Former Malaysian PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad with Pukul Habis

 

When a friend sent me this picture today, I first thought it was photoshopped. 

Really really pleased to see Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia and the federation's longest serving PM, with my book, Pukul Habis. Dr M was PM during the real Eksesais Pukul Habis airdrop in August 1991 - an event which inspired the title of my book - so seeing him with the fictional war story made my day. Hope Dr M finds it interesting!

PUKUL HABIS
Books Kinokuniya Singapore has stocked Pukul Habis (ISBN 9789811861499). Please visit its main store in Ngee Ann City or Bugis Junction, or check the Kinokuniya online store here.

If you are in Malaysia, get the book from Books Kinokuniya's store at Suria KLCC. Kino will also mail it to any location in Malaysia. Please click here for details. For readers elsewhere, please check Amazon sites for your location. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages.

Singapore: https://bit.ly/3XJzInH

Australia: https://amzn.to/3ViaX0i

United Kingdom: https://amzn.to/3EZ6clA Look Inside

USA: https://amzn.to/3Ui3Eo1 Look Inside. When ordering from Singapore, click on the "Shipping to Singapore?" button. Ignore the "Temporarily out of stock" notice on the Amazon.com page OR get it from Kino in Singapore/Malaysia while stocks last.

Singapore navy Endurance-class LST shows full load of landing craft

Republic of Singapore Navy tank landing ship, RSS Resolution, seen underway off the coast of Queensland, Australia, during Exercise Wallaby 2023. Of interest is the full load of fast landing craft, known as Fast Craft Equipment Personnel (FCEPs) on davits flanking Reso's superstructure. This is believed to be the first official photo showing an Endurance-class LST with its max load of FCEPs (assuming another five on the portside). Had to wait 25 years since the Endurance-class were commissioned in batches from 1998 to see this official photo of an LST with all FCEP davits filled.

With 10 FCEPs embarked and four larger Fast Craft Utility (FCU) landing craft in the LST welldock, this class of ship can land an infantry battalion plus support vehicles in a single wave. The large number of landing craft shortens exposure during the critical ship-to-shore phase of amphibious operations, thus reducing the window of vulnerability to enemy action. At time of commissioning, the Endurance-class could carry the most number of landing craft ton-for-ton compared to other LST classes. Senang Diri believes this record still stands.

There's something else that can be fitted to the LST that makes her special - a self-propelled pontoon that can be linked to form a floating platform. Maybe we wait another few years for the official photo? LOL

P.S. My book, Pukul Habis, has a fictional account of the LSTs in combat.

Pix: Ministry of Defence, Singapore

See RSAF Republic of Singapore Air Force Super Pumas enjoying their retirement

Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Super Pumas photo bombed the Singapore Army's Instagram post on Commando parachute training. Now retired, RSAF Super Puma medium-lift tactical transport helicopters appear to have had their main rotors removed and are now stored in a hangar at Sembawang Air Base. Used by the RSAF since 1985 for troop-lift and search and rescue, the Super Ps have been replaced by the more powerful Airbus Helicopters H225M.

The old Super Ps are found in a number of fight scenes in the fictional war story Pukul Habis (Total Wipeout), where they are engaged by Malaysian Army GBAD.

PUKUL HABIS
Books Kinokuniya Singapore has stocked Pukul Habis (ISBN 9789811861499). Please visit its main store in Ngee Ann City or Bugis Junction, or check the Kinokuniya online store here.

If you are in Malaysia, get the book from Books Kinokuniya's store at Suria KLCC. Kino will also mail it to any location in Malaysia. Please click here for details. For readers elsewhere, please check Amazon sites for your location. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages.

Singapore: https://bit.ly/3XJzInH

Australia: https://amzn.to/3ViaX0i

United Kingdom: https://amzn.to/3EZ6clA Look Inside

USA: https://amzn.to/3Ui3Eo1 Look Inside. When ordering from Singapore, click on the "Shipping to Singapore?" button. Ignore the "Temporarily out of stock" notice on the Amazon.com page OR get it from Kino in Singapore/Malaysia while stocks last.

Republic of Singapore Air Force RSAF Gulfstream G550 AEW makes long trip to Davis-Monthan AFB, same base where new USAF EW was showcased

The crew of this Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Gulfstream G550 Airborne Early Warning (AEW), tail number 010, from 111 Squadron, landed safely this week at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, Arizona, USA.

