Republic of Singapore Navy

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Republic of Singapore Navy

The Republic of Singapore Navy (Abbreviation

Abbreviation

An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase....
: RSN; ; , ) is the navy

Navy

A navy is the branch of a nation's military forces principally designated for naval warfare and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions....
of the Singapore Armed Forces

Singapore Armed Forces

The Singapore Armed Forces comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy ....
(SAF), responsible for the defence of Singapore against sea-borne threats and protection of its sea lines of communication

Sea lines of communication

Sea lines of communication is a term describing the primary Shipping routes between ports, used for trade, logistics and naval forces. It is generally used in reference to navy operations to ensure that SLOCs are open, or in times of war, to close them....
s. Operating within the crowded littoral

Littoral

In coastal environments and biomes, the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged....
waters of the Singapore Strait

Singapore Strait

The Singapore Strait is a 105 kilometer long, 16 kilometer wide strait between the Strait of Malacca in the west and the South China Sea in the east....
, the RSN is regarded as one of the best in the region. All commissioned ships of the RSN have a prefix RSS, which means Republic of Singapore Ship.

RSN traces its origins to the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
in the 1930s with only two patrol craft.

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Encyclopedia

The Republic of Singapore Navy (Abbreviation

Abbreviation

An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase....
: RSN; ; , ) is the navy

Navy

Singapore Armed Forces

Sea lines of communication

Littoral

Singapore Strait

History

The RSN traces its origins to the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

Straits Settlements

The Straits Settlements were a collection of territories of the British East India Company in Southeast Asia, which were given collective administration in 1826 as a crown colony, as distinct from the native princely states, some of which later formed the Federated Malay States....
Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve was established on 20 April 1934 and in 1941 became the Singaporean division of the Malayan Volunteer Reserve during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
.

In 1948 the Malayan Force was raised by the Singaporean government and was later granted the title of the Royal Malayan Navy in 1952 in recognition of its services in action during the Malayan Emergency

Malayan Emergency

The Malayan Emergency refers to a guerrilla warfare for independence fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan Races Liberation Army, the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960; some have gone as far as to characterise it as a civil war....
.

On 16 September 1963, Singapore was admitted as a state of Malaysia

Malaysia

Malaysia is a federation that consists of States of Malaysia in Southeast Asia with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government....
under the terms of confederation and the Royal Malayan Navy was renamed the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). The Singapore division of the Malayan Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve was formally transferred from the command of the Royal Navy to the RMN on 22 September 1963, becoming the Singapore Volunteer Force (SVF).

On 9 August 1965, Singapore seceded from Malaysia to form an independent and sovereign nation within the Commonwealth of Nations

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states....
. The fledging navy had only two wooden ships then, namely RSS Panglima and RSS Singapura. On 22 January 1966, the SVF was renamed the Singapore Naval Volunteer Force (SNVF).

On 5 May 1967, the SNVF ensign

Ensign

An ensign is a distinguishing flag of a ship or a military unit; or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office. The word has also given rise to the military Ensign , a rank of junior officer once responsible for bearing the ensign of his unit....
was hoisted for the first time. A few months later in September, the SNVF was renamed the People's Defence Force (Sea) under the Sea Defence Command (SDC).

The SDC was renamed the Maritime Command (MC) in 1968, which is the predecessor of the RSN. The MC then went on an expansion program to carry out its seaward defence more effectively. The RSN came into being on 1 April 1975, when the SAF established its component forces into three distinct services.

