RSN WARSHIP TAKES OUT MISSILE THREAT, PLAYS BIGGER ROLE IN WORLD S LARGEST MARITIME EXERCISE, RIMPAC

Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii on 16 Jul, a missile is tracking hot towards RSS Steadfast. If it hits the stealth frigate, the missile will tear through the hull, disabling critical combat systems, and putting an end to the mission.

Deep within the warship, the Combat Information Centre has already been tracking the incoming threat since it was first detected miles away. The team locks onto the trajectory of the hostile missile and primes the Aster Surface-to-Air missile.

The order is given to fire, and the team leans in. Seconds later, the Aster missile blows the threat clean out of the sky. The ship lives to fight another day.

This is just one of the many scenarios that will play out over the 24-day sea phase, which began on 12 Jul, of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise.

Welcome to the world s largest maritime exercise, which sees participation from 26 countries bordering the Pacific Ocean. Together, these nations will operate 45 ships, five submarines and more than 200 aircraft. Manning these systems both on shore and at sea are more than 25,000 personnel.

RSS Steadfast is participating this year under the ambit of Task Force (TF) 170, which oversees four Task Groups (TGs). RSS Steadfast is assigned as one of the two task unit commanders under one of the TGs. It will lead three other ships from Japan, South Korea and the United States. This is the third consecutive time that the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is doing so.

RIMPAC gives us a chance to work with established navies in complex scenarios. That gives the RSN an opportunity to hone our warfare capabilities, said Fleet Commander Rear-Admiral (RADM) Lew Chuen Hong, who observed the Aster missile live-firing on board RSS Steadfast.

With so many navies participating from around the world, (the exercise) also gives us the opportunity to interact and expand collaborations with our friends from all over the world.

Commenting on Singapore s participation in the exercise, Vice Admiral Nora Tyson, Commander 3rd Fleet, US Navy (USN), said: Exercises like this year s iteration of RIMPAC foster cooperation and respect between coalition forces Our global network of partners like Singapore (helps) to reinforce international security and stability, and support prosperity around the world.

For this year s RIMPAC, RSS Steadfast will also take on a new role as an Anti-Surface Warfare Commander for its Task Force, and lead in the planning and execution of surface warfare serials for 10 other ships, and their helicopters and maritime surveillance aircraft.

To meet the demands of the exercise, the crew began preparations several months ago. For example, the Air Detachment had to load more aviation spares for the long sail of over a hundred days and work out how to carry out certain maintenance tasks with the limited space on board.

As one of the few navies which do not have a dedicated air wing, the RSN calls on the Seahawk S-70B Naval Helicopters from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to provide extended reach and sensing capabilities.

Over the weeks that we have spent together, we have come to a good mutual understanding (of how we work) and it s a great example of interoperability between the RSN and the RSAF, said Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) Ooi Tjin Kai, Commanding Officer RSS Steadfast.

Operating out here in the Pacific Ocean means that the ship experiences more pitch and roll because of the sea state, so we have to coordinate closely to make sure that we carry out missions safely and effectively, said Captain Kelvin Chan, one of the pilots from 123 Squadron (Sqn). He flies the Seahawk S-70B helicopter.

For the maintenance crew, it means communicating closely with the ship. When we are carrying out more delicate work, we might ask the ship to slow down so as to reduce the rocking and rolling, said Military Expert (ME)1 See Zhi Yong, one of the Aircraft Engineers from 123 Sqn.

Said Coxswain of RSS Steadfast ME3 Vijayan: Logistically, it s a challenge to put everything together, but the experience has been a fruitful one for the crew and morale has been high.

When asked to comment on how RSS Steadfast has been performing so far, Sea Combat Commander of TG 170.1 Captain Jason Boyd said: We have a tremendously talented line-up of ships in our Task Group and RSS Steadfast has certainly impressed me in the manner in which she prepares for events, and forward-thinks to anticipate any conflicts or issues that may be on the horizon.

"They have come to RIMPAC tremendously prepared, well trained, and with a can-do attitude. Though they may be one of the smaller navies participating in this exercise, they are certainly proving themselves to be one of the most capable thus far."

Exercise RIMPAC will conclude on 5 Aug.