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AsiaOne
27-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
SAF has to come up with new ways to overcome challenges: Chan Chun Sing, Singapore News
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) must "constantly re-examine" its operations to overcome new challenges, said Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing on Tuesday (May 27). Chan was speaking to reporters at Nee Soon Camp, the final stop in his morning visit of high readiness units across all four SAF services — his first since being sworn into his new appointment on May 23. "We are in a changed world. There are new challenges, disruptions because of technology, and new forces that we have to content with," said Chan. "But it is also why we have come up new ways to overcome our challenges." During his visit to Nee Soon Camp, Chan observed troopers from the Army Deployment Force (ADF) conduct their routine training to sharpen their response to peacetime contingencies, such as terrorism threats and disaster relief. The all-regular unit were put through the paces, accounting for strength and equipment, before they were deployed in peacekeeper protected response vehicles. Chan said that he is heartened that the SAF is not resting on its laurels, and is "constantly re-examining the way it does its operations". "It's not just about planning for today's situation that's important for the SAF. It's also about planning forward," he added. Earlier in the morning, Chan, together with Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad and Minister of State for Defence Desmond Choo, observed how AH-64D Apache helicopter pilots and air crew from the Republic of Singapore Air Force scrambled to respond to a simulated air threat. It is part of Exercise Rover, run by RSAD's Air Power Generation Command from May 22 to 31. A part of Sembawang Country Club's golf course was converted into a temporary helicopter deployment area — capable of supporting missions such as air defence and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Mindef said that as part of the exercise, AH-64D, H225M and CH-47 helicopters were activated to respond to various scenarios. The minister also visited the Republic of Singapore Navy's training, where the Maritime Security Task Force simulated how they neutralised a terrorist attack against Singapore from the sea. As for the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), he was briefed on its intelligence support for counter-terrorism operations. He also interacted with the DIS personnel who conduct 24/7 intelligence monitoring. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Chan acknowledged that the armed forces capabilities can take years to go from being conceptualised to operational. "Many of the things that I saw this morning, some of them were capabilities that we were talking about many years ago," he said. "And today it's a joy to see them being operational." Chan, a former Education Minister, was moved to helm the defence ministry in Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's new Cabinet on May 21. A former army chief before entering politics in 2011, Chan was also Senior Minister of State for Defence and Second Minister for Defence. [[nid:714267]] chingshijie@
Straits Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
SAF ‘constantly re-examining operations' to deal with new threats: Chan Chun Sing
(From left) Minister of State for Defence Desmond Choo, Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamed and Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing meeting ADF troopers at Nee Soon Camp on May 27. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH SINGAPORE – As sirens rang, uniformed personnel sprinted across the lawns of Sembawang Country Club's golf course to a staging area, where two Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Apache AH-64D attack helicopters were scrambled to deal with a simulated threat. Within minutes, the helicopters also known as Apache Longbows were in the air. The operation, part of an ongoing drill known as Exercise Rover run by the RSAF's Air Power Generation Command, was witnessed on May 27 by new Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing. Also present were Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamed, newly-appointed Minister of State for Defence Desmond Choo, as well as Chief of Defence Force Aaron Beng and permanent secretaries for defence Chan Heng Kee and Melvyn Ong. The visit with the RSAF was one segment of Mr Chan's 'reacquainting' with the SAF on May 27, as Singapore's new defence minister also visited units involved in counter-terrorism operations in the Army, Navy and the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) and witnessed their training. At Nee Soon camp, Mr Chan spoke to troops from the Army Deployment Force (ADF), a 'high readiness' unit equipped with niche skills and capabilities to carry out a diverse range of operations, including responses to homeland security threats and disaster relief. Soldiers from the Army Deployment Force (ADF), a 'high readiness' unit equipped with niche skills and capabilities to carry out a diverse range of operations, including responses to homeland security threats and disaster relief. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH He also observed the unit, all of whom are regulars, mounting equipment into armoured Peacekeeper Protected Response Vehicles as part of routine training. Before that, he observed the RSN's Maritime Security Task Force neutralising a simulated terrorist attack from the sea. He also visited the DIS's Joint Intelligence Command (JIC), where he received a briefing on its intelligence support for counter-terrorism operations. There, he interacted with personnel there who conduct round-the-clock intelligence monitoring. The DIS is the SAF's newest service and was inaugurated in October 2022, serving as its front-line force in the digital domain to detect, mitigate and repel potential aggressors. Two Republic of Singapore Air Force Apache AH-64D attack helicopters in action during Exercise Rover at Sembawang Country Club on May 27. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH Speaking to reporters following his visits, Mr Chan, a former army chief, said he was happy to see how the SAF has progressed over the years, and that it was not resting on its laurels. Instead, the SAF knows that its role is not just about today's operations but also about planning forward. Noting that armed forces capabilities often take years to go from conceptualisation to becoming operational, Mr Chan said what he saw gave him confidence that the SAF will be able to deal with emerging threats. 'Many of the things that I saw this morning – some of them were capabilities that we were talking about many years ago, and today it's a joy to see them be operationalised,' he said. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
