SG: Strong navy needed to keep trade flowing





Singapore needs a strong maritime force as an island nation that depends on trade as its lifeblood, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday, as the navy celebrated its 50th anniversary and commissioned a new warship.

That was why Singapore's pioneers decided to build up the navy soon after the Republic gained independence in 1965.

"Because we traded with the world, and the sea was - and still is - our lifeline," said PM Lee, before commissioning the navy's first littoral mission vessel (LMV) at Changi Naval Base.

"We needed a strong maritime force to protect our sovereignty, defend us from seaborne threats, and keep trade - our lifeblood - flowing."

Singapore's maritime sector contributes about 7 per cent to the nation's gross domestic product. It is home to over 130 international shipping groups and more than 5,000 maritime establishments, making it one of the world's busiest ports.

PM Lee noted how the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is now a fighting force equipped with technologically advanced hardware, including submarines, frigates, maritime patrol aircraft, and unmanned vessels and aircraft - a far cry from its inception on May 5, 1967, at Telok Ayer Basin with just two seaworthy wooden ships and a third ship moored as its headquarters. "(It is now) a navy that is admired at home and respected beyond our shores," he said.



Joining the fleet was the first locally designed and built LMV, RSS Independence, which became fully operational after a ceremony witnessed by some 1,700 past and present navy personnel and guests.

These included Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Chief of Defence Force Perry Lim, Chief of Navy Lai Chung Han and eight former navy chiefs, including DPM Teo.

The warship - launched in July 2015 - is the first of eight LMVs to be commissioned and tasked to replace the fleet of 11 Fearless-class patrol vessels by 2020.

As part of the golden jubilee celebrations, PM Lee also launched an RSN50 commemorative book and an art mural depicting Singapore's maritime heritage alongside the navy's progress, by colouring the crescent moon in gold.

He also sealed a time capsule comprising artefacts symbolic of the RSN's key achievements over the years; it will be opened on the navy's 75th anniversary in 2042.

Items in the capsule include a framed poster of the ports of call during the navy's first round-the-world voyage, a replica of the new LMV and a book compilation of the aspirations of navy personnel for the next 25 years.



With the commissioning of RSS Independence marking a new milestone, the men and women of the navy carry a vital task in continuing its proud history, said PM Lee. "It is now your duty to sail the ships of the next-generation navy, and keep Singapore safe and secure, in peacetime as in war," he told them.

Rear-Admiral Lai yesterday pledged the navy's continued dedication to protecting Singapore's waters, as he thanked the Government and Singaporeans for their trust and support over the years.

"On our golden jubilee day today, we, men and women of the navy, recommit ourselves to defend our country and the security of our waters," he said.

Singapore and Indonesia air forces to mark bilateral relations milestone with combined flypast


SINGAPORE: To mark five decades of bilateral defence relations, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) will execute a combined flypast on Sep 7 for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian president Joko Widodo during their Leaders’ Retreat.
The joint RISING50 flypast, which stands for “Republic of Indonesia and Singapore 50 years of bilateral relations”, will feature 10 RSAF F-16s and 10 TNI-AU F-16s in two flypast profiles over the Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore, where both Mr Lee and Mr Widodo will witness the event.
On the day of the flypast, both squadrons will join up in the airspace southwest of Singapore and form the first profile - two arrowhead formations - with the RSAF leading the way to the Marina South area.
This will be followed by the second profile 20 minutes later, in the formation of ’50’. The TNI-AU is set to form the digit ‘5’ and the RSAF, the digit ‘0’.



TNI-AU’s F-16s will then head back to the Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base in Pekanbaru, Indonesia, where they are based, flying past Batam and leading the way for some Singapore F-16s to the post-flypast celebration.
The coordinated flypast of such a scale is only possible through the mutual trust and close working relationship both countries have established over the past 50 years, said Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Nick Wong at a media briefing on Aug 30.
As the Chief Secretariat for the Singapore half of the joint working group (JWG) that has been overseeing the planning and technicalities of the flypast since it was set up in March this year, LTC Wong revealed that immense preparations have gone into executing the event.



“We conducted several meetings in both Singapore and Indonesia to meet our counterparts face to face for working group discussions to suss out all challenges and details, and consider all issues like weather considerations and unforeseen circumstances that could occur during the flypast,” he said.
The second formation, in particular, is a “very complex manoeuvre” that they have had to train hard for, LTC Wong noted.
“We have seen the '50' formation during the National Day Parade, but the digits then were aligned front and back, while this flypast’s will be side by side. We will only have approximately three minutes to get all the aircraft together and everyone will have to take reference off each other.”
In addition to many briefings and debriefings after combined training sessions, both air forces have also had to work out details concerning each others’ operating procedures for a seamless performance come Sep 7.
“(This relationship) is not something that developed in a short time, but through many years of relations. We meet them annually for staff meetings … and we discuss all the bilateral activities, exercises and training and how we can continue to build up this interaction and this bond with each other. The RSAF-TNI AU combined flypast is an excellent testament to the strength of our bilateral defence relationship,” added LTC Wong.



Indonesia’s and Singapore’s long-standing defence relationship is not only characterised by Exercise Eagle Indopura, the SAF’s longest-running bilateral exercise with a foreign military, it is also distinguished by the assistance rendered by both parties to each other in times of crisis.
These include how the TNI assisted in the search-and-rescue (SAR) operations after the 1997 Silkair crash in Palembang, and the SAF assisted in the relief efforts for the 2004 Aceh tsunami and the SAR operations following the 2014 crash of AirAsia flight QZ8501.
The RSAF and TNI-AU will be conducting a rehearsal for the combined flypast on Sep 5 from 2.30pm to 3pm, before the actual flypast on Sep 7 at the same time.
Both events may be viewed by the public from various vantage points in the Marina South area. Real time updates of the combined flypast as well as the flight route for the combined flypast can be found on the RSAF Facebook page.

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singap...lations-9173574