SAF elite that's fighting the clean fight
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Today, The Straits Times starts an occasional series that looks at the people, firepower and capabilities of special units in the Singapore Armed Forces and Singapore Police Force. To kick off the series, Defence Correspondent DAVID BOEY takes a look at an elite SAF unit on the front line against chemical, biological, radiological and explosive threats
SINGAPORE's decision to build up its chemical-biological defence capabilities from scratch claimed an early 'casualty' in the late 1980s. It caused Captain Ho Kong Wai to lose the deposit he had paid for his wedding dinner. Worse still, he wasn't allowed to tell his wife-to-be that the wedding had to be postponed because he had to attend a chemical defence course in the United States. He and another man were the first SAF officers handpicked for the course in May 1988.
To the young officer, the honour was a bombshell.
'My marriage was to be held at a local hotel in the same month. The down payment had already been paid. Then, out of the blue, my chief called me up and said: 'You're going overseas. It's a classified course and you can't tell people about it.' It was so hush-hush,' he said.
Now 43 and a colonel, he heads the SAF's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosives (CBRE) Defence Group. Formed several years ago, it was unveiled only last January.
The US course Col Ho attended laid the foundation for the group's capabilities in preventing chem-bio, radiological or explosive threats to Singapore's interests.
As one of the national authorities on such threats, the group must ensure various parties - from police and civil defence staff to defence scientists - work together. Its mission is supported by homefront security agencies such as the Home Affairs Ministry, police and civil defence force.
The Defence Science and Technology Agency, DSO National Laboratories and the Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute also help CBRE acquire and maintain chem-bio defence skills.
CBRE has to contain such threats and mitigate their impact on life and property. It also has to handle the consequences of incidents involving chem-bio agents, and help the authorities clean up contaminated sites.
The catalyst that spurred the SAF to study such capabilities was the impact chem-bio agents had on cities during the eight-year Iran-Iraq War. The 1995 Sarin gas attack in a Tokyo subway, which killed 12 people and injured more than 5,500 others, proved it was a far-sighted decision.
With terror threats around the world, CBRE capabilities are much in demand and the group has been fully trained, organised and equipped to handle such threats for three years.
Three specialised units with complementary skills form the CBRE Defence Group:
# 36th Battalion Singapore Combat Engineers (36 SCE). This battalion handles explosive threats such as unexploded ordnance, disposal of war relics and preventive sweeps for home-made bombs, otherwise known as improvised explosive devices or IEDs, and chem-bio IEDs.
# 39 SCE handles surveillance and detection of chem-bio and radiological threats and also decontamination, if there is an incident.
# Medical Response Force is a specialised group of military doctors and combat medics trained to evacuate and treat chem-bio casualties.
These units are staffed mainly by full-time national servicemen (NSFs), and women SAF regulars also serve. As late as the mid-1990s, SAF chem-bio defence capabilities were so secret NSFs posted to the battalion got only an Armed Forces Post Number as a reference number. These NSFs couldn't tell family members what they were trained to do, or even the name of their unit.
So it was with some pride that CBRE soldiers told their loved ones what they had been trained for, after the announcement made page one headlines in various newspapers a year ago.
Private Conrad Ho, 19, an NSF chem-bio defence trooper with 39 SCE, said: 'When I enlisted, I wasn't aware of this capability. I was quite surprised to know about the chemical defence battalion and feel rather proud of what we're trained to do. And special, especially when we go for training with our gas masks on.'
The veil of secrecy cloaking the CBRE enhanced its mystique, and chem-bio troops training in their chemical defence kit and gas masks caught the imagination of others who saw them train, including Third Sergeant Shawn Lim, 19, an NSF combat medic with the Medical Response Force (MRF).
He said: 'When I was a trainee with the School of Military Medicine, I used to see the MRF medics train in their chemical defence gear and I told myself I must get into this force no matter what.'
When the SAF began to build its chem-bio defences, there were bigger problems to tackle, including training.
'In those days, chemical defence training was still classified, very sensitive...so we had to purposely look for a training area away from the public eye,' Col Ho said.
'A lot of exercises were done on Saturdays and Sundays and at night when people weren't around. If you ask me, those were the challenges.'
