LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

Sailing on board an advanced battleship is something that most non-military personnel rarely have the chance to experience.

Getting their "sea legs" on 23 Sep were six lucky students from Singapore Polytechnic's School of Communications, Art & Social Sciences.

In a collaborative project organised jointly by Nexus (the central coordinating agency for National Education in Singapore), Singapore Polytechnic and the Naval Operations Department, these youths were given the unique opportunity to sail out to sea on board the RSS Steadfast, one of three Formidable-class stealth frigates which were commissioned in February this year.

Currently in their second year of the Media and Communications course, these energetic youths embarked upon a project to create a "drama-documentary" about life on board the ship. The final video clip will subsequently be aired on their school's National Education website.

Not only were the students able to interact with some of the crew members, they also caught an up close and personal look at the various drills, exercises and operations carried out by the busy naval personnel throughout the day.

Indeed, a highlight of the experience for one of the students was the touch-and-go helicopter landing operation conducted that day.

"I was impressed, because it's not very easy for the helicopter to land on the ship, so the crew has to make sure it's very precise. It was a complex process," said 18-year-old Muhammed Hazwan Bin Aziz.

Apart from learning about the defence capabilities of the frigate, such as the incorporation of stealth technology into its design, it was the people element of the Navy that truly impressed the students."

We got to see how systematic, organised and structured they were in doing things", said Gary Tan, 18.

Echoing his sentiment was fellow classmate Shirley Michelle Koh: "We saw them at work doing what they usually do, such as communicating with other ships on the bridge or in the engineering room... There were a lot of exercises, and they're very cautious about safety and very meticulous in the things they do."

"Everything was done in an orderly manner, and it was clear they knew what they're doing, so you definitely get a sense that you're well-protected," she added.

Besides the professionalism and proficiency of the Navy personnel, the students were also struck by the strong camaraderie amongst the crew.

"I feel like they are family; they are not just work colleagues. They look like they bond very well," said Amanda Ngiam.

Sharing his thoughts on how his initial ideas about the crew changed after spending a full day on board, Muhammed Hazwan told cyberpioneer that he did not expect them to be "so accommodating and friendly".

"At first, I thought all Navy personnel would be very strict and regimented, but after meeting them, I found that they were quite fun and hospitable!"

When asked what he hopes viewers will take away after watching their film, he replied: "I hope that people will realise what it's like to actually be in the navy and realise there's more to the Navy than what they think."