MINDEF ANNOUNCES NS RANK ALLOWANCE INCREASE AND OTHER INITIATIVES

From next month, all Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) and Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) will see their rank allowances increase by $60. A fresh entrant into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will now receive $480 as a Recruit and an NSF officer holding the rank of Lieutenant will receive $1180, as their monthly rank allowance.

Explaining the move during his speech in Parliament today at this year's Committee of Supply (COS) debate, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen said: "Even as we call upon each NSman to do his part to defend Singapore, MINDEF regularly looks for ways to recognise their contributions."

"The primary consideration is that our NSmen are not the second line of defence. When needed, they are the first responders to protect Singapore when our survival is threatened."

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of National Service (NS), and Singaporeans can look forward to a slew of events to commemorate the occasion.

The NS45 website, which was launched today, will give Singaporeans a chance to share their stories with the rest of the nation. Come 24 May, the Army will march into the heart of the city to present this year's five-day Army Open House at the F1 pit building.

In a departure from previous years, both the venue and duration are unique, as part of the efforts to commemorate NS45. The annual National Day Parade, too, will pay tribute to the successive generations of NSmen and their families.

"No matter how long ago we did our NS, there is always something special about the NS experience that we all cherish and remember, especially when we get together with our unit mates," said Minister of State for Defence and Education Lawrence Wong, during his speech at the 2012 COS debate.

Giving SAF personnel more reason to celebrate this year are the increased opportunities to learn at their own pace, as part of the transformation of the SAF's training systems. Over the next five years, the SAF plans to extend LEARNet - a system which allows trainees to access learning resources through portable devices - to about 80 SAF units.

This will be on top of SAF training schools such as the Basic Military Training Centre, Officer and Specialist Cadet schools and the Signal Institute, which are already using the system.

New initiatives for Warrant Officers and Specialists to upgrade their skills were also announced. Under the existing Continuous Learning Academic Study Scheme, the new Certificate in Business Management will lead servicemen to an eventual Diploma in the same discipline. Offered in partnership with Nanyang Polytechnic, up to 30 sponsorships for the certificate course are available annually. The pioneer batch of 21 SAF personnel attended the course from March to September last year.

Also announced were the ongoing upgrades to the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) Victory-class Missile Corvettes (MCV). Apart from extending the service life of the corvettes, the upgrades include an enhanced Combat Management System which enables the warships to detect and react more speedily to potential threats.

Advanced sensor systems will also be incorporated into the upgraded MCVs to enhance their surveillance and identification capabilities. To date, three of the six RSN MCVs have been upgraded.

"We buy only what we need, scrutinise available options for the most cost-effective solution. Our first instinct is to upgrade existing platforms to extend their lifespan, instead of purchasing new ones," said Dr Ng, explaining the decision to enhance the Navy's MCVs which are over 20 years old.

For more information on the NS45 campaign, please visit www.ns45.sg

Copies of the speeches can be found on the MINDEF website at www.mindef.gov.sg