The Defence Ministry gave Col Ho several options after 39 SCE was formed. For one of the SAF's newest battalions, the colonel picked one of the oldest camps. It had few facilities, such as swimming pools or running tracks, found in more modern complexes.
However, it was far from public view and in an inaccessible part of the island, which suited Col Ho's purposes. Moreover, its lush surroundings reminded him of a British army camp where he had gone on a chem-bio defence course.
Other specialised training facilities are the SAF's smoke training facilities, where CS gas or tear gas is used to teach soldiers how to respond to chemical incidents. Since the gas can drift downwind and affect civilians, it's used for training only in confined spaces, said Col Ho.
From an observation room attached to the chamber, safety officers can monitor what goes on inside. The smoke chambers are fitted with powerful fans and air filters to scrub the air clean before it's released.
Another training aid, a decontamination facility, is built on a concrete platform once used by the air force's Bloodhound long-range anti-aircraft missiles. This facility is special too, as the chemicals used during clean-ups can't be allowed to spill into roadside drains.
Such facilities offer CBRE troopers regular opportunities to test their equipment in a realistic setting - and prepare for the worst.
TOMORROW: How the SAF handles medical emergencies in an attack involving chemical weapons
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,4386,231796,00.html? -
Hats off to them boys - that's a job I wouldn't want to do for quids.
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the only person those forces would be saving from unconventional attacks like chemical and biotoxin agents would be themselves.. since they are the only ones who have access to such chemical suits...
biogical warfare has already reached by much more sophiticated level that things like sarin and anthrax are like ancient stuffs...
but i shall not say too much... though i am surprised to learn that he missed his wedding... he didnt tell me that...
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without them, they cannot save themselves, nor the immediate victims of such incidents. there is no guarantee tt the victims can be saved, but the chances are higher wif such capabilities in place.Originally posted by tripwire:the only person those forces would be saving from unconventional attacks like chemical and biotoxin agents would be themselves.. since they are the only ones who have access to such chemical suits...
biogical warfare has already reached by much more sophiticated level that things like sarin and anthrax are like ancient stuffs...
so u r saying tt singapore's capabilities are obsolete? -
JAN 27, 2004
Singapore's Elite Forces
SAF to have database of all terrorist strikes
In Part Two of the series on military and police elite units, Defence Correspondent DAVID BOEY looks at efforts to ensure that Singapore's defences against explosives, and chemical, biological and radiological threats remain sharp
A DATABASE of all known terrorist strikes involving chemical or biological agents, radioactive material or explosives is being set up to help the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) analyse how they were carried out.
When it is ready in two to three years' time, the database will help the military devise ways to neutralise and reduce the impact of chemical and biological strikes.
It will be set up and maintained by the SAF's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosives (CBRE) Defence Group, which is the national authority for these threats.
In fighting terrorism, information is king, said Colonel Ho Kong Wai, 43, the group's commander, about the need for such a database. 'The CBRE is one of the few qualified groups in Singapore who can analyse such data.'
Information provided by defence forces and security agencies overseas will help the group piece together how an attack was planned and carried out, and its impact.
It will have information on how the devices were put together and all known methods of disabling them. The goal is to prevent such attacks here, and not just respond to one.
And if a terrorist plot slips through the nation's security net, 'it's likely that preventive efforts will make this attack much less catastrophic and therefore easier to respond to and contain,' said Col Ho.
The CBRE Defence Group, unveiled in January last year, has maintained a low profile.
But members of the group were present at the National Day celebrations in 2002. They took air samples around the National Stadium regularly, to make sure chemicals were not released into the air.
They also set up sensors to automatically alert them of chemical threats or a sudden rise in radiation levels. The troops worked in plain clothes and carried handheld monitors discreetly in haversacks or sports bags.
As some armed forces and law enforcement agencies already track bomb attacks worldwide and exchange information on incidents regularly, Col Ho would like the CBRE to spearhead development of a specialised database on chem-bio incidents.
It will be shared with national research agencies, which can help acquire and develop the skills and technologies needed to keep chem-bio threats at bay, such as the Defence Science and Technology Agency, DSO National Laboratories and the Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute.
For example, local researchers could work on how factors like temperature or humidity affect the behaviour of chemical agents. This would help predict how incidents that took place in di- fferent climates may unfold here.