Bearing callsign SINGA72, the RSAF G550 made a direct flight to Tuscon from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Hawaii.

Davis-Monthan is home to the USAF's specialised electronic warfare unit, the 55th Electronic Combat Group. On 17 August, the unit hosted the first visit by a new model of the Compass Call EW aircraft, designated the EC-37B. The new Compass Call is based on the G550 and has conformal sensors on the right and left side of the forward fuselage, similar to the RSAF's configuration.

An interesting coincidence...

Pictures of RSAF G550 "010" from DMAviation (@cay89455610 on X, formerly known as Twitter)

Special vehicle for mobile satcom at RSAF Paya Lebar Airbase

 

Interesting vehicle with what appears to be a satellite dish on its cabin, seen at the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Open House at Paya Lebar Airbase.

This looks like a 2.4m C or Ku-band antenna for transmitting and receiving voice, video or data to and from a communications satellite. The satellite cabin and generator (blue box at the rear) are mounted on a Hino truck. I guess this is quite a capable antenna. It could pack the capability equivalent to a TV broadcasting studio on that truck.

Nothing says "network centric" better than seeing one of these vehicles. I have so many questions.... LOL

I guess I am not the only one who has a thing for specialised vehicles?

Today is the last day of the RSAF Open House, held to mark the air force's 55th anniversary! Free entry. For more: https://www.rsaf55oh.sg/

Republic of Singapore Air Force RSAF anti-drone radars and jammers at Paya Lebar Airbase

The 1950s era airport buildings from the former Singapore International Airport at Paya Lebar appear to have been updated to deal with 21st century situations involving Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).

Rooftop anti-drone sensors seem to have been installed on buildings now used by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) at Paya Lebar Airbase. These sensors are believed to serve as anti-drone radars (sensor closest to the right corner), RF jammer (flat face array with vertical antenna), and a drone detection camera at the left corner. All sensors offer all-around coverage, by day and by night.

The anti-drone radar looks similar to RAFAEL's Drone Dome counter-UAS system, which was previously showcased in a 2020 Facebook post by then Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung. The Drone Dome system in that Facebook update was apparently installed at Changi Airport.

The RSAF Open House, held to mark the Singapore air force's 55th anniversary, is open to the public from today and tomorrow at PLAB. Entry is free. For more: https://www.rsaf55oh.sg/

Republic of Singapore Air Force RSAF reveals Python 5 AAM for first time

Always read the info boards of Singapore Armed Forces assets! Spot anything new?

RSAF 55 Open House

Paya Lebar Air Base

Saturday 9 Sep to Sunday 10 Sep 2023

9am to 6pm (The event is Free)

RSAF Open House 2023: Four tips to enjoy the Singapore air force's 55th anniversary show

The last time Paya Lebar Air Base welcomed the public was in 2016. Large crowds attended the Air Force Open House that year. This weekend's event at Paya Lebar Air Base, held to mark the Republic of Singapore Air Force's 55th anniversary, is expected to be a major crowd-puller.

RSAF 55 Open House

Paya Lebar Air Base

Saturday 9 Sep to Sunday 10 Sep 2023

9am to 6pm (The event is Free)

TIP 1

Get your queue number early

Register on the RSAF Open House website, https://www.rsaf55oh.sg/, to get in line to sit in the cockpits of various RSAF fighter aircraft.

The RSAF 55 Open House Capability Display area. Shutter bugs should note there is no spectator stand, so you may want to position yourself close to the safety barricade before the crowd builds up. Bring ear plugs - you'll need them.

TIP 2

Plan your journey so you can catch the flying display. If you're a shutter bug (no, not THAT Shutter), go early as there is no spectator stand this year. You may want to place yourself near the barricade in front of the parked F-15SG aircraft to view the display. Bring ear plugs!

Capability Display (i.e. flying display) show times:

Held twice a day. Among the highlights: You'll see two F-15SG Strike Eagles start up and takeoff, a H.225M helicopter deploy a section of seven heliborne infantry from 3 Guards, and an Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport play the role of an "aircraft in distress".