Organisation

The RSN is led by the Chief of Navy (CNV). The current CNV is Rear Admiral

Rear Admiral

Rear Admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain , and below that of a Vice Admiral. It is the lowest form of Admiral....
Chew Men Leong

Chew Men Leong

Rear Admiral Chew Men Leong is the Chief of the Republic of Singapore Navy since 31 August 2007, taking office from Rear Admiral Ronnie Tay....
and he is responsible for the RSN's overall operational capabilities and administration. The CNV reports directly to the Chief of Defence Force, a three-star general. The organisation chart below shows the administrative chain of command with five formations: the Fleet, Coastal Command, Naval Diving Unit

Naval Diving Unit (Singapore)

File:Singapore Navy SAR-21.JPEGThe Naval Diving Unit is a Special Forces unit of the Republic of Singapore Navy, and is regularly tasked in salvage operations, underwater mine demolition and commando-type warfare....
, Naval Logistics Command and Training Command.

Current fleet

Submarines

In 1995, the RSN acquired a Challenger class (formerly known as Sjöormen class)

Sjöormen class submarine

The Sj?ormen class were a group of submarines built for the Swedish Navy in the late 1960s. They had a teardrop shape and were capable of diving to 150m....
submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability....
from the Swedish Navy

Swedish Navy

The Royal Swedish Navy is the navy branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Naval fleet – as well as Marine units, the so-called Swedish Amphibious Corps ....
and another three in 1997, making them Singapore's first underwater platforms. As the submarines were designed by the Swedish for operations in the Baltic Sea, various modifications were required to suit them to tropical waters. A comprehensive tropicalisation programme was carried out for all four submarines, which involves installing air conditioning, marine growth protection systems and corrosion-resistant piping.

Singapore's Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence (Singapore)

The Ministry of Defence is entrusted with overseeing the defence needs of the Republic of Singapore. It has a policy of Total Defence which consists of Military Defence, Civil Defence, Economic Defence, Social Defence and Psychological Defence....
(MINDEF) has signed an agreement with Kockums

Kockums

Kockums Aktiebolag is a shipyard in Malm?, Sweden owned by the German shipyard HDW in Kiel. HDW itself is a subsidiary of the German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems....
for the supply of two Västergötland class submarine

Västergötland class submarine

The A-17 V?sterg?tland class of diesel-electric submarines was introduced in 1987 by the Swedish Navy. The original four ships of her class, HMS V?sterg?tland , HMS H?lsingland , HMS S?dermanland and HMS ?sterg?tland , were built between 1983 and 1988 by Kockums AB....
s to the RSN on 4 November 2005. Currently in reserve with the Swedish Navy, the submarines will be transferred to the RSN on completion of the modernisation and conversion for operation in tropical waters. The submarines are expected to enter service from 2010 and will replace some of the Challenger class submarines. It is believed that the Challenger class were purchased to develop the required submarine operations expertise before selecting a modern class of submarines to replace them, since all the boats are over 25 years old. The four submarines form the 171 Squadron of the RSN.

Ships	RSS Challenger—commissioned 1997 RSS Conqueror—commissioned 1999 RSS Centurion—commissioned 1999 RSS Chieftain—commissioned 2001
Length	51 metres
Beam	6.1 metres
Displacement	1130 tonnes surfaced, 1200 tonnes submerged
Crew	28
Speed	10 knots (19 km/h) surfaced, 16 knots (30 km/h) submerged
Weapons	torpedoes

Frigates

The Formidable
Formidable class frigate

The Formidable class multi-role Stealth ship frigates are the latest platforms to enter into service with the Republic of Singapore Navy, and are multi-mission derivatives of the French Navy?s La Fayette class frigate....
class multi-role stealth frigates are the latest platforms to enter into service with the RSN, and are multi-mission derivatives of the French Navy

French Navy

The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale , is the maritime arm of the French military. It consists of a full range of vessels, from patrol boats to guided missile frigates, and includes one nuclear aircraft carrier and ten nuclear submarines ....
’s La Fayette class frigate

La Fayette class frigate

The La Fayette class units are light multi-mission frigates built by DCN and operated by France . Derivatives of the type are in service in Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Republic of China ....
. The frigates are key information nodes and fighting units, and are “by far the most advanced surface combatants in Southeast Asia".

The frigates will be equipped with Sikorsky S-70

Sikorsky S-70

The Sikorsky S-70 is a medium-lift military helicopter family manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. It was developed for the U.S. Army in the 1970s, winning a competition to be designated the UH-60 Blackhawk and spawning a large family in U.S....
B naval helicopters, an international derivative of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
SH-60B Seahawk. The MINDEF signed a contract with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in January 2005 to acquire six of these helicopters, which will be organic to the frigates. These naval helicopters are equipped with anti-surface and anti-submarine combat systems, extending the ship’s own surveillance and over-the-horizon targeting and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The naval helicopters will be raised as a squadron in the Republic of Singapore Air Force and piloted by air force pilots, but the system operators will be from the RSN. The naval helicopters are projected for delivery in late 2009.

The frigates have a special surface-to-air missile

Surface-to-air missile

A surface to air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. It is a type of anti-aircraft....
con?guration, combining the Thales Herakles

Thales Group

The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information technology and services for the Aerospace, defence , and Security markets....
radar with the Sylver

SYLVER launcher

The Sylver is a vertical missile launcher designed by DCNS. The launcher comes in several variants, each distinguished by their height. A-35 and A-43 was developed for launching short range surface-to-air missiles, the A-50 for the long-range PAAMS air defense system, and the A-70 launcher for larger missiles such as the SCALP Naval land a...
A50 launcher and a mix of MBDA Aster

MBDA Aster

Aster is a family of surface-to-air missiles manufactured by Eurosam, a European consortium consisting of MBDA France, MBDA Italy and the Thales Group ....
15 and 30 missiles.

The lead ship of the class, RSS Formidable was commissioned on 5 May 2007, marking the 40th year of the RSN.

Ships	RSS Formidable (68)—commissioned 2007 RSS Intrepid (69)—commissioned 2008 RSS Steadfast (70)—commissioned 2008 RSS Tenacious (71)—commissioned 2008 RSS Stalwart (72)—commissioned 2009 RSS Supreme (73)—commissioned 2009
Length	114.8 metres
Beam	16.3 metres
Displacement	3200 tonnes
Crew	70, excluding air attachment of about 15
Speed	27 knots (50 km/h)
Weapons	Boeing Harpoon anti-ship missiles MBDA Aster 15/30 MBDA Aster Aster is a family of surface-to-air missiles manufactured by Eurosam, a European consortium consisting of MBDA France, MBDA Italy and the Thales Group .... surface-to-air missiles Oto Melara 76 mm gun Otobreda 76 mm The Otobreda 76 mm gun is a widely used naval artillery piece built by the Italian company Oto Melara. A vehicle-mounted version known as the Otomatic was built for the SPAAG role, although this was not put into production.... Eurotorp A244-S A244-S The A244/s is a lightweight, fire-and-forget torpedo employed for anti-submarine warfare. They can be deployed from the surface or by aircraft, and locate the target by means of an acoustic seeker.... Mod 3 torpedoes CIS 50 12.7 mm machine gun CIS 50MG The CIS 50MG is a gas operated, air cooled, belt-fed heavy machine gun developed and manufactured by ST Kinetics in the late 1980's, in response to a request by the Ministry of Defence to replace the venerable M2 Browning machine guns then in service with the Singapore Armed Forces.... s

Corvettes

In 1983, the RSN ordered six Victory class corvettes from Fredrich Lürssen Werft

Lürssen

L?rssen is a Germany shipbuilding company based in Bremen-Vegesack.L?rssen designs and constructs yachts, naval ships and special vessels. Trading as L?rssen Yachts, it is one of the leading builders of custom superyachts such as Paul Allen's Octopus and Larry Ellison's Rising Sun , the largest privately owned yacht in the world....
of Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
. The first corvette was built in Germany while the remaining five were built locally by ST Marine. The corvettes were also the first class of ships in the RSN to have an anti-submarine capability. The corvettes are noted for their tall mast, making them top-heavy compared to ships of similar class. However, this is suitable within the fairly calm Singapore waters. The six corvettes form the 188 Squadron of the RSN.

Ships	RSS Victory (88)—commissioned 1990 RSS Valour (89)—commissioned 1990 RSS Vigilance (90)—commissioned 1990 RSS Valiant (91)—commissioned 1991 RSS Vigour (92)—commissioned 1991 RSS Vengeance (93)—commissioned 1991
Length	62 metres
Beam	8.5 metres
Displacement	600 tonnes
Crew	46
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h)
Weapons	Boeing Harpoon anti-ship missiles Rafael Barak surface-to-air missiles Barak SAM Barak is an Israeli surface-to-air missile designed to be used as a point-defense missile on warships, defending against aircraft, anti-ship missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicle.... Oto Melara 76 mm gun Otobreda 76 mm The Otobreda 76 mm gun is a widely used naval artillery piece built by the Italian company Oto Melara. A vehicle-mounted version known as the Otomatic was built for the SPAAG role, although this was not put into production.... Eurotorp A244-S A244-S The A244/s is a lightweight, fire-and-forget torpedo employed for anti-submarine warfare. They can be deployed from the surface or by aircraft, and locate the target by means of an acoustic seeker.... Mod 3 torpedoes CIS 50 12.7 mm machine gun CIS 50MG The CIS 50MG is a gas operated, air cooled, belt-fed heavy machine gun developed and manufactured by ST Kinetics in the late 1980's, in response to a request by the Ministry of Defence to replace the venerable M2 Browning machine guns then in service with the Singapore Armed Forces.... s

Patrol vessels

The Fearless
Fearless class patrol vessel

The Fearless class patrol vessels were built by Singapore Technologies Marine for the Republic of Singapore Navy in the 1990s. The ships form the 182/189 Squadron....
class patrol vessels were built locally by ST Marine to replace the older coastal patrol crafts, which were transferred to the Police Coast Guard. The first six vessels of the class are armed for anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and then damage or destroy enemy submarines....
missions, and were placed under the command of the Fleet as 189 Squadron upon commission. In January 2003, RSS Courageous

RSS Courageous

RSS Courageous was a Fearless class patrol vessel of the Republic of Singapore Navy . The ship was commissioned in 1996. She was involved in a collision on January 32003 with a merchant vessel Australian National Lines Indonesia off Horsburgh Lighthouse which resulted in the death of four female RSN sailors....
was badly damaged in a collision with a container ship in the Singapore Strait. In January 2005, 189 Squadron was transferred to the Coastal Command from the Fleet, and the twelve ships now form the 182/189 Squadron.

Ships	RSS Fearless (94)—commissioned 1996 RSS Brave (95)—commissioned 1996 RSS Courageous RSS Courageous RSS Courageous was a Fearless class patrol vessel of the Republic of Singapore Navy . The ship was commissioned in 1996. She was involved in a collision on January 32003 with a merchant vessel Australian National Lines Indonesia off Horsburgh Lighthouse which resulted in the death of four female RSN sailors.... * (96)—commissioned 1996 RSS Gallant (97)—commissioned 1997 RSS Daring (98)—commissioned 1997 RSS Dauntless (99)—commissioned 1997 RSS Resilience (82)—commissioned 1998 RSS Unity (83)—commissioned 1998 RSS Sovereignty (84)—commissioned 1998 RSS Justice (85)—commissioned 1998 RSS Freedom (86)—commissioned 1998 RSS Independence (87)—commissioned 1998
Length	55 metres
Beam	8.6 metres
Displacement	500 tonnes
Crew	30
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h)
Weapons	Mistral Mistral missile Mistral is an infrared homing surface-to-air missile manufactured by the European multinational company MBDA . Based on the France SATCP , the portable missile later to become the Mistral began development in 1974.... surface-to-air missiles Oto Melara 76 mm gun Otobreda 76 mm The Otobreda 76 mm gun is a widely used naval artillery piece built by the Italian company Oto Melara. A vehicle-mounted version known as the Otomatic was built for the SPAAG role, although this was not put into production.... Eurotorp A244-S A244-S The A244/s is a lightweight, fire-and-forget torpedo employed for anti-submarine warfare. They can be deployed from the surface or by aircraft, and locate the target by means of an acoustic seeker.... Mod 3 torpedoes (first six ships) CIS 50 12.7 mm machine gun CIS 50MG The CIS 50MG is a gas operated, air cooled, belt-fed heavy machine gun developed and manufactured by ST Kinetics in the late 1980's, in response to a request by the Ministry of Defence to replace the venerable M2 Browning machine guns then in service with the Singapore Armed Forces.... s

