NAVY@VIVO RETURNS

Singaporeans can get up close and personal with a Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) warship, docked at the VivoCity Promenade starting from today.

Formidable-class stealth frigate RSS Tenacious, together with a Sikorsky S-70B naval helicopter, is open for public visits at the Navy@Vivo event from 23 to 26 Jun.

This is the fifth time an RSN ship has docked at VivoCity for the event.

Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Lai Chung Han rang the bell to signify the opening of the event at a ceremony on 23 Jun.

The theme for this year's event is "Maritime Force for a Maritime Nation".

RSS Tenacious was one of the RSN's warships which took part in counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden in 2014.

Visitors will get to tour the stealth frigate's flight deck, missile deck, bridge, galley, and living quarters.

One visitor on the first day was Jason Stanley, a student from Sembawang Secondary School, who was thrilled to explore a real warship.

"It's a once in a life time experience!" said the 14-year-old, who is a member of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Sea).

"I got to see a real helicopter and the different types of weapons on board the ship. This is something that I don't get to see in my NCC training in school."

Indoor exhibition

The public can also head to the Navy@Vivo exhibition at level one of VivoCity, where one of the highlights is a 3D replica of a submarine.

The interior is fitted with periscopes, sonar displays, and lit by red light, allowing visitors to see and feel what it is like to live on board a real submarine.

Mrs Tan Wan Yee, who took her seven-year-old son and nine-year-old nephew to the exhibition, felt that the replica gave a glimpse of the challenges that RSN submariners faced during operations.

"The interior is dark, and it feels claustrophobic," said the 42-year-old housewife. "It is an informative exhibit that shows the real environment inside a submarine."

Visitors also get to experience firing a naval ship's gun at the Littoral Mission Vessel (LMV) simulator. Also on display are the weapons and equipment used by the RSN's elite Naval Diving Unit (NDU).

The public will be able to observe the conduct of the RSN's ceremonial sunset, a long-standing naval tradition, at 7pm daily.

Bringing Navy closer

Chairman of Navy@Vivo 2016, Military Expert 7 Andy Tay, hopes that the event will bring the Navy, which is responsible for the seaward defence of Singapore, closer to the public.

He said: "With visits to RSS Tenacious and the exhibition at VivoCity, we hope to share with the public some of our capabilities and what the Navy is doing to protect the sea lanes that carry our maritime trade - the backbone of our economy."

About 12,500 members of the public are expected to board the frigate during the four-day event. Ship visits are open to the public from 9am to 9pm, while the exhibitions at VivoCity are open from 10am to 10pm.

For more information, visit the RSN Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/singaporenavy.