SAF EMERGES STRONGER AFTER GULF MISSIONS

As a "little red dot", Singapore might seem to have little to offer other countries. But in reality, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has been contributing steadily within its means to United Nations-sanctioned peace support and international security operations.

Recognising that stability in the Gulf region has significant security and economic implications for counter-terrorism operations as well as the global supply of oil, the SAF deployed a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, five KC-135R tanker aircraft and five Landing Ships Tanks (LSTs) in aid of the multinational effort to rebuild post-war Iraq, from 2003 to 2008.

"Our contributions represented small but niche capabilities which were operationally useful to the coalition effort," said Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean at the Overseas Service Medal presentation ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence Auditorium on 20 Mar.

For instance, the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) KC-135R, as one of the few tanker aircraft equipped with a multi-point refuelling system, was highly sought after by the coalition forces for its versatility in providing air-to-air refuelling support to a wide variety of aircraft, which ranged from fighter jets to other tanker aircraft. About 14 million pounds of fuel were offloaded to 1,407 aircraft during 303 refuelling sorties conducted by the KC-135Rs during their deployments.

The C-130 detachment flew approximately 190 hours and completed 29 missions, providing transport for coalition personnel and supplies into Iraq.

While in the Middle East, the LSTs from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) played an important role guarding the waters around key Iraqi oil platforms. They spent 301 days at sea conducting regular area patrols, security sweeps and boarding operations on passing ships, as well as providing vital logistics support for coalition vessels and helicopters.

The Navy took on additional responsibilities since the second deployment as the Surface Action Commander, which entailed taking command of multinational hips from established navies of countries such as Australia and the United States, to protect the key oil terminals.

In the third sea deployment, the LST also acted as a forward-planning and logistic-staging platform to facilitate Iraqi navy operations. The crew also provided training assistance on basic seamanship and medical skills for personnel of the Iraqi navy, to better prepare them for their roles in defending their sovereignty and economy.

Among the 998 personnel who participated in the 11 deployments, 141 have served in multiple missions.

Commending these dedicated personnel, Mr Teo noted: "The fact that our servicemen and women have requested to be considered for deployments, and even for multiple deployments, shows a deep personal commitment to the call of duty, and demonstrates the strong ethos of service to Singapore in the SAF."

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Sivaraman Rajan was a shining example, having participated in all five KC-135R deployments. As the Detachment Commander, LTC Sivaraman was responsible not just for the successful accomplishment of all missions, but also the welfare of his men.

Given the demanding desert environment, where temperatures can rise to a searing 48 degrees Celsius, long working days of eight to 12 hours, and being more than 6,400 km away from home, sustaining the team's focus and morale was no easy task.

"Conducting operations in a non-benign setting has its fair share of complexities and challenges, especially when there are uncertainties involved in your missions, such as contending with prevalent threats of being hit by surface-to-air missiles and small arms firing," he explained.

"Apart from ensuring that my management skills were up to speed, I had to brush up on other essential skill sets like my counselling and coaching skills, as well as the ability to inspire confidence in the guys. To that end, I've really expanded my horizons in learning to address their concerns and motivate them to do a good job."

Adding that they were plugged into the Combined Air Operations Centre, the nerve centre which oversees air operations in the Gulf region, LTC Sivaraman said: "Besides learning more about refuelling operations in the course of our work, this also gave us the opportunity to observe how the other coalition forces operate, as well as learn about the planning and coordination that goes into an air campaign of this magnitude."

Likewise, Colonel (COL) Bernard Miranda shared that "after these missions, we have all become stronger, and we are more capable and ready to take on more challenging missions". COL Miranda was the lead operations planner for the first sea deployment. He was subsequently the Mission Commander for the second deployment, the first half of the third deployment and the last quarter in the fourth deployment, as well as Deputy Commander Task Force Ashore for the fifth sea deployment.

"Protecting the oil terminals is a big responsibility because they are the lifeline of Iraq, so we worked very closely with the coalition forces to ensure that they were safe 24/7," said the commander.

A potential threat faced in the challenging operating environment of the Gulf were terrorist attacks on the oil terminals via explosive-laden boats. One of the measures employed by the RSN to mitigate this risk was the use of the Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) to intercept suspicious vessels, shared COL Miranda. These Protector USVs made their operational debut in the second sea deployment to the Gulf in 2005.

He added: "Every craft in that area can potentially be a threat, but the important thing is to be trained well, equipped well, and always be on our guard."

For Full-time National Serviceman (NSF) Lieutenant (LTA) Lin Dian Xue, the chance to be part of the SAF's last deployment to the Gulf was something not to be missed. He chose to extend his Operationally Ready Date (ORD) by about two months in order to serve on board the RSS Resolution.

Said LTA Lin on being selected: "I was excited and raring to go for this mission. Naturally, my parents were rather worried. But after I explained my reasons for going, they supported my aspirations to contribute more during my National Service."

Commenting on his maiden participation in an overseas deployment, the NSF added: "I think everybody has matured in the course of the mission... We prepared ourselves well beforehand, but no amount of preparation is the same as experiencing it yourself. We adapted ourselves to the operating environment and made sure that we were able to complete all our tasks efficiently despite the extreme weather conditions and risks that we faced."

"The skills and knowledge that I've learnt are lessons in life that I can take with me wherever I go... This was an opportunity to make a difference, and I feel that we did in a small but meaningful way," he said.

LTA Lin was among the 200 crew members from the latest deployment on the RSS Resolution who received the Overseas Service Medal on 20 Mar.

The return of RSS Resolution from the North Arabian Gulf on 20 Dec 08 marked the end of the SAF's deployments to Iraq.

In his speech at the medal presentation ceremony, Mr Teo said: "Significant progress has been made in Iraq. Iraqi security forces are now ready to take over the responsibility of protecting their own country. As the coalition forces plan a phased draw-down of troops in Iraq, Singapore's deployments for operations in Iraq have likewise come to a close."

Congratulating all the medal recipients on a job well done, Mr Teo stressed that even as Singapore draws the curtains on this series of deployments to the Gulf, "the experiences that we take away from Iraq are valuable operational lessons, lessons that will put us in good stead for future missions that the SAF may be called upon to execute".

The SAF is preparing to deploy an LST, with two Super Puma helicopters embarked, to the Gulf of Aden later this year, where it will work with the newly formed Combined Task Force 151 to protect shipping in this vital waterway off the coast of Somalia. Combined Task Force 151 is a multinational task force conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

20 Mar 09 - Minister for Defence presents SAF Overseas Service Medal to 200 SAF personnel
20 Mar 09 - News Video: Minister for Defence presents SAF Overseas Service Medal to 200 SAF personnel