In the next few years, the CBRE will also set up a centralised facility to train its units together. These comprise the Chem-bio Defence Battalion, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion and Medical Response Force.
The facility will be equipped with special cleaning equipment to ensure that chemicals used when troopers practise decontamination procedures don't spill into stormwater drains.
The group is also looking at introducing unmanned robotic vehicles mounted with instruments that detect and identify chemical agents, explosives or radiation.
'This will allow us to put a robot in harm's way during more demanding missions instead of a soldier,' said Col Ho. -
think about it... it only takes a few microns of nerve gas to start to affect u and a few seconds of exposure to that will already render u operationally incapable... either paralysed, twitching none stop, or dead... (i'll prefer the third choice if i was ever exposed)... bear in mind that u don't have to breath it in... it can permeate through your pores.Originally posted by wuming78:without them, they cannot save themselves, nor the immediate victims of such incidents. there is no guarantee tt the victims can be saved, but the chances are higher wif such capabilities in place.
so u r saying tt singapore's capabilities are obsolete?
and its impossible to wear the MOPP suit EVERYWHERE, and ALL THE TIME... the marines tried it in iraq in the 1st and 2nd gulf war... i know from a gunner-sergant i spoke to that it wasn't all the time, but it still sucked BIG TIME. it drives u nuts. i truly sympathise with them... wearing that suit in the desert heat.
here, u compound that with the humidity... u'll be lucky to wear the suit minus the mask and last through the day...
picture this... u're in mop 3... u felt your face twitch and the man next to u collapse, u recognise the signs! u hold your breath, reach into your pouch for your gas mask, pulled it securely over your face and screwed in the gas canister... a process that can take several seconds... u then reached for your gloves, and put them on (u can't feel through the thick rubber... can't wear them all the time)... AND pulled your hood over your head to protect your face and neck from exposure... a process that takes at least another few seconds.
u gotta be damned well trained to do it fast... and i think it all depends on the scenario... building up the basic capabilities are important so that we're not caught with our pants down, but its necessary to build up more than the basics if u wanna have a truly comprehensive range of capabilities that can respond in more pressing scenarios.
i wasn't from those units, and i don't think they're allowed to tell us anything beyond what the press tells us... but the cool looking mopp suit is old news... it better be, or we're screwed if it ever hits the fan -
Make no mistake, the moment you can feel the effects of the gas you are dead meat liao. Your survival relies on early warning from the NBC warfare dept to give you time to prepare for the impending gas attack.
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more insidious and dangerous then biochem and chem attack are viral attack... these are the true monster of future war...
it gives no warning... and by the time the first symptom is seen in hospital... the impact would come in waves of ever higher heights until whatever national defence is overwhelmed, crushed and terminated.
the spanish flu of 1918 killed nearly 80 million people in 1 year... and according to some estimates... killing a city of 10 million would take under 3 month. while the earliest they can produce a vaccine in sufficient quantity is about 1 year or more.
i wont say anymore about this... suffice to say... our northern neighbour do produce some similar toxins for non-military use... they are also non-signator of the chemical and biological warfare ban convention (unlike stupid singapore... dont know which idiot signed it)
thus their threats of poisoning singapore water is not something to be taken lightly as they have the means and they are not restricted by any international convention against the use of such stuffs.
unfortunately for us... for a period of time... SAF actually consider such chemical and biological defence as less important and the whole thingy was left on the back burner.
it took the 9-11 terrorist attack and US anthrax attack to wake up SAF's sleepy heads on the top.... the malaysian ex-generals call to poison singapore water no doubt helps to knock the seriousness of the situation into some smart alecks head. -
i think we definitely agree tt wat singapore has done is perhaps ground work, foundations for further development.Originally posted by CX:u gotta be damned well trained to do it fast... and i think it all depends on the scenario... building up the basic capabilities are important so that we're not caught with our pants down, but its necessary to build up more than the basics if u wanna have a truly comprehensive range of capabilities that can respond in more pressing scenarios.
i wasn't from those units, and i don't think they're allowed to tell us anything beyond what the press tells us... but the cool looking mopp suit is old news... it better be, or we're screwed if it ever hits the fan
but i think with wat we haf now, although we may not be able to handle large scale attacks, we are definitely more comfortable in handling small to mid scale ones - those tt a terrorist may trigger.