Amphibious transport docks

The Endurance class amphibious transport docks

Endurance class landing platform dock ship

The Endurance class amphibious transport dock are the biggest class of ships in the Republic of Singapore Navy . They were designed and built locally by Singapore Technologies Marine to replace the old County class tank landing ships ....
are the biggest class of ships in the RSN. They were designed and built locally by ST Marine to replace the old County class tank landing ship

Tank landing ship

Landing Ship, Tank was the military designation for naval vessels created during World War II to support amphibious operations by carrying significant quantities of vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto an unimproved shore....
s (LST). Each ship is fitted with a well dock which can accommodate four landing crafts, as well as a flight deck which can accommodate two medium lift helicopters. While the RSN describes the Endurance class as LSTs, they lack the beaching capability traditionally associated with LSTs and their well docks and flight decks qualifies the Endurance class more as amphibious transport docks.

The ships provide sea transportation for personnel and equipment for SAF's overseas training, as well as a training platform for RSN's midshipmen. RSS Endurance became the first RSN ship to circumnavigate the globe when it participated in the 2000 International Naval Review in New York City

New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
. The ships are also actively involved in humanitarian and disaster relief operations, notably in East Timor, the Persian Gulf and the tsunami

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

The was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 Coordinated Universal Time on December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia....
-hit Indonesian province of Aceh. The four ships form the 191 Squadron of the RSN.

Ships	RSS Endurance (207)—commissioned 2000 RSS Resolution (208)—commissioned 2000 RSS Persistence (209)—commissioned 2001 RSS Endeavour (210)—commissioned 2001
Length	141 metres
Beam	21 metres
Displacement	6000 tonnes
Crew	65
Speed	15 to 20 knots (28 to 37 km/h)
Weapons	Mistral Mistral missile Mistral is an infrared homing surface-to-air missile manufactured by the European multinational company MBDA . Based on the France SATCP , the portable missile later to become the Mistral began development in 1974.... surface-to-air missiles Oto Melara 76 mm gun Otobreda 76 mm The Otobreda 76 mm gun is a widely used naval artillery piece built by the Italian company Oto Melara. A vehicle-mounted version known as the Otomatic was built for the SPAAG role, although this was not put into production.... CIS 50 12.7 mm machine gun CIS 50MG The CIS 50MG is a gas operated, air cooled, belt-fed heavy machine gun developed and manufactured by ST Kinetics in the late 1980's, in response to a request by the Ministry of Defence to replace the venerable M2 Browning machine guns then in service with the Singapore Armed Forces.... s M242 Bushmaster M242 Bushmaster The M242 Bushmaster is a 25 mm caliber chain gun autocannon. It is used extensively by the US Armed Forces, as well as by NATO's and some other nation's forces in ground vehicles and watercraft.... 25 mm automatic cannon stabilized, light armored (similar to Mk 38 Mod 2) installed before Gulf deployments.

Mine countermeasures vessels

The RSN acquired mine countermeasure capabilities as early as 1975, when the USN's USS Thrasher and USS Whippoorwill were reactivated by the RSN's engineers and technicians in California. The Bluebird class coastal minesweepers were commissioned as RSS Jupiter and RSS Mercury.

