RSN MARKS 45TH ANNIVERSARY

On 4 May, men and women of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) gathered at Changi Naval Base to commemorate the Navy's 45th anniversary.

In his opening address, Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral (RADM) Ng Chee Peng acknowledged and praised the hard work put in by the various units and formations for the past year.

He noted that even as he spoke, people in Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) were maintaining a vigilant 24/7 watch in the hub at the Changi C2 Centre.

(Patrol vessel) RSS Daring is on patrol in the Singapore Straits right now, while RSS Fearless and RSS Dauntless are preparing for their patrols over Saturday and Sunday To the members of MSTF, it is what you do on a daily basis, 24/7, that ensures the safety of our waters and the safeguard of our sovereignty.

In recognition of their excellent performance over the past year, RADM Ng presented awards ranging from the RSN Innovations Award to the prestigious Top Gun award as well as Squadron s Best Ship award to various recipients.

Patrol vessel RSS Justice was awarded the Squadron s Best Ship award for the third year in a row, the first ever in RSN's history, earning a golden E letter (for Excellence) that will be displayed on the side of the ship.

In a nutshell, it is the crew's willingness to commit towards doing their best in all of their endeavours as well as the support and encouragement that we have from our squadron, that allowed us to excel and achieve this award," said Major (MAJ) Daniel Koh, Commanding Officer (CO) of RSS Justice.

This year, the RSN's Top Gun award went to the Formidable-class stealth frigate RSS Supreme.

On the reasons behind his ship's success this year, Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) Tommy Hsu, CO of RSS Supreme, said: It s not just the people firing the guns everybody on the ship played an integral role in clinching this award.

On top of that, there is the support we get from NALCOM (Naval Logistics Command) in ensuring that the guns are properly aligned. So it s definitely not a one-ship effort as it involves many other parties as well, he added.

To commemorate the RSN's 45th anniversary, the Navy Museum was opened by RADM Ng on 3May.

In his speech at the opening of the museum, Commander TRACOM (Naval Training Command) Colonel Gerald Heng highlighted that the museum acts as an institution to collect, safeguard and store objects, artefacts and specimens of interest or importance to our naval heritage, and hold them in trust for the RSN .

He continued: This serves to increase public awareness of the RSN's role in the defence of in ensuring maritime security and in keeping Singapore's vital sea lanes open. It also serves to tell the evolving story of how the RSN has transformed into a modern, balanced and potent force from just a navy operating two wooden ships.

Located just outside Changi Naval Base and known as Spirit of the Navy , the museum features a wide variety of exhibits, including models of navy ships and munitions. These range from the latest Formidable-class frigate to the Harpoon Missile & Canister, an anti-ship missile used by the RSN.

Designed to look and feel like a warship, the museum features three decks and 11 galleries. Visitors can learn about the operations and exercises that the RSN conducts with navies around the world, catch a glimpse of the Navy's heritage through exhibits of old warship weaponry, and try their hand at an interactive role-playing game.

The museum will be open to the public from 7 May, and admission is free.