o cos all these measures are not developed in situ and in silo. at the same time we need measures to control material import and export and so on. its likely these are in the pipeline. do remember we started all this in 1992, while the US prob haf much more experience in this area. but i can say in terms of operational capability, we are edging up the speed wif wat is considered ok for our size.
compared to many of our neighbours who do not yet have such systems and structures in dealing wif such eventualities, i think we are slightly better off. tt may jus be enuff to make potential terrorists think twice. -
hm.. im not sure if such criticisms are fair. saf chose to develop our capabilities in this area only when it becomes clear in both a recent war and a terrorist attack tt it has become a potential issue. before that there had been no conclusive evidence of threat of chemical agent attacks. this is especially when we take a look at our neighbours. at that time , conventional threats were stil of utmost concern. bearing the mind the limited resources we haf, im not surprised they haf chosen to develop our conventional capabilities and put defensive capabilities in this area on 2nd priority.Originally posted by tripwire:unfortunately for us... for a period of time... SAF actually consider such chemical and biological defence as less important and the whole thingy was left on the back burner.
it took the 9-11 terrorist attack and US anthrax attack to wake up SAF's sleepy heads on the top.... the malaysian ex-generals call to poison singapore water no doubt helps to knock the seriousness of the situation into some smart alecks head.
tt said, i agree tt perhaps we could haf brought our capabilities up to speed even more quickly - e.g. introducing the chemical defense programme earlier, and more comprehensively, in the general trg programmes. even up until now i think our soldier's knowledge of chemical defense and how to survive in such environments is poor. im sure many of us who may haf gone thru the package haf forgotten all abt the proper drills and procedures.
perhaps they haf made assessments and concluded tt large scale chemical threats is not likely to singapore, and hence concentrated on developing a small, specialised team to deal with smaller scale attacks, more likely to be brought abt by terrorists. -
the truth of the matter is that the SAF lack people with the full knowledge of biological and chemical warfare at the top for too long...
there were too many engineers, EEE and MBAs in the general staffs and not enough biological trainned personal with the exception of chief medical officer in HQMC.
even now... those top brass have not fully known the horror of the latest biological weapon that is now available to afew nation on earth....
they would realize the futility of SAF's gimmick resistance agains the latest bioweapon... if they knew the truth.
i am just gonna keep quiet and pray for the best it never happens here... obviously i wont be telling it here what i know.
did anyone saw the commercial on chemical gas defence?? the one they show taping the window and door with masking tape??
looks real funny.... if i am malaysia... i would pump nerve agents to every single singapore household directly through the gas pipe!!! -
so u r saying u haf some exclusive knowledge of such threats tt even our top brass do not haf?Originally posted by tripwire:they would realize the futility of SAF's gimmick resistance agains the latest bioweapon... if they knew the truth.
i am just gonna keep quiet and pray for the best it never happens here... obviously i wont be telling it here what i know.
did anyone saw the commercial on chemical gas defence?? the one they show taping the window and door with masking tape??
looks real funny.... if i am malaysia... i would pump nerve agents to every single singapore household directly through the gas pipe!!!
and u dun wan to share wif them? -
at present... its my believe (no such thing as 100 percent sure) that no regional nation knew about this technology which only ahandful of us knew.
and some technologies are best left out of the control of leaders who do not understand the full seriousness and hazard of this bio technology Or they might end up abusing it.
but least you all misunderstood or think i am some super technomage from 25th century... the technology that i am speaking of are currently being refined in 2 country (wont name them)...
that is all folks.... its dangerous to know too much.... lets just hope for the best. -
u might it my limited understanding of the gravity of the situation, but i frankly think its madness for any country (not terrorists, but countries) to use germs in warfare.Originally posted by tripwire:more insidious and dangerous then biochem and chem attack are viral attack... these are the true monster of future war...
i wont say anymore about this... suffice to say... our northern neighbour do produce some similar toxins for non-military use... they are also non-signator of the chemical and biological warfare ban convention (unlike stupid singapore... dont know which idiot signed it)
thus their threats of poisoning singapore water is not something to be taken lightly as they have the means and they are not restricted by any international convention against the use of such stuffs.
