S’pore navy frigate RSS Stalwