SAF Proves its mettle overseas

SAF forces have fought Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, treated those wounded in insurgent attacks in Afghanistan, protected the waters around key oil terminals and given logistics support to coalition vessels and helicopters in Iraq.

Image from MINDEF printed in The Straits Times

By Jermyn Chow
For The Straits Times

Missions in Afghanistan and elsewhere also let it gain valuable experience

The men and women of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) were involved in more overseas operations last year than ever before.

They fought Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, treated those wounded in insurgent attacks in war-torn Afghanistan, protected the waters around key oil terminals and gave logistics support to coalition vessels and helicopters in Iraq.

The troops joined a growing list of over 2,000 servicemen who have been deployed in 35 United Nations-sanctioned missions overseas since 1989 - four in Afghanistan alone since 2007.

The most recent one there put 39 men and women in the Oruzgan province, where they provided primary health care and helped their Dutch and Australian counterparts run a field hospital in Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital.

Soon, the navy's Landing Ship Tank RSS Persistence, two Super Puma helicopters and 240 SAF personnel will be back after three months in the Gulf of Aden.

Although the SAF's role has primarily been a supporting one, the troops have found themselves in challenging operations, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minster of Defence Teo Chee Hean.

He noted that SAF personnel in Afghanistan have found themselves amid car bombs, roadside bombs, Improvised Explosive Devices and rocket attacks.

"So they're not without risks, but we prepare our people well. It's been a good operational experience for our people."

He said the SAF is capable and credible - and able to contribute to regional peace and stability. And in a sign of the coming-of-age of the third-generation SAF, more deployments are in the offing.

It is planning another mission to Afghanistan, this time deploying a KC-135 refuelling aircraft and a group of air force servicemen who will operate a pilotless surveillance aircraft in support of Nato-led coalition forces.

The SAF plans to deploy a battlefield radar system there, to give soldiers more advance warning of enemy artillery, rocket and mortar launches.

It now has construction and engineering teams in Bamiyan to build a paediatric and women's wing for the province's hospital and to erect a security wall in the war-torn region.

But despite the growing number of peace missions overseas, DPM Teo said the SAF's main mission - the defence of Singapore - remained clear: "We're the ultimate guarantor of Singapore's independence and sovereignty."