one very important factor would be: what makes ANYONE think that they can control the ensuing outbreak? you brought up the example of "la grippe"... so u would know that its souce was never firmly established, but it spread in the trenches towards the end of the war and when the soldiers went home and got demobbed in 1918, they brought it back with them: US, China, India, Russia, Spain (where it was so nasty that the disease became associated with the country.)
so here's the thing: even if u could control the traffic of people, can u control the direction of the winds? the flight of migratory birds? does any country have the means to vaccinate 100% of its population against all microbes that might be used as a weapon, on top of all microbes that are real health threats?
and lastly, can anyone be sure that the microbe won't mutate. try if anyone dares... but for 2 countries geogaphically so close together, i don't think its sensible for either party to do something like that because it will be impossible to control or limit the effects. -
Guardians of the sea
In the third of a series of articles on the capabilities of the military and police, Defence Correspondent DAVID BOEY joined the members of the elite Naval Diving Unit in action off Iraq and during their drills in Singapore.
NAVAL divers on duty in the Middle East were armed and ready to shoot if they needed to, when they searched ships in the northern Arabian Gulf last year.
But by the end of their two months stationed off the coast of Iraq, the contingent aboard the RSS Endurance warship - which was there to support reconstruction efforts in Iraq - had not fired a single shot during their 70-plus boarding operations.
One of the divers, Captain Tan, 31, who had taught his colleagues how to conduct ship boardings, recounted how each time the men boarded a vessel suspected of smuggling items out of Iraq, they were all keyed up for action.
'Bullets can fly both ways in a firefight,' he explained, 'and going out with a live round in the chamber means there's a high possibility of a bullet coming your way.'
That's why he led by example and made it a point to be the first up the rope ladders of the ship they were checking, and the last to leave the ship after an inspection.
'There's no room for mistakes, no 'semula' kind of scenario, during real operations.'
'Semula' is a Malay term used during foot drill lessons when instructors want their men to repeat a movement.
Members of the Naval Diving Unit have to be prepared to board all sorts of craft, and in the Gulf these ranged from dhows to ultra-large crude carriers which towered several storeys above sea level.
The on-board inspections were done in seas where waves around 2m high were common and the temperature could dip to around 10 deg Celsius.
The boarding of ships - whether their crews agree to have these inspectors on board or not - is one of the unit's less publicised capabilities.
Its more lethal capabilities include augmenting the protection of naval bases and providing security for Singapore's warships deployed on peace support missions.
The unit's commanding officer, Colonel Chng Ho Kiat, 37, said: 'One contribution is the protection of friendly forces, particularly warships coming into port.
'We also help protect Republic of Singapore Navy warships sent on overseas missions against suicide bombers who may attack using speed boats.
'And if the SAF needs to investigate a merchant ship at sea, our divers can board it even when the vessel's crew is uncooperative and there's a chance the divers may be shot at.'
Indeed, the unit's men are experts at getting on board all manner of vessels, whether they are at anchor or under way.
While how they do so is a closely guarded trade secret, it is possible to pick up clues from the extensive range of training facilities at the group's camp.
There, drills at a multi-storey rappelling tower show, for instance, how the divers can descend onto a vessel from a helicopter.
There is also a large structure built over a swimming pool that's up to 10 metres deep. This allows divers to practise techniques used to board ships and other structures at sea.
The pool has an underground viewing gallery that allows instructors to monitor the divers at all times. This adds an extra element of safety and the instructors can also easily spot mistakes made.
To become part of the select crew who carry out such daring and dangerous tasks, a national serviceman must pass a battery of medical and psychological tests.
The 10 weeks of basic training at the Naval Diving Unit is similar to what other military recruits undergo. In addition to that, they also have about three hours of swimming training every day.
The strict selection and manner of training mean a high percentage of each cohort earns the diver's qualification after six weeks of physical training and a diving course that lasts 12 weeks.
'The training is not a culture shock, as we don't expect a newcomer to run like the wind or fly like Superman,' said Second Warrant Officer Norris Lucius, 35, a training development officer with the unit. 'The recruits are brought up to standard progressively.'
The warrant officer, who has been in the navy for 16 years, said recent recruits are different from those who joined in its early days. They are now better educated and more motivated. 'They absorb instructions very fast. You don't have to explain what to do many times,' he said.
This means the pace of lessons can be speeded up, and trained divers are more self-confident when sent on operations.
