RSS INTREPID SET TO WOW VISITORS AT VIVOCITY

Popular shopping mall VivoCity welcomed a grey hulk of a guest on 14 Mar. Recently back from a three-and-a-half-month counter-piracy deployment from the Gulf of Aden, RSS Intrepid is docking at the VivoCity Promenade for the first time.

With the Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk naval helicopter on display on its flight deck, the 114m-long RSS Intrepid cuts a formidable sight along the waterfront. The Formidable-class stealth frigate is opening its doors to members of the public for ship visits from 15 to 17 Mar.

The event, called Navy@Vivo, was launched by Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral (RADM) Ng Chee Peng on 15 Mar. "With visits to RSS Intrepid and the exhibition in VivoCity, we hope that the public will be able to get a better understanding and awareness of the Navy," he said.

For Military Expert (ME) 2 Ebenezer S/O Moses, a weapons systems supervisor on board RSS Intrepid, Navy@Vivo is an opportunity for the public to get to know the crew's daily routines and the ship's cultures and traditions. "We are excited about the event because we are able to show people what we did in the Gulf of Aden. They'll get to understand what we went through and the ship's capabilities," said the 30-year-old.

Besides the frigate tour, one of the key highlights of Navy@Vivo is the ceremonial sunset, a long-standing naval tradition. As the contingent commander of the 20-man team who will be in their formal military uniforms for the ceremony, ME2 Adrian Lum will lead the lowering of the ship ensign, the harbour ensign and the jack at 7.15pm daily, accompanied by the bugle, a brass instrument.

Preparations for Navy@Vivo started as the ship was on its way back from the Gulf of Aden in December last year. In addition to measuring the amount of space that RSS Intrepid required to come alongside the Promenade, the crew had to plan all aspects of the event to the tee. "For example, we had to plan the tour route and the placement of the televisions and information cards so the ship is safe and spacious enough for visitors," said ME2 Lum, who is the RSS Intrepid's command and control systems supervisor.

Judging from the positive responses from visitors, it was certainly well worth the effort. Fifteen-year-old Nuqman Al-Nahawand Bin Mustafa from Naval Base Secondary School was one happy customer after touring the "amazing" ship. His favourite exhibit was the Combat Information Centre, also known as the frigate's "brain", where he saw technology that he had never seen before. "As a guy who is going for National Service (NS), I understand my role in the military better (after the ship tour)."

His classmate Kesmin Tay added that she was surprised to see the dining area where the crew had meals and winded down after a day's work. "I thought that the Navy was just about fighting wars and that everything was a serious matter, but the ship crew seemed very bonded and happy together."

The 14-year-old National Police Cadet Corp member said she would be back again over the weekend, this time with her family. "My mom was from the National Cadet Corps and my father served his NS in the Navy... (so) they can share their past experiences with me and my brother."

Navy@Vivo is open to the public from 4pm on 15 Mar to 9pm on 17 Mar. As part of the event, there will be an exhibition booth located at Level 1 of VivoCity, where equipment used by the elite Naval Diving Unit is on display. Visitors will also have the chance to take pictures with naval divers as well as members of the Accompanying Sea Security Team.

Admission to the frigate is free, and visitors can get tickets at the exhibition booth on a first-come-first-served basis. More information can be found on the Navy@Vivo facebook page.

Highlights of Navy@Vivo

On board the frigate, look out for the Launch & Recovery System - comprising a crane and two cradles - that is used to launch, recover and stow the Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats. Located right beside it are the Boeing Harpoon Missiles.

Also check out the Bridge, where the ship makes use of networked systems such as the Combat Management System to connect and communicate with the crew in the Combat Information Centre. Sophisticated systems like these enable the RSN's frigates to function with a lean crew of 70-plus.

Videos of the crew's deployment in the Gulf of Aden are also displayed throughout the tour route for visitors to gain a deeper awareness of Singapore's contributions to international anti-piracy operations.

For a first-hand experience with the weapons and gear used by the RSN's naval divers, step into VivoCity for the Navy exhibition. Here, visitors can try their hands on the Glock 17 pistol, the MP5 Personal Defence Weapon and the Remington shot gun.

Members of the public can also take photographs with NDU divers and those from the Accompanying Sea Security Team or dress their children up in the navy uniforms for photographs.