Special Operations Force (Singapore)

Last updated

Special Operations Force
SOF shield patch.jpg
Patch of the Special Operations Force
Active1984 – present
CountryFlag of Singapore.svg  Singapore
BranchSingaporeArmyinfoboxflag.png  Singapore Army
Type Special forces
Role
Part of Commandos
Special Operations Task Force
Engagements Operation Thunderbolt
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Colonel Lam Shiu Tong [1]
Colonel Chiang Hock Woon [2]

The Special Operations Force (SOF) [3] is the primary special forces unit of the Singapore Army responsible for conducting special operations. The SOF is composed of only highly-trained regular servicemen from the Commandos formation. [4]

Contents

It is also a component of the Special Operations Task Force (SOTF), alongside the Special Warfare Group (SWG) of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). [5]

History

On 27 September 1972, a flight engineer aboard Olympic Airlines Flight 472 accidentally activated a hijack alarm. The flight, which had 31 passengers and 11 crew members on board, took off from Sydney, Australia at 1030 hours SST and was heading towards Paya Lebar Airport in Singapore. The Australian authorities were not informed of the situation until four hours later. Following a flurry of conflicting reports, Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority warned Paya Lebar Airport to be prepared for a possible hijack.

Flight 472 landed in Singapore at 1825 hours SST and was immediately surrounded by the police before the Singapore authorities could confirm that it was a false alarm. The incident highlighted the lack of special forces trained and equipped to deal with a hijack or hostage situation in Singapore.

The SOF was created in 1984. [6]

Operation Thunderbolt (1991)

On 26 March 1991, Singapore Airlines Flight 117 was hijacked in flight by four men, who took all 129 people on board hostage. At Singapore Changi Airport, commandos from the SOF stormed the plane, killed the four hijackers and freed the hostages in under a minute. [7] This also marked the SOF's first combat operation. [7]

Commando HQ was awarded a Medal of Valor and a unit citation for the success of the operation. [3]

Other operations

Kopaska and SOF commandos in a joint exercise. 14 bajak dir.jpg
Kopaska and SOF commandos in a joint exercise.

It was reported that some SOF commandos have been deployed to Afghanistan under Operation Blue Ridge alongside regular Commmandos. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Entebbe raid</span> 1976 counter-terrorist hostage rescue mission by the Israel Defense Forces

The Entebbe raid, officially codenamed Operation Thunderbolt, and retroactively known as Operation Entebbe or Operation Jonathan – the latter after the unit's leader, Yonatan Netanyahu – was a counter-terroristhostage-rescue mission carried out by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on 4 July 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air France Flight 8969</span> 1994 aircraft hijacking

Air France Flight 8969 was an Air France flight that was hijacked on 24 December 1994 by the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (GIA) at Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers. The terrorists murdered three passengers and their intention was either to blow up the plane over the Eiffel Tower in Paris or crash the plane into it. When the aircraft reached Marseille, the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN), a counter-terror unit of the French National Gendarmerie, stormed the plane and killed all four hijackers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Airlines Flight 814</span> 1999 aircraft hijacking

Indian Airlines Flight 814, commonly known as IC 814, was an Indian Airlines Airbus A300 en route from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India, on Friday, 24 December 1999, when it was hijacked and flown to several locations before landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Unit 777, also known as Task Force 777, is an Egyptian military counter-terrorism and special operations unit. It was created in 1978 by the government of Anwar Sadat in response to concerns of increased terrorist activity following the expulsion of Soviet military advisors from the country by Sadat and his efforts to achieve peace with Israel.

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paya Lebar Air Base</span> Military airbase in Singapore

The Paya Lebar Air Base is a military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) located at Airport Road in Paya Lebar, in the eastern region of Singapore. The airbase goes by the motto of Strength Through Readiness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore Armed Forces</span> Military of Singapore

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), the armed forces have four service branches: the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Digital and Intelligence Service. An integrated force, it is one of the most capable, robust, technologically sophisticated and powerful militaries in Southeast Asia and the surrounding regions. The SAF is headed by the chief of defence force, appointed by the president of Singapore.