'They are also very creative,' he added.
He recounted how the men on the RSS Endurance had built the sandbag walls for their machine-gun nests on cargo pallets, so the nests could be moved quickly with a forklift when aircraft needed to use the flight deck.
The men's diving training has also improved because of the better facilities they are provided with, he said.
The times they have spent over the years training with elite diving teams from countries like Australia, Britain and the United States have helped the group benchmark its capabilities against special forces from foreign navies.
A high level of dive proficiency and readiness for operations has proved useful after September 2001, when the unit was given more tasks to handle.
The unit's commanding officer, Col Chng, said that since the 9/11 attacks and the heightened awareness of terrorist threats, the unit has had to take on more tasks, such as safeguarding warships in naval bases.
Col Chng said: 'What keeps me busy day to day is making sure the training we give them is relevant. The security environment out there is evolving.
'The full capability of the diver lies in the skills we impart to them. It is not simply giving them a bigger gun but making sure their minds are able to adapt.' -
We shud stockpile vaccines of smallpox and more chicken pox instead as these 2 are most easily to obtain and even more easily to mass manufacture using rudimentry kitchen utensils. Other things like VX or antrax the normal kampung terrorist not likely have access to and more likely will mishandle & infect himself first before able to infect others.
The equipment on display is more suited for situations whereby the possibility of war is imminent and we have some knowledge that chems will be used and we can deploy resources accordingly.
But what will SAF with it's few personnel and equipment going to do to contain a situation whereby contamination has already breached the boundaries of a few hundred meters and has become very widespread. har?
Do you think any determined terrorist would first broadcast to the whole world exactly what they going to do in secret before the event or do you think more likely it is reverse. har ?
These vaccines we should keep under lock and key in places close to schools, public places. We could train some civil defence or public servants in these places to do administering of vaccines in event of any outbreak. -
smallpox??? hahahaa..... sorry old chaps... but we have already went past that light years ago... stocking smallpox vaccine is just as useless as the flu vaccines against the present avian flu outbreak gripping the asian continents.
and while in the past... germ warfare was deemed uncontrollable.. but sad to say.... controllable biological warfare is actually closer then you think... in fact... its just around the corner.
thats what happens when you dont have biologist in the general staffs...
a small team of biologist is more terror than an army of elite forces.. 
SAF can either wake up and do something about it or be ready to be caught with its pants down.....
RMA? that for kids.... when angel of plague rides through your gate... no amount of RMA or FSD would save your butts. -
smallpox??? hahahaa..... sorry old chaps... but we have already went past that light years ago... stocking smallpox vaccine is just as useless as the flu vaccines against the present avian flu outbreak gripping the asian continents.
and while in the past... germ warfare was deemed uncontrollable.. but sad to say.... controllable biological warfare is actually closer then you think... in fact... its just around the corner.
thats what happens when you dont have biologist in the general staffs... a small team of biologist is more terror than an army of elite forces..
SAF can either wake up and do something about it or be ready to be caught with its pants down.....
RMA? that for kids.... when the angel of plague rides through your gate... no amount of RMA or FSD could save your butts. -
whats RMA? whats FSD?
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It is generally unwise to play around with biowarefare because there is no assurance even the most genetically modified bioweapon will not mutate in the field and blowback to those who used it. Most armies with logic will find that bioweapons, while effective... are prehaps too effective at killing people.
However, terrorists with radical causes willing to pay the highest costs for their beliefs will have have no qualms about causing maximum, uncontrolled damage to their target population and even some, or a lot of unintended deaths in those who have nothing to do with them. -
Crack cops to take on terrorists
Ready to go at a moment's notice, members of the heavily-armed police Special Tactics and Rescue unit were trained to knock out hostage-taking gunmen. These top cops tell Defence Correspondent DAVID BOEY how their mission has changed since 9/11
THE crack hostage rescue unit, the Special Tactics and Rescue unit (Star), has its sights trained on terrorists who may use suicide bombers.
Countering terrorist attacks is a new role that this elite police unit has taken on, together with other Homeland Security agencies and the Singapore Armed Forces.
Of all the police units, the Star unit has the best and fittest police officers - its selection criteria is so stringent that six out of every seven applicants do not make the grade - and the most formidable arsenal.