These two ships were eventually replaced by the Bedok class mine countermeasures vessel

Bedok class mine countermeasures vessel

The Bedok class are mine countermeasures vessels of the Republic of Singapore Navy . They play an important role in the maritime security of Singapore, ensuring that the Singapore Strait and the sea lanes surrounding Singapore remain mine-free and open to international shipping....
s. The first ship, RSS Bedok, was built by Karlskronavarvet in Sweden based on the Landsort

Landsort class mine countermeasures vessel

The Landsort class mine countermeasures vessel is built by Swedish shipbuilding company, Kockums for the Swedish Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy ....
class design. The remaining three ships were prefabricated in Sweden and transferred to Singapore for final assembly by ST Marine. The ships are constructed of glass reinforced plastic to maintain low magnetic and acoustic signatures. The ships form the 194 Squadron of the RSN.

Ships	RSS Bedok (M105)—commissioned 1995 RSS Kallang (M106)—commissioned 1995 RSS Katong (M107)—commissioned 1995 RSS Punggol (M108)—commissioned 1995
Length	47.5 metres
Beam	9.6 metres
Displacement	360 tonnes
Crew	28
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h)
Weapons	Bofors 40 mm gun Bofors 40 mm gun The Bofors 40 mm gun is a famous Anti-aircraft warfare autocannon designed by the Sweden firm of Bofors. It was one of the most popular medium-weight anti-aircraft systems during World War II, used by most of the western Allies of World War II as well as various other forces.... ECA PAP 104 Mk 5 mine disposal vehicles CIS 50 12.7 mm machine gun CIS 50MG The CIS 50MG is a gas operated, air cooled, belt-fed heavy machine gun developed and manufactured by ST Kinetics in the late 1980's, in response to a request by the Ministry of Defence to replace the venerable M2 Browning machine guns then in service with the Singapore Armed Forces.... s

Others

The RSN operates the Protector unmanned surface vehicles. They were deployed together with the Endurance class landing platform dock ships to the North Persian Gulf for peacekeeping

Peacekeeping

Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace." It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
operations in 2005, where they performed surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as force protection duties for more than eight hours at a go.

Ships	Protector USV
Length	9 metres
Beam	N/A
Displacement	N/A
Crew	none
Speed	40 knots
Weapons	Typhoon Weapon System Typhoon Weapon System The Typhoon is a type of CIWS manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, and it shares similar design principles and common technologies with Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station , a land-based system manufactured by the same developer.... with the CIS 50 12.7 mm machine gun CIS 50MG The CIS 50MG is a gas operated, air cooled, belt-fed heavy machine gun developed and manufactured by ST Kinetics in the late 1980's, in response to a request by the Ministry of Defence to replace the venerable M2 Browning machine guns then in service with the Singapore Armed Forces....

Historic fleet

Missile gunboats

The Sea Wolf class missile gunboats were acquired in 1968, based on the TNC 45 design from Fredrich Lürssen Werft. The first two gunboats were constructed in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, while the remaining four were constructed locally by ST Marine (then known as Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering). As new technology became available, these gunboats underwent a number of upgrading programmes in the 1980s and 1990s to increase their strike capability and sophistication. On 13 May 2008, all six gunboats were retired at a sunset decommissioning ceremony held at Changi Naval Base following 33 years of service.

