PATROLLING THE GULF OF ADEN

In addition, it helped to coordinate operations by facilitating the sharing of information between CTF 151 and other navies operating in the region such as that of the Peoples Liberation Army, said Colonel Tan Kai Cheong, Commanding Officer of 191 Squadron.

Said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean at the homecoming ceremony held for the task group on 31 Jul: "As a maritime nation, Singapore is committed to supporting the international counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden. The successful deployment of the task group has demonstrated that Singapore can make a useful and meaningful contribution to these efforts."

Mr Teo also announced that following this successful mission, a Singaporean naval officer, supported by a core command group, will lead CTF 151 from January to March next year. CTF 151 is currently led by Rear-Admiral Caner Bener from the Turkish Navy.

"A suspicious vessel was spotted approaching RSS Persistence, and the surface threat alarm sounded at about 9 o'clock. It didn't matter if you were off the watch and sleeping or doing whatever else; everyone was up and ready at their respective stations in less than five minutes."

Staff Sergeant Samantha Chen, Engineering Naval Specialist of RSS Persistence

"There's a lot to digest in terms of the modus operandi of the pirates, and operating in the Gulf of Aden was a first for the SAF as well, so we really didn't know what to expect. It's something new for the Super Puma squadron because we usually do humanitarian relief and search and rescue missions."

Captain Shaun Mathew, a Super Puma pilot, getting the Overseas Service Medal from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean.

"Although most of the calls for assistance turned out to be merchant vessels mistaking innocent fishermen for pirates, the whole process was still very meaningful... After we responded and clarified the situation on the ground, you could hear the change in the tone of their voices. They became calmer and...so in this way, I'm glad that we made a difference."

Major Chang Chiz Hau (pointing), Operations Officer of RSS Persistence

"One of the challenges we faced in the beginning was learning and becoming familiar with the different terms that Navy personnel use. For example, when were identifying a direction, we might say '12 oclock' but for the Navy, its '90' because they describe it in degrees... But the intense preparation and training we went through helped us get up to speed quickly."

1st Sergeant Sim Cher Chian (extreme right), Team 2IC, HQ Guards, awaiting his duty shift with his team.