UPGRADED RSN SHIP SCORES A HIT IN MISSILE FIRING DURING EX CARAT

At the command, the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN's) upgraded missile corvette RSS Valiant swiftly fired its Barak anti-missile missile against the air drone target, destroying it within seconds.

This scenario took place in the South China Sea on 23 Aug, as part of the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) bilateral exercise between the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the United States Navy (USN), from 15 to 29 Aug.

The seventeenth in its series, Ex CARAT 2011 focuses on honing conventional maritime capabilities in anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare (ASW), as well as maritime air operations.

The missile firing was witnessed by Minister of State for Defence and Education Lawrence Wong, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and National Development Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Neo Kian Hong and Chief of Navy Rear Admiral (RADM) Ng Chee Peng.

Weapon Systems (Control) Operator Military Expert 1 William Kang, who fired the Barak missile, said that it was "excellent to see the entire crew's teamwork in action and executing the successful missile hit. ...Through our training and numerous rehearsals, we have learnt a lot more about the anti-missile system's behaviour and its technical details".

He added that it was "a wonderful learning experience ... exercising with personnel from the USN".

Two other key highlights during Ex CARAT 2011 were the participation of the RSN's Sikorsky S-70B naval helicopters for the first time, as well as a significant increase in the scope, duration and complexity of the ASW operations at sea. The latter featured submarines, surface ships and helicopters from the two countries and the USN's P-3C Orion aircraft.

"Being able to operate in such an integrated fashion speaks volumes of the strong interoperability and professional respect between our two navies," said RSN Fleet Commander RADM Lai Chung Han when he co-officiated at the opening ceremony of the exercise, at Changi Naval Base on 15 Aug, with USN Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Force 5th/7th Fleet Rear Admiral (RDML) Sean Buck.

This year's exercise demonstrates how the participating forces can collaborate to address shared security concerns such as maritime and port security and disaster response, said RDML Buck. "It enables both countries to respond effectively together in time of need," he added.

Personnel participating in the exercise found value in working alongside one another. CAPT David A. Welch from the USN, co-Commander Task Group of Ex CARAT 2011, said the thorough planning and preparation by participants from both countries allowed them to maximise the time they spent together and benefit from the cooperation.

He also commended the professionalism shown by the RSN personnel during the exercise.

The SAF and the USN have been participating in Ex CARAT since 1995. This year, a total of 1,400 personnel, seven ships, a submarine and 20 aircraft were deployed for the exercise.