The firepower available includes various models of pistols and shotguns, as well as the German-made Heckler & Koch 9mm sub-machine guns. This last is a favourite with elite units because of its accuracy and hitting power.
The unit's snipers are armed with powerful rifles that can hit a target no bigger than a playing card, 800m away.
Its assault teams are trained to use explosives to blast their way into barricaded buildings and force their way through bolted doors.
A fleet of vehicles modified for assault missions in urban settings can be found in the unit's motor pool. These include unmarked cars and vans.
There are also more rugged vehicles, such as the Land Rover Defender 110 and Land Rover Discovery, which are fitted with assault ladders on their roofs to allow for the storming of buildings.
The usually secretive unit demonstrated its capabilities to the media last week. The session also included the showcasing of special weapons and tactics that can be used to resolve hostage situations in an urban setting.
The unit was set up in 1993, and its expanded capabilities were developed in the former Police Tactical Team, which was then a part-time unit.
Star is now a fully dedicated unit. It serves as the Singaporean equivalent to Special Weapons and Tactics units, commonly known as Swat teams, fielded by police forces overseas.
The Star unit is trained to react quickly 'to engage in neutralising armed and dangerous criminals' and to resolve urban sieges that may involve hostages and firearms.
It also provides security coverage for very very important persons (VVIPs) and escorts dangerous prisoners and those judged likely to attempt escape.
The team's commanding officer, who cannot be named, outlined how the unit's role has changed since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America: Where it once dealt with criminal hostage situations and protecting VVIPs, 'right now, we're very much into the handling of terrorists, especially suicide bombers'.
It is developing new tactics for this because suicide bombers are known to keep upgrading their tactics, he said. 'We have to pre-empt tactics that are coming up and train our officers... to deal with these suicide bombers,' he said.
Its new anti-terrorist duties underscore why it needs top-calibre officers.
Said the group's commanding officer: 'We believe the quality of the men determines the quality of the unit.'
Apart from being in top physical form, members of the team must be able to 'make decisions and exercise judgment on the spot, without guidance' and under stressful conditions.
Those who satisfy these criteria get to go through a 12-day course, known among the police as 'Star Hell Week', which pushes them to their physical and psychological limits.
Only those who make it through this course are selected for the main training course, which lasts six months and is run by the unit.
Looking ahead, the commanding officer said his unit would continue to maintain a high level of readiness as it gears up against unconventional threats.
Tomorrow: The Silent Hunters - The Navy's submarine squadron trains to stalk and sink ships by stealth -
Yoo hoo, Silent Hunter, are you still here? *waves*
I borrowed your nick -
Silent hunters
Old they may be, but the navy's submarines are still stealthy and deadly, Defence Correspondent DAVID BOEY learnt when he visited 171 Squadron, whose motto is 'Invisible, Invincible'
THE Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) second-hand submarines, built in the late 1960s, are its oldest boats but their ability to strike unseen from below the waves puts them among its deadliest assets.
The four boats - submarines are traditionally called boats and not ships - have given the RSN cost-effective lessons in submarine warfare since Singapore announced in September 1995 that it would buy these Sea Serpent-class boats from Sweden.
RSS Conqueror and RSS Chieftain, the two already in Singapore, have fired torpedoes successfully in the South China Sea and given the RSN valuable pointers on submarine operations in the area.
Sea trials have proven these old warhorses are quiet and hard to detect. Their heavyweight torpedoes can sink ships at long range.
Their stealthy nature also makes them ideal when covert surveillance at sea is called for.
The two boats now in Singapore will be joined by two more submarines, RSS Challenger and RSS Centurion, when they arrive in Singapore from Sweden.
The RSN unit that operates submarines, 171 Squadron, will adapt and apply lessons learnt in Swedish waters to local waters, said its commanding officer, Colonel Cyril Lee, 43.
'In the Baltic, even in summer the sea water is 18 deg C. We don't need air-conditioning over there because the sea is sufficiently cool to cool the whole boat,' he said.
So Singapore's subs have special air-conditioning plants that are modified to operate quietly, so they're less likely to be detected even by underwater microphones, or hydrophones, in anti-submarine sweeps.
Also, since changes in the temperature of sea water affect how sound waves travel underwater, the submarine's sonar operators must know how to detect ships around them in warmer waters.
