A new centre to be ready by 2023 will allow national servicemen to shop at an e-mart, get their medical check-ups and complete their annual physical training test in one place.
The NS Hub, which has not yet been built, will be the size of about nine football fields and located near the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Bukit Gombak, along Upper Bukit Timah Road.
Announcing the move yesterday, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said: "(The) new NS Hub will bring together different services which are now scattered across Singapore."
"The NS Hub will be built as a smart complex using modern technology for a seamless, user-friendly experience," he added, saying that construction will begin this year. He was speaking during the debate on his ministry's budget.
The centre will co-locate various services national servicemen need, such as medical checks for pre-enlistees, which are currently done at the Central Manpower Base in Depot Road. Some also attend medical reviews at the Military Medicine Institute in Kent Ridge.
At the NS Hub, full-time national servicemen will be able to stock up on equipment such as combat boots at the e-mart, and operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) can take their annual physical fitness test there.
Technologies such as facial recognition, automation and analytics will also be used at the centre, which will be directly accessible from Cashew MRT station. It will have drop-off and pick-up areas, as well as parking on the premises.
Currently, the services for national servicemen are located at different places. For instance, an NSman might do his annual Individual Physical Proficiency Test at a Fitness Conditioning Centre, such as at Maju or Bedok camps. The four Fitness Conditioning Centres across the island will remain in operation when the NS Hub opens.
The Straits Times understands that plans for the current Central Manpower Base building, after operations move to the NS Hub, have not been decided yet.