Saturday 

Morning 10:30am to 11:45am

Afternoon 3pm to 4pm

Sunday

Morning 10:30am to 11:30am

Afternoon 3pm to 4pm

TIP 3

Plan your entry and exit. Note that there is NO provision for you to park at the event. So it's a choice of shuttle bus, public transport, taxi/private hire vehicle, or walking in. 

Shuttle Bus locations:

18 Tai Seng S539775

Circle Line Tai Seng CC11, Exit C

1st bus: 8am

Last bus: 4:30pm

Hougang Bus Park S538833

North East Line Hougang NE14, Exit A

1st bus: 8am

Last bus: 4:30pm

By bus:

Bus 90: Toa Payoh Bus Interchange

Bus 94: Eunos Bus Interchange

TIP 4 - What's new?

The H.225M helicopter and CH-47F Chinook, the latest model of the heavy-lift helicopter, and the MRTT will go on display for the first time. This unmanned ground vehicle under trial as an airbase patrol asset is something I've not seen before. There's also a weapon loading thingy near the F-15SGs which I think is being shown for the first time.

Do note that places for aircraft joyrides have already been allocated by online balloting. 

Random thoughts on RSAF55 Open House

One observation from my walkabout at Paya Lebar Air Base yesterday, where the RSAF will stage the Air Force Open House this weekend, was the large number of personnel who are first-timers to hosting such an event.

As PLAB last held an open house seven years ago, it's perhaps no surprise that many in the tribe are new to this form of public engagement. Their learning curve will be steep.

Come Saturday, that first contact with a real crowd as the seemingly endless flood of people fill queue lines, testing the patience of RSAF duty personnel and planning assumptions of event logistics, can be an eye-opener. So here are some points they may want to ponder:

* Unlike previous AFOH, there is no grandstand at show centre. This means that apart from the first few ranks, people behind may find it difficult seeing the fighter aircraft scramble and the mock attack by the heliborne Guardsmen. Some will push their way through with bulky camera equipment. There will be children and elderly. How is your crowd management plan?

* The roadside and grass verge along Airport Road can become car magnets. At previous open houses, some drivers did try their luck by parking there, thus posing a safety hazard to other road users. Errant motorists must be chased off early. Once the few pull their parking brake, more will inevitably follow. That "bridgehead" cannot be allowed to form. Good news is that the Traffic Police HQ is just down the road. Would be good to consider enlisting their support for the weekend crowd surge. In extreme situations, manual control of traffic lights may be necessary to relieve traffic congestion.

* Shuttle bus queues can be tricky, as they build up quickly. It can be hard for new arrivals to find the end of the line. Mark this prominently. Have a generous overflow area for the queue - what's the wet wx plan? And watch for the odd queue jumpers. Past open house events, particularly one at Changi Naval Base which attracted some 100,000 visitors over a weekend decades ago, made the news for the wrong reasons.

* Is there scope to include the CAAS fire engine at this late juncture? Would be nice to see one on show, perhaps alongside some FDS vehicles. Children love to get close to such vehicles. I bet some visitors will even find a display of different aircraft tugs quite interesting and Instagram-worthy. 

I once asked to meet Dr Goh Keng Swee, Singapore's 1st defence minister, and he told me...

Thanks to my job as a journalist early in my career, I have met or seen in real life every Singaporean who served as defence minister (DM), except Mr Howe Yoon Chong.

The DM whom I wanted to meet for a long time was Dr Goh Keng Swee, one of the Old Guard minsters who helped shape the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in its embryonic years.

I met Dr Goh in 1996. My mother, who thought she saw Dr Goh walking in a park near our home, told me about her chance encounter during one of her strolls. She also knew which house the old gentleman lived in. 

Curiosity aroused, I dropped a handwritten note into the letter box of the house where "Dr Goh" was thought to live. I asked if the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Defence lived there and, summoning some pluck, expressed my wish to see him if that was indeed his residence.

I got a reply from Mrs Goh Keng Swee, who invited me over. The Gohs were kind and gracious to allow me into their home - which minister today would entertain such social calls from random strangers?

That meeting with Dr Goh was memorable, and for many good reasons. I have never forgotten that encounter or his parting words that advised how I should view the SAF. [After my meeting with Dr Goh, I had a much longer conversation with Mrs Goh. Many interesting points were shared, which I won't make public here as it was a private conversation.]

