The Singapore Navy's Next Wave

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Naval engineer ME3-1 Rajendran s/o Ramachandran won several academic awards last year after going back to school after 16 years to earn a Diploma in Marine Engineering as part of the Continuous Learning Academic Study Scheme.

Corporal First Class Nathaniel Loy on the lookout at the Bridge during RSS Tenacious's final sea sortie before it headed to GoA.

ME3 Ramesh giving a command from the Machinery Control Room. He was part of the pioneer crew of RSS Intrepid who were trained overseas. Today, he has returned to the ship as a Naval Engineer.

Acquiring advanced technology and cutting-edge hardware aside, grooming well-trained and committed personnel is the Navy's top priority as it progresses in its 3rd Generation transformation.

As the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) prepares itself for future challenges and capabilities, it has not forgotten its roots.
There is an old Chinese saying "前人种树，后人乘凉", which translates to "forefathers plant trees so their descendants can enjoy the shade". And following the good example of its forefathers, the RSN has not been content with resting in the shade, but is making sure that generations to come will continue to be protected from the sun.

As Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral (RADM) Ng Chee Peng said at the RSN Workplan Seminar on 25 Mar: "As we continue apace in the new work year, we must cast our minds forward and start seeding developments beyond the 3rd Generation RSN, towards RSN 2030."
Looking a decade-and-a-half into the future shows foresight, and indeed, with the ever-evolving threats to maritime security (MARSEC), machines and systems must be constantly renewed and people continuously trained. However, preparing for the new does not mean discarding the old; sitting under the trees of our forefathers that are still standing tall today, there is still much value in their knowledge. And this is the RSN's plan to move towards 2030: to take care of the planters, to nurture the trees, and to keep planting.

Care for the care-givers

A forest is nothing without the planters that care for it. Appreciating this, the RSN places much emphasis on developing its people. And with about 70 percent of all uniformed naval personnel moving over to the Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES) in 2010, the Navy has taken steps to strengthen the MDES identity and enhance the knowledge of its Military Experts (MEs).
RADM Ng emphasised that "in growing our capabilities, the RSN has, over the years, poured more and more of our limited resources into our 'fighting teeth'. Going forward, we must ensure that our organisational 'tail' in areas such as training, logistics and engineering, is able to keep up with our 'teeth' of operations and capability development".Hence, on top of establishing the Naval Military Expert Institute as the spiritual home of the MEs, the RSN is reviewing the curriculum across the ME rank continuum to ensure that their skills and knowledge remain relevant to the present and future needs of the Navy.

Enhancements include a tighter coupling of operations doctrines and training curriculum, the use of more advanced shore simulators, more industrial training opportunities, and a closer partnership with institutes of higher learning.For example, the RSN-IMarEST Streamlined Accreditation Programme was recently introduced, allowing RSN personnel, such as engineers, naval officers and divers, to obtain professional accreditation from the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST).
On the motivations behind offering this accreditation, ME7 Keith Lim, Head Operations Logistics Group, said, "We believe we can give them (the servicemen and women) a sense of security by having ourselves benchmarked against the industry. It provides assurance that what we do is both relevant and highly regarded, and that the organisation is willing to develop its people." ME7 Lim helped to spearhead the programme in 2010.

Applicants must meet certain criteria, such as having held particular appointments that demonstrate their competencies and experience, as well as submit a portfolio documenting their job exposure in the related fields, and sit for an interview.

For instance, ME5 Jackson Ng, who is in the process of obtaining his accreditation, has spent his 11 years in the Navy building up his experience in the area of engineering. To date, he has taken on roles such as Senior Combat Systems Engineer on board frigate RSS Formidable, as well as Senior Engineer in Sensors Systems Branch, Naval Logistics Department. Currently Commanding Officer, Sensor Systems School, he is in charge of the operations and technical training for three vocation specialisations - Navigation Systems, Communications Systems, and Electronic Warfare Systems.ME5 Ng described his experience: "In drafting my work portfolio, it reinforced my belief that my career with the Navy has provided me with ample opportunities and wide exposure to practise and hone my engineering knowledge, as well as develop my engineering management and leadership skills. "With such accreditation, our MEs will be even more well-regarded by the industry and foreign military professionals, thereby enhancing the branding of our people and our Navy."



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