National service (NS) was introduced in post-independence Singapore when the National Service (Amendment) Act came into effect on 17 March 1967. Then Defence Minister Goh Keng Swee justified the government’s decision to introduce compulsory conscription of male ...
Launched in 1984, the Total Defence concept involves the participation of every Singaporean in the collective effort of building a strong, secure and cohesive nation that is ready to deal with any crisis. It is a concept that takes into account the small size of ...
The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) are a series of ongoing defence agreements between Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. First signed in 1971, the underlying rationale for the arrangements was that the defence of Singapore ...
From 1879 to 1901, Fort Tanjong Katong stood on the eastern side of Singapore, adjacent to Katong Beach on what is now Meyer Road and Fort Road. It lent its name to Fort Road, which led to the base of the fort. Built by the British colonial government, Fort Tanjong ...
Singapore’s first firefighters formed a brigade in 1869, which was officially recognised as the Singapore Fire Brigade in 1888. The current firefighting force is known as the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is a uniformed organisation that provides emergency services to the nation both during peacetime and under crisis. It serves not only as a fire-fighting authority, but also provides first-aid and rescue services, and acts ...
The Volunteer Special Constabulary (VSC) was formed in October 1946 to complement the Singapore Police Force. The VSC officers have the same powers and duties as regular police officers in various land divisions or specialised units such as Airport Police, Police ...
Sepoys were Indian soldiers employed within European military garrisons to provide the much-needed manpower for the defence of European colonies in Asia. The term "sepoy" is derived from the Persian word sipahi, which had been translated into the Urdu and Hindi ...
The Malay Regiment was an all-Malay military force formed at Port Dickson, Malaya, on 1 March 1933 under the command of British officers. Also known as Askar Melayu in Malay, the regiment is best remembered for its soldiers’ display of bravery and loyalty in the ...
Gurkhas have their roots in Nepal. Reputed for their fearless military prowess and loyalty, the Gurkhas in Southeast Asia were initially brought to Singapore as special soldiers on the payroll of the British Army. Today, the Gurkha Contingent is a unit in the Singapore ...
Built in the late 1930s, the Johore Battery was the main artillery battery of the British coastal artillery defence network on the northeastern coast of Singapore. It was located on Cosford Road in Changi, off Upper Changi Road North.
Completed in April 1941, the HMS Prince of Wales was sunk off the coast of Kuantan, Malaya, on 10 December 1941 by the Japanese. The ship was also nicknamed “HMS Unsinkable” because she was dressed with the most advanced protective armour of the time. The Prince ...
The HMS Repulse was a battle cruiser built in 1916 and rehauled between 1936 and 1939. It was sunk off the coast of Kuantan, Malaya, on 10 December 1941 soon after arriving in Singapore as part of the British Eastern Fleet with the HMS Prince of Wales as the flagship. ...
The Singapore Armed Forces’ tank landing ships, or landing ships, tank (LSTs) in military nomenclature, are often described as the workhorses of the army. This is because they are transport ships capable of carrying tanks, helicopters as well as troops and their ...
The Bionix infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is an armoured troop carrier of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Developed locally, it entered operational service in the SAF in 1999. Its two main purposes are the ferrying of troops to key battlefield positions, and ...