ROCKHAMPTON: The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is conducting its largest-ever unilateral overseas exercise in Shoalwater Bay, Australia involving 6,200 soldiers.
During the drill, known as Exercise Wallaby, the SAF for the first time is using the H225M helicopter, the Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) and the ground-based air defence system surface-to-air Python-5 and Derby (Spyder).
About 35 servicemen from the SAF’s newest service, the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), are also taking part.
The DIS was established in 2022 to fight the increased threat of cyber-attacks and disinformation. Chief Armour Officer and SAF lead for the exercise, Colonel Lim Han Yong said the participation of the new service is a milestone in the SAF’s transformation into a next-generation fighting force.
COL Lim speaking to the media said that this is a major step in strengthening and demonstrating its interoperability between services.
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Colonel Phillip Khoo, the exercise’s air director, said that the DIS servicemen will provide the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) with threat and intelligence analysis from sensors in the training area. “We (the RSAF alone) do not have the detailed level of analysis that the DIS is able to provide,” he added.
The exercise began on September 8 and will be concluded on November 3. COL Lim said preparation for the drill started way beforehand, with training conferences and on-the-ground recces.