Ships	RSS Sea Wolf (P76)—commissioned 1975 RSS Sea Lion (P77)—commissioned 1975 RSS Sea Dragon (P78)—commissioned 1975 RSS Sea Tiger (P79)—commissioned 1976 RSS Sea Hawk (P80)—commissioned 1976 RSS Sea Scorpion (P81)—commissioned 1976
Length	45 metres
Beam	6.5 metres
Displacement	270 tonnes
Crew	40
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h)
Weapons	Boeing Harpoon anti-ship missiles Gabriel Gabriel missile The Gabriel is an Israeli sea-skimming anti-ship missile, also known as a Scorpion missile in the South African Navy.Development of the Gabriel for the Israeli Navy began in 1962.... anti-ship missiles Mistral Mistral missile Mistral is an infrared homing surface-to-air missile manufactured by the European multinational company MBDA . Based on the France SATCP , the portable missile later to become the Mistral began development in 1974.... surface-to-air missiles (replaced the Bofors 40 mm gun after refit) Bofors 57 mm gun Bofors 57 mm gun The are a series of dual-purpose naval guns, produced and originally designed by Bofors .... (A-Gun position) Bofors 40 mm gun Bofors 40 mm gun The Bofors 40 mm gun is a famous Anti-aircraft warfare autocannon designed by the Sweden firm of Bofors. It was one of the most popular medium-weight anti-aircraft systems during World War II, used by most of the western Allies of World War II as well as various other forces.... (Y-Gun position before refit) CIS 50 12.7 mm machine gun CIS 50MG The CIS 50MG is a gas operated, air cooled, belt-fed heavy machine gun developed and manufactured by ST Kinetics in the late 1980's, in response to a request by the Ministry of Defence to replace the venerable M2 Browning machine guns then in service with the Singapore Armed Forces.... s

Bases

Tuas Naval Base

Tuas Naval Base is the second naval base in the history of the Republic of Singapore Navy . Located at the western tip of Singapore, it occupies 0.28 km? of land....
(TNB) is the second naval base in the RSN's history. Located at the western tip of Singapore, it occupies 0.28 km² (0.11 mi²) of land. It was officially opened on 2 September 1994 by the second prime minister Goh Chok Tong

Goh Chok Tong

Goh Chok Tong , was the second Prime Minister of Singapore of the Republic of Singapore from November 28 1990 to August 12 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew....
.

For about two decades, Brani Naval Base was the RSN's only base. An expansion of the fleet in the early 1980s meant that more space was needed for the fleet and its shore infrastructure. However, this was not possible as the land around Brani was reserved for use by the port authority to develop container facilities. As a result, Tuas was selected as the site for a second naval base.

Better utilisation of space at TNB resulted in two and a half times more berthing space than Brani, even though TNB only has a shoreline of 850 m (0.5 mi). Provision was also made for recreational facilities. Automation was incorporated into the design of TNB to reduce manpower requirements, such as mechanical ramps for the loading and unloading of vehicles and an automatic storage and retrieval system. It also has a floating dock which can lift 600 tonnes and transfer a ship from sea to land to facilitate repairs and maintenance.

Currently, the missile corvettes, patrol vessels and mine counter-measures vessels are based at TNB.

Changi Naval Base

Changi Naval Base is the latest naval facility of the Republic of Singapore Navy and was built to replace Brani Naval Base. Located on 1.28 km? of reclaimed land, it was officially opened on 21 May 2004 by Goh Chok Tong, the second prime minister of Singapore....
(CNB) is the latest naval facility of the RSN and was built to replace Brani Naval Base. Located on 1.28 km² (0.50 mi²) of reclaimed land at the eastern tip of Singapore, it was officially opened on 21 May 2004 by Goh Chok Tong.

Its 6.2 km (3.9 mi) berthing space can accommodate an aircraft carrier and is often used by visiting ships of the USN.

Automation was incorporated into the design of CNB to reduce manpower requirements. It has an automated underground ammunition depot that allows ammunition to be loaded onto the ships and an automated warehouse system to store items. The base has a fibre optic broadband network for information management. The base was also designed to be environment-friendly, with small-scale wind turbines powering the lights along the breakwaters at night. Conventional roof construction materials were substituted by thin film solar panels and the solar energy generated lights the base. In addition, seawater is used in the air-conditioning system.

Currently, the submarines, frigates and amphibious transport docks are based at CNB. Also co-located in CNB is the Changi Naval Training Base, also known as RSS Panglima - named in honour of the first ship of the navy.

In popular culture

Fictional television programs

Navy, first telecast 17 July 1990
Be Somebody, first telecast 25 May 2004

External links

- official bi-monthly publication of the RSN