In my opinion, Dr Goh was the best DM Singapore ever had.

My views of those who followed were based on impressions of how they explained or dealt with issues off-script. Speeches, as many of you would know, are mostly written by staff officers. And whether a speech has impact or not depends to a large degree on the competence of the speech writer. So I tend to discount scripted speaking engagements. I also rely on what's shared by individuals who worked with the ministers. Such interactions reveal facets of character and decision making that only the inner circle would know. All of them have quirks - who amongst us doesn't?

Rear Admiral Teo Chee Hean's leadership as the SAF made its journey as a Third Generation (3G) fighting force was impressive. But as he came from the navy, his familiarity with military matters was a given. He made good use of that head start.

My sense is that after Dr Goh, Singapore's longest serving DM is the next most impressive. Dr Ng Eng Hen has made a successful transition from medicine to defence. He helmed MINDEF through some interesting phases of the SAF's 3G journey. Looking back, it is my view that Dr Ng's training as a cancer surgeon gave him the innate ability for clinical (no pun) analysis of complex issues, including the ability to assimilate bad news and make the most out of difficult situations. It is not easy telling a patient who has Stage 4 cancer about the prognosis and way ahead. It can be painful seeing cancer metastasize and claim a promising life. But this is what oncologists go through. Coming from a family where my late father, my mum and younger sister all were stricken with the Big C at some point in their lives, I know the emotional upheavals that a cancer diagnosis inevitably brings.

If you had to imagine a fictional character who made an ideal DM, what would that person be like? I have a good idea what my fictional DM would be like, and what he would do when ballistic missiles start falling.

Dr Tim Huxley read Pukul Habis and had this to say...

Kind words for Pukul Habis, my first fictional war story, from Dr Tim Huxley, for which I am deeply appreciative. Singapore Armed Forces watchers would know Dr Huxley for his book, Defending the Lion City: The Armed Forces of Singapore, which set the benchmark for books on the Singapore Armed Forces. He is one of the leading lights in Asia-Pacific security. His discussion of the Mersing Line in the 1991 essay, Singapore and Malaysia: A Precarious Balance, kickstarted my own journey of discovery.

Dr Huxley told me a few months ago he was reviewing the book for an academic journal. Am delighted, humbled and hugely relieved to read Dr Huxley's review in Contemporary Southeast Asia Volume 45 Number 2, just released by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

If you are in Malaysia, get the book from Books Kinokuniya's store at Suria KLCC. Kino will also mail it to any location in Malaysia. Please click here for details.

Books Kinokuniya Singapore has stocked Pukul Habis (ISBN 9789811861499). Please visit its main store in Ngee Ann City or Bugis Junction, or check the Kinokuniya online store here.

For readers elsewhere, please check the Amazon sites that serve your location. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages.

Singapore: https://bit.ly/3XJzInH

Australia: https://amzn.to/3ViaX0i

United Kingdom: https://amzn.to/3EZ6clA Look Inside

USA: https://amzn.to/3Ui3Eo1 Look Inside. When ordering from Singapore, please click on the "Shipping to Singapore?" button. Ignore the "Temporarily out of stock" notice on the Amazon.com page.

Related posts:

Writing about Malay royalty in Pukul Habis. Click here

Special video on the 35th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers. Click here 

First book signing at Kino Singapore. Click here

Why Pukul Habis was not written from a Singaporean perspective. Click here

Pukul Habis: Author's Note. Click here

Pukul Habis: Full text of Prologue. Click here

Why does the English language novel, Pukul Habis, have a Malay title? Click here

National Day Parade (NDP) not always like clockwork

 

By now, many of you would have seen the glitch during the National Day Parade 2023 as Singapore President Halimah Yacob prepared to review the Guard-of-Honour. 

Here's my commentary on NDP (Straits Times 28 August 2008). Nothing to add and the sense that "No plan survives first contact" should be familiar to readers who finished the war story, Pukul Habis, and reflected on its deeper messages.

Indian PSLVC56 rocket launches yet another Singaporean radar satellite

The satellite imagery business must be doing quite well. A second Singaporean earth observation satellite, DS-SAR, went into orbit this morning aboard an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket, PSLV-C56.

Indian media reported that PSLV-C56 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, near Chennai, with six other satellites at 6:31 a.m local time this morning.

