PICTURES

Mindef saves $223m through innovative projects

(From right) ME4 Ng Wei Rong, 25, 1SG (NS) Seah Boon Ping, 34, and ME2 Seah Jun Yao, 28, with their modified Chinook Rotor Head Seal Pressure tester. -- ST PHOTO: YEO SAM JO
(From right) ME4 Ng Wei Rong, 25, 1SG (NS) Seah Boon Ping, 34, and ME2 Seah Jun Yao, 28, with their modified Chinook Rotor Head Seal Pressure tester. -- ST PHOTO: YEO SAM JO
(From right) ME4 Ng Wei Rong, 1SG (NS) Seah Boon Ping and ME2 Seah Jun Yao with their modified Chinook Rotor Head Seal Pressure tester. -- PHOTO: MINDEF
An inside look at the 6th Army Maintenance Base's Infra-Red Inspection Kit for Laser Aiming Devices. -- ST PHOTO: YEO SAM JO
ME5 Sima Rai, 37, Commanding Officer of the 6th Army Maintenance Base, demonstrates how the Infra-Red Inspection Kit for Laser Aiming Devices works. -- ST PHOTO: YEO SAM JO
ME5 Sima Rai, Commander of 6th Army Maintenance Base, with the Infra-Red Inspection Kit for Laser Aiming devices. -- PHOTO: MINDEF
Commander Force Readiness Squadron (FRS) ME6 Teh Chong Ann (left) and Chairman of the InnTeam of FRS, ME5 Eric Tan (right), with the Minister for Defence Award (MDA) and MDA (Innovation). -- PHOTO: MINDEF
Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen (centre) views one of the projects at the Pride Exhibition with Minister of State for Defence Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman. -- PHOTO: MINDEF
Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen gives his speech at Mindef Pride Day 2013 Award Presentation Ceremony. -- PHOTO: MINDEF
Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen (right) gives out the prestigious Minister for Defence Award to ME6 Teh Chong Ann, Commander of the Force Readiness Squadron. Dr Ng handed out 21 awards to individuals, groups, and units from the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) on Thursday morning at Safra Toa Payoh. Another 102 awards were given out by Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Ng Chee Meng before the ceremony. -- PHOTO: MINDEF

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen handed out 21 awards to individuals, groups, and units from the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) on Thursday morning at SAFRA Toa Payoh. Another 102 awards were given out by Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Ng Chee Meng before the ceremony.

The awardees were recognised for their innovative projects at the Mindef PRIDE (PRoductivity and Innovation in Daily Efforts) Day. Their innovations and work improvement ideas helped Mindef save a record total of $222.9 million in the last financial year, a 36 per cent increase from last year.

These innovations ranged from a new multi-point pressure tester for the Chinook to a new test kit that accurately detects whether the Infra Red Aiming Devices (IR LADs) on SAR-21 rifles are functioning.

At the ceremony, Dr Ng stressed the importance of staying innovative amidst land and manpower constraints: "As Singapore progressively develops and our organisations mature, the next phase of improvements must come more from innovation-led productivity."

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