to conduct maritime air surveillance in the Gulf of Aden for three months, in support of multinational counter-piracy force Combined Task Force (CTF) 151.

Other SAF deployments in the region include a team of 25 SAF personnel which took over command of CTF 151 on 31 Mar and will be at the helm for three months.

In Afghanistan, the second batch of Military Institutional Trainers (MITs) are in Kabul till December to establish an artillery school and doctrine for the Afghan National Army, while a 13-man medical team was recently deployed to provide medical care to a field hospital in Multinational Base Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan from May to July 2011. A second 13-man team will take over the first team from August to October this year.

Doing our part

The numerous current overseas deployments indicate Singapore's commitment to international security operations, as it recognises that threats elsewhere in the world have the potential to affect its peace and stability.

Commenting on the mission in the Gulf, Fokker-50 MPA Detachment Commander Lieutenant Colonel Song Chun Keet said: "Piracy is a serious problem in this waterway which is an important, strategic waterway that affects the world, including Singapore."

"As a maritime nation, Singapore has to play its part in ensuring the safety of the seas for all, and that's what we aim to do here," added the Commanding Officer of 121 Squadron (SQN), home to the Fokker-50 MPA.

Military Expert (ME) 6 Han Suan Juan from 121 SQN shared the same view. The Senior Maintenance Officer, who oversees the maintenance of the Fokker-50 MPA in Djibouti, said: "We know that the Gulf of Aden is an important sea line where many of our merchant ships pass through, so my men and I are very proud to contribute to the long-term interest of the international community and Singapore."

Preparing for the job

The Gulf of Aden and Afghanistan present different and challenging operating environments to SAF personnel deployed there.

For the Fokker-50 deployment to the Gulf, personnel there experience high temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius, while those in Afghanistan are exposed to threats of rocket attacks by insurgents.

To prepare troops for their roles in theatre, they are put through rigorous pre-deployment training, which includes customised physical conditioning, close combat training, acclimatisation and weapon handling.

A guardsman who will be deployed to Kabulas part of the third rotation of MITs said: "We already have the fundamental combat skills, so the pre-deployment training works like a refresher course that helps to sharpen our currency. It also builds our confidence to handle any threats when we re in theatre."

Part of the pre-deployment training also includes receiving updates from counterparts in the countries that the SAF's personnel are deploying to, something an Artillery officer, who will be commanding the third batch of MITs, found useful.

"Through regular video conferences with our counterparts in Afghanistan, we get to find out the current situation, so we know what to expect in theatre and we can be better prepared," he said.

A learning journey

For SAF personnel deployed for such missions, being in-theatre is akin to taking a major examination that they spent years preparing for.

Major (MAJ) Kelvin Yuen, a pilot from 121 SQN, commented on the squadron's maiden participation in the Gulf of Aden: "Our operations in the Gulf have certainly validated our squadron's counter-piracy procedures that we developed leading up to this deployment, and I'm glad to say that the squadron is ready and well prepared for this."

Experiences gained by deployed personnel overseas also serve to benefit operations locally, said LTC Song.

He elaborated: "We have learnt a lot from our coalition partners in how they conduct their patrols in the Gulf and back in their home countries."

"I'm sure we can bring this knowledge back to further enhance our effectiveness, be it in our sea patrols or maritime security operations such as the Eyes in the Sky initiative." This is a joint initiative by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand to combat piracy in the Malacca Strait.

ME2 Pang Teck Lim agreed, adding that he is looking to impart what he has learnt during the deployment to others in his squadron. Said the Communications Specialist from 113 Squadron who is involved in the Fokker-50 MPA deployment: "I'm glad I can share my operational experiences with my peers and juniors, so that the entire squadron will be more experienced when it comes to similar missions."

"Our operations in the Gulf have certainly validated our squadron's counter-piracy procedures that we developed leading up to this deployment, and I'm glad to say that the squadron is ready and well prepared for this."
- MAJ Yuen on how the overseas mission has been a beneficial experience