“PSLV-C56 carrying seven satellites including the primary satellite DS-SAR and six co-passengers has been successfully placed in the right orbit. This is a PSLV mission for New Space India Limited (NSIL) and I want to congratulate the customers sponsored by the Government of Singapore for having this mission onboard PSLV and their continued faith in our launch vehicle for deploying their spacecraft,” ISRO Chairman S. Somnath said after the successful launch of the mission.

DS-SAR joins another SAR bird, TeLEOS-2, which was launched in April also by an ISRO launch vehicle. Expect this constellation to grow in future.

Satellite imagery is featured in the book #pukulhabis, along with other reconnaissance means. The scenarios of counter satellite surveillance tactics practised by Malaysian forces in the fictional war story were inspired by real SATRAN counter surveillance TTP from Malaysia and other countries.

Pukul Habis: Available from Books Kinokuniya in Malaysia and Singapore, and also from Amazon.

Pukul Habis restocked at Books Kinokuniya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A Malaysian reader (or fan? 😄) sent me this image of Pukul Habis after he got it yesterday from Books Kinokuniya Malaysia's store at Suria KLCC.

Am delighted with the warm responses from readers in Malaysia and Singapore, despite the somewhat touchy subject of a fictional war involving Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (Malaysian Armed Forces) and the Singapore Armed Forces.

Am grateful to readers from Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, France, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America who got in touch to share their views on the story.

If you're in Malaysia, get the book from Kino's store at Suria KLCC. Kino will also mail it to any location in Malaysia. Please click here for details.

Books Kinokuniya Singapore has stocked Pukul Habis (ISBN 9789811861499). This book has been a Kino Singapore bestseller for many months since its launch, and has topped its weekly top 10 in fiction several times. Please visit its main store in Ngee Ann City or Bugis Junction, or check the Kinokuniya online store here.

For readers elsewhere, please check the Amazon sites that serve your location. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages.

Singapore: https://bit.ly/3XJzInH

Australia: https://amzn.to/3ViaX0i

United Kingdom: https://amzn.to/3EZ6clA Look Inside

USA: https://amzn.to/3Ui3Eo1 Look Inside. When ordering from Singapore, please click on the "Shipping to Singapore?" button. Ignore the "Temporarily out of stock" notice on the Amazon.com page.

Related posts:

Writing about Malay royalty in Pukul Habis. Click here

Special video on the 35th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers. Click here 

First book signing at Kino Singapore. Click here

Why Pukul Habis was not written from a Singaporean perspective. Click here

Pukul Habis: Author's Note. Click here

Pukul Habis: Full text of Prologue. Click here

Why does the English language novel, Pukul Habis, have a Malay title? Click here

ST Engineering: My biggest wish for ST Engineering is...

Some 24 years ago, an armoured vehicle designed and built in Singapore was the only Asian representative in a hard-fought United States Army evaluation for an air-transportable, well-protected yet lethal armoured fighting vehicle (AFV).

The US Army's requirements were tough to meet because excelling in one category (say air mobility) could come at the expense of another (e.g. heavy armour protection) or firepower (since turrets or weapon stations are heavy too, or take up space for troops).

The field of 36 contestants from 11 countries who entered the US Army's search for an Interim Armored Vehicle (IAV) in Nov/Dec 1999 shrank to four contenders a year later.

Among the four shortlisted platforms, Singapore's Bionix, designed and built by ST Engineering at Portsdown Road, was the only design that did not come from defence companies from America or Europe. It was a major achievement for ST Engineering, which spearheaded the bid.

I remember it well, because I covered the evaluation as a Business Times reporter. I spoke to ST Engg's management and engineers involved with the ICV project frequently and could sense their excitement and awareness that this was a major milestone in Singapore's AFV development. Analysts who covered the stock also recognised the significance of ST Engg making inroads in the American AFV market. If successful, it could enhance shareholder value immensely.

At the time, the South Koreans were nowhere in sight.

In November 2000, the US Army named its winner: the wheeled LAV III Stryker from General Motors-General Dynamics Land Systems. The Stryker traces its genesis to the Piranha from a small Swiss company, Mowag, whose designers dared to challenge the ascendancy of the then-powerful and influential US defence industry, which had amassed experience supplying AFVs to the US Army since WW2.

