The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for its defence and national interests. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), it is one of the most capable, robust technologically sophisticated and powerful militaries in Southeast Asia and the surrounding regions.
The SAF Commando Formation is the special operations formation of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for conducting special operations. It is only made up of one battalion, the 1st Commando Battalion.
The Government of Singapore consists of several departments, known as ministries and statutory boards in Singapore. Ministries are led by a member of the Cabinet and deal with state matters that require direct political oversight. The member of the Cabinet heading the ministry is known as the minister, who is supported by a junior minister known as minister of state in Singapore. The administrative management of the ministry is led by a senior civil servant known as permanent secretary.
The Specialist Cadet School (SCS), formerly known as the School of Infantry Specialists (SISPEC) from 1992 to 2010, is the military training centre for the Singapore Armed Forces' specialists, the equivalent of non-commissioned officers in other countries' armed forces. The school is situated in Pasir Laba Camp in the Western Water Catchment, Singapore. Previously, from 1999 to 2006, it was located in Rocky Hill Camp on Pulau Tekong while its current compound in Pasir Laba Camp was undergoing construction. The school currently has a total of twelve companies, which are divided into three schools. The companies are named according to the NATO phonetic alphabet from A (Alpha) Company to M (Mike) Company, excluding I (India) Company.
The SAFTI Military Institute is a military academy of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Located within an 88 ha campus in Jurong West, it was officially opened by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 25 August 1995. The institute consists of the Officer Cadet School, various SAF Advanced Schools and the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College.
Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute or SAFTI was where officers of the Singapore Armed Forces were trained in the past. SAFTI per se does not exist anymore. In current use, it may refer to one of two things:
The Basic Military Training Centre is a restricted military training facility located at Pulau Tekong, off the coast of Singapore, as well as Kranji. Comprising five schools, it is the basic military training ground for the majority of recruits in the Singapore Armed Forces.
The Singapore Combat Engineers (SCE) is a formation of the Singapore Army. Combat Engineers provide mobility by bridging gaps and clearing minefields to facilitate speedy advance of troops into enemy territory, and counter-mobility by constructing obstacles such as anti-tank ditches to impede the enemy's movement. The Combat Engineers also construct trenches, drainage systems and other related infrastructure to enhance the survivability of troops during operations.
The Commando Training Wing is one of two training wings in the School of Commandos of the Singapore Armed Forces in Singapore. Established in 1974, it is primarily tasked with the training of military leaders in the Commando Formation. Courses conducted by the CTW include the Commando Section Leaders' Course (CSLC), the Commando Small Boat Operators' Course, the Commando Officer Conversion Course (COCC), and the highly esteemed Singapore Armed Forces Ranger Course.
The Singapore Armed Forces Band form the musical arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. Playing a vital role in ceremonial parades and ceremonies, the SAF Band provides musical support for parades such as the National Day Parade, SAF Day Parade, Passing Out Parades, Change of Command Parades and other military duties. Other than discharging ceremonial duties, the SAF Band also presents public concerts that aim to bring a wide range of music to the populace. They also seek to build up the band's music repertoire into an extensive array of styles and variety.
The Officer Cadet School (OCS) is a military school that trains commissioned officers for the three branches of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF): the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Navy, and the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Located within the SAFTI Military Institute complex in Jurong West, it has twelve wings inclusive of tri-service wings. Ten wings are named according to the NATO phonetic alphabet from A (Alpha) to H (Hotel) and S (Sierra) and T (Tango), while the remaining two wings are for the Navy and Air Force respectively. The trainees are mostly drawn from the best performing recruits in each Basic Military Training cohort. Trainees with outstanding performance from the Specialist Cadet School (SCS), where specialists are trained, are also invited to transfer to OCS. Career soldiers may also attend OCS on application, recommendation and selection. OCS trainees are known as Officer Cadets if they serve in the Army and Air Force, and are known as Midshipmen if they serve in the Navy.
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has five rank schemes for active and reservist personnel, with a sixth for the auxiliaries of the SAF Volunteer Corps. The rank structure is largely unified, with identical rank insignia across the Singapore Army, Republic of Singapore Navy, and Republic of Singapore Air Force.
Second warrant officer (2WO) is a warrant officer rank in the Singapore Armed Forces. It was the most junior of the warrant officers until the rank of third warrant officer (3WO) was brought into effect on 1 April 2010.
The SAFWOS Leadership School (SAFWOS) is a military training centre for warrant officers and military experts of the Singapore Armed Forces. It is situated in Pasir Laba Camp in the Western Water Catchment, Singapore.
The Western Water Catchment is a planning area located in the West Region of Singapore. The planning area borders Tuas and Pioneer to its south, Sungei Kadut, Choa Chu Kang and Tengah to its east, Jurong West to its southeast, Lim Chu Kang to its north and the Straits of Johor to its west. It is the largest planning area by land area, covering nearly a tenth of Singapore Island. It is also one of the two main water catchments in Singapore, the other being Central Water Catchment.
In the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), specialists are the group of ranks equivalent to non-commissioned officers in other armed forces. This term was introduced in 1993, for a more "positive" rank classification and shorter waiting time for WOSPEC career soldiers' rank advancements. In the SAF, warrant officers are not considered specialists.
The Singapore Signals is a formation of the Singapore Army. The primary role of the Signals is to provide communication on multiple platforms and local networking within the battlefield, as well as to support the Singapore Armed Forces' third generation transformation efforts by developing the capacity for network-centric warfare in the form of IKC2 and C4 operations.
SAFTI is a subzone of the Jurong West planning area of Singapore. It is home to the Pasir Laba Camp. It is also the training ground and a live-firing area for Singapore Armed Forces known as SAFTI Live Firing Area which is west of Pasir Laba Camp.
Warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer.