Many more ships use the South China Sea than the Baltic, and the ships in the sea lanes around Singapore tend to be much bigger.
This means a sub must operate at greater depths to avoid the bottoms of large ships.
This affects the 'safe depth', the depth at which the sub will be safe from collisions.
Col Lee said: 'The Baltic is a holiday area compared to the South China Sea.
'The traffic density in the South China Sea is four to five times what it is in Baltic sea lanes.'
The Baltic has one specific entrance for ships, and is commonly used by shallow-draught vessels.
There, he said, the deepest-draught vessels the RSN saw were bulk carriers with a draught of 12.7m.
'In the South China Sea, you can encounter 200,000-tonne supertankers which can be 18m to 20m deep when fully laden,' he noted.
The Sjoormen-class submarines - Sjoormen is Swedish for Sea Serpent - built for the Royal Swedish Navy more than three decades ago, may seem past their prime.
However, they will serve as cost-effective platforms for the RSN to learn more about submarine warfare.
Whatever the RSN and its partners from the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), defence scientists from DSO National Laboratories, shipbuilder Singapore Technologies Marine and the Swedish defence industry have done to upgrade the subs, they aren't giving much away.
Col Lee said: 'The shell is probably the oldest in the navy but when we got the subs, we changed a lot of the equipment inside the submarine.'
And it works.
'For all exercises with surface vessels, we've been able to remain undetected unless it's to facilitate the training of personnel on warships on the surface,' he said.
Locating a sub is like finding a needle in a haystack, he said.
Just 51m long, the RSN's subs are small compared to the nuclear-powered subs of Western navies.
But small is advantageous in regional waters, which are only about 80m deep.
Indeed, this could work against larger subs which will have less room to manoeuvre.
The RSN has drawn up a training programme to ensure it can sustain its ability to recruit and train new submariners.
'The training in Sweden will not last forever and we have to learn how to screen candidates who want to be submariners,' said Lieutenant-Colonel Tan Boon Ann, 34, an operations officer with 171 Squadron.
Anyone in the navy can ask for submarine duty, but they'll be asked why they want to sail underwater on missions that could last about a week.
Lt-Col Tan said: 'If his motivation is the challenges, the exacting training and sense of job fulfilment, we'll have a winner on our hands because you find these people will be more motivated.' However, big egos are not welcome on a submarine, where some two dozen men must live and work in a confined space.
Crew members need to get on well with each other because as one man gets up to start his six-hour shift, another moves in to rest on his still-warm bunk - hence the term 'hot bunking'.
While underwater, the sub maintains the same day-and-night cycle as the time zone in which it operates.
White light is used in the daytime, and red lights come on at night to indicate it's past sunset.
Lieutenant-Colonel Alec Lim, 40, a training officer with the squadron, said submariners are always wary of newcomers, even VIP visitors.
'There's always at least a pair of eyes watching you,' he said, adding that the crew monitor visitors to make sure they don't touch valves or switches without permission.
'Statistically, submarine operations are safe.
'It's only unsafe when you don't know what the hell you're doing,' he said.
The ones who do know what they're doing and have earned the right to wear the dolphin badge on their uniform have come through a few years of training.
Training is done in Sweden and Singapore and with other sub operators such as Australia.
When the RSN holds joint drills with the United States and other navies, it can pick up best practices and apply them here.
Submariners are taught the 'blind man's walk' so they can move about the boat and find what they need if there's a power failure.
'They must have the ability to take humiliation,' said Col Lee.
'For example, even when I was designated commanding officer of the squadron, I had to wash toilets because I need to know every part of the boat.
'Toilets on submarines are different from those on surface ships and this was the way I found out.' -
ChineseJunk, funny how you ended your wonderful article talking about "toilets". hee hee
BTW, do the Challenger subs also have a new propeller too.
See:
Do you also know if the Challenger has the A17 combat system (or a cut down version) as reported by some defence journals?
BTW, why did RSN choose to use red lights to indicate nite time? What about battle station? What light colour is used then? The American use blue if I am not wrong, what about RSN?
Lastly, have the RSN Challenger sub squared-off RAN Collin class or Indian U209 subs during exercises? I wonder how did RSN sub crew faired against some of the best in the game.