Those 20+ years since the ICV bidding have flown by in a blink of an eye. {I kept ST Engineering's Bionix press releases and ads, which you see here)

Today, we see South Korea's defence industry winning contracts in markets that Asian companies found tough penetrating. Poland has ordered tanks and self-propelled guns from South Korea. And just yesterday, South Korean conglomerate Hanwha, became the first Asian company to win an Australian Army contract for AFVs. Hanwha's Redback design beat Rheinmetall's Lynx from Germany for a massive contract worth billions of dollars. Also noteworthy: South Korea is co-developing a fighter plane with Indonesia. Korean warship designs have also earned international stature.

At its current tempo, South Korea's ambitious defence industry looks set to make its mark on the world's defence market. As more international orders are won, the South Koreans will gain critical mass that would in turn generate global awareness, respect and recognition that they are a new force to be reckoned with.

So, what happened to ST Engg's early and promising run in overseas markets like the US?

One would hope ST Engg never loses its innovative streak that saw it become a first Asian player in the US - way ahead of its Asian peers at the turn of the century. But that was 24 years ago. And the cut-throat environment of the defence industry isn't given to sentimentality or philosophical musings.

There are bright spots: 100 Bronco all-terrain tracked carriers served the British Army with distinction as "Warthogs" after these tracked vehicles were purchased to serve in Afghanistan under an urgent operational requirement. This contract is proof that platforms designed for the Singapore Armed Forces' specific operational requirements can be adapted for overseas customers who value properties like platform survivability, superior mobility and ease of maintenance plus low lifecycle costs.

The next quarter century will flash by quickly. To stay relevant to its shareholders and major client(s), ST Engg needs to power up, or risk being left to eat the dust of faster moving rivals who made the leap from unknowns to major players on the world's defence market.

I am confident ST Engg can do better. It has done much to enhance Singapore Army war machines - way more than what is reported from open literature. Land platforms like Bionix, Bronco, Terrex and Hunter have all been lauded at Singapore's annual Defence Technology Prize (our highest award for excellence in defence engineering). What it needs is to nail that big, elusive international win with one of its award-winning platforms. That's my biggest wish for the company. Go for it!

Note: The author does not own any ST Engg shares.

First Republic of Singapore Navy Type 218SG submarine arrives in Singapore waters aboard Rolldock Storm

More images of Rolldock Storm’s transit through the Singapore Strait this morning, carrying the Singapore navy’s Type 218SG Invincible-class submarine to home waters for the first time. The submarine, Impeccable, arrived here from Germany after slightly more than a month at sea. 

RSS Unity, a Littoral Mission Vessel, escorted the heavy-lift ship. Rolldock Storm’s previous cargo, the submarine, Impeccable, was not visible to onlookers. 

The Singapore Armed Forces appears to have implemented extensive protective security measures to screen the new submarine. Steel modules and containers were used to cover the hull and conning tower of the 70-metre long submarine.

Senang Diri believes these measures are unprecedented for a RSN submarine repatriation. They were not done some 20 years ago when the author wrote about the repatriation of the RSN’s last two Challenger-class boats.

In addition, the submarine transporter and her Singapore navy escort were noted to have deviated from the Eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait traffic separation scheme. This lane lies at the southern end of the strait. 

H/T Timothy Liu for braving the hot weather this morning while on coast watch. The results, as you can tell, are worth the effort. 

And here are images of Rolldock Storm in Kiel, Germany,  in May this year as the ship was prepared for her voyage to Singapore. 

Republic of Singapore Navy’s newest submarine arrives in Singapore

The Republic of Singapore Navy’s latest submarine, Impeccable, arrived in Singapore this morning (8 July 2023). 

The German-built Type 218SG submarine was transported to Singapore aboard a heavy-lift vessel, Rolldock Storm. 

Impeccable is the second of the RSN’s four Invincible-class submarines. Impeccable was launched on 13 December 2022 with Illustrious in Kiel, Germany, by Madam Ho Ching, wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. 

To prepare for her voyage to Singapore, Impeccable was shielded from view by an assortment of metal containers placed over Rolldock Storm’s cargo deck. These containers covered the submarine’s deck and blocked off most of her conning tower, which would otherwise have been visible above the transport vessel’s hull. 

This is a developing story. More updates to follow.