The salvo from the frigate RSS Steadfast on July 14 was part of a naval exercise involving 10 nations - one of the largest in the world.

It marked Singapore's maiden entry into Exercise RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific), and brought together ships, submarines, planes and about 20,000 personnel from countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and South Korea.

The exercise, which started on June 27, demonstrated that the 114m-long frigate was able to hold its own during long, complex operations at sea.

The 22 days spent in a deployment without touching dock is a first for any Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) ship.

The RSS Steadfast is one of four cutting-edge stealth frigates that have entered service.

Two more are expected to come onstream next year.

They play a key role in the new-generation Singapore Armed Forces, with their superior combat systems and stealth capabilities, and their ability to stay offshore for several weeks at a time.

They can torpedo submarines, fire Harpoon missiles at ships 100km away and hit planes 30km away using Aster surface-to-air missiles.

The Aster was successfully test-fired in France in April.

The commanding officer of the RSS Steadfast, Lieutenant-Colonel Seah Poh Yeen, described Exercise RIMPAC as a 'true test' of the ability of the ship and crew to work under 'demanding operational conditions over a prolonged period'.

The Navy's counterparts had some words of praise as well.

Commodore Nigel Green, a Canadian, and the sea combat commander of the exercise, said: 'RSS Steadfast has shown herself to be a ship which very ably inspires pride at home and admiration abroad.'

The exercise ends this Thursday.

joolin@sph.com.sg