In December 1973, a Palestinian terrorist group executed a series of attacks originating at Rome-Fiumicino Airport in Italy which resulted in the deaths of 34 people. The attacks began with an airport-terminal invasion and hostage-taking, followed by the firebombing of a Pan Am aircraft and the hijacking of a Lufthansa flight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commandos (Singapore Army)</span> Military unit

Commandos is the special forces formation of the Singapore Army responsible for conducting special operations. Commandos are tasked with infiltrating behind enemy lines by raiding and reconnaissance operations using airborne raids, helicopter assault and sea landings. The formation is made up of only one battalion, the 1st Commando Battalion, and is based in Hendon Camp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Changi Air Base (East)</span> Airport in Tanah Merah Coast Road, Singapore

Changi Air Base (East), or Changi East Complex is a facility extending the facilities of Changi Air Base, the existing facilities hence renamed Changi Air Base (West). Built on a 2 square kilometre site of reclaimed land, the new base was located approximately 2 kilometres east of Singapore Changi Airport and approximately 1.5 kilometres west of Changi Naval Base. Groundbreaking took place on 15 July 2002 and it was officially opened on 29 November 2004. A new runway (02R/20L) was built and the length was approximately 2,748 metres (9,015 ft), it has since been lengthened to 4,000 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laju incident</span> Ferry hijacking in Singapore

The Laju incident, also known as the Laju ferry hijacking, occurred on 31 January 1974 in Singapore. Four armed men from the terrorist groups Japanese Red Army and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine attacked the Shell oil refinery complex on Pulau Bukom and later hijacked the ferryboat Laju and took its five crew members hostage. The crisis was resolved after the Singapore government provided the terrorists safe passage to the Middle East in exchange for the release of the hostages.

The Special Warfare Group (SWG) is the primary special forces unit of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) responsible for conducting special operations from sea, air, and land. It is one of six squadrons of the Naval Diving Unit (NDU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabena Flight 571</span> 1972 aircraft hijacking in Lod, Israel

Sabena Flight 571 was a scheduled passenger flight from Brussels to Lod via Vienna operated by the Belgian national airline, Sabena. On 8 May 1972 a Boeing 707 passenger aircraft operating that service, captained by British pilot Reginald Levy, DFC, was hijacked by four members of the Black September Organization, a Palestinian terrorist group. Following their instructions, Captain Levy landed the plane at Lod Airport. The hijackers demanded that Israel release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages. The standoff was ended by an Israeli commando raid in which all of the hijackers were killed or captured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Airlines Flight 427</span> 1993 aircraft hijacking

Indian Airlines Flight 427, a domestic passenger flight of the Indian Airlines between Srinagar Airport and the Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, was involved in an aircraft hijacking that took place in India between 24 and 25 April 1993. Commandos from the National Security Guard (NSG) rescued all 141 hostages of the Indian Airlines Boeing 737, on the ground at Amritsar airport. The lone hijacker, Mohammad Yousuf, was killed within 5 minutes of commandos entering the plane, before he could react and harm any of the hostages. The rescue was code-named Operation Ashwamedh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Special Operations Forces Command</span> Command of the Canadian defence body

Canadian Special Operations Forces Command is a command of the Canadian Armed Forces. It is responsible for all special forces operations that respond to terrorism and threats to Canadians and Canadian interests around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore Airlines Flight 117</span> Midair plane hijacking

Singapore Airlines Flight 117 was a Singapore Airlines flight that was hijacked en route by four Pakistani terrorists on 26 March 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 206</span> Aircraft hijacking

Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 206 was a Garuda Indonesia flight that was hijacked on 28 March 1981, by the Komando Jihad in Indonesia. The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 plane PK-GNJ was hijacked on a domestic flight and forced to land at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. The hijackers demanded the release of their confederates from Indonesian jails and issued other demands. Three days later, the aircraft was stormed by Indonesian special forces. In the ensuing operation, all five hijackers were killed, while the pilot and one Kopassus operatives were mortally wounded, with both succumbing to their wounds later. All passengers were rescued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Operations Task Force</span> Military unit

The Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) is a special operations command of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for conducting special operations. The SOTF is composed of only highly-trained regular servicemen from the Army's Special Operations Force (SOF) under the Commandos formation and, the Navy's Special Warfare Group (SWG) under the Naval Diving Unit (NDU).

The 142 Squadron "Gryphon" of the Republic of Singapore Air Force is a fighter-bomber squadron based at Paya Lebar Air Base, the squadron goes by the motto "Honour and Glory" with the Gryphon adopted as its mascot. According to IHS Janes, it is the second Singapore-based F-15SG Squadron.

References

  1. Yeo, Jared (27 June 2011). "Our Army recognises the commitment and dedication of its servicemen". MINDEF. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  2. Cheam, Samuel (11 March 2011). "Commando Formation and SOTF Welcome New Commander". MINDEF. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  3. 1 2 https://web.archive.org/web/20120224225528/www.specialoperations.com/Foreign/Singapore/SOF.htm
  4. 1 2 Neville (2019), p. 178.
  5. Chow, Jermyn (1 July 2009). "Special forces to work under one command". AsiaOne News. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  6. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/young-soldiers-are-no-strawberry-generation-says-the-chief-commando-officer
  7. 1 2 "As a Special Forces soldier, he stormed a hijacked Singapore Airlines plane. Now he's a monk". CNA. Retrieved 24 November 2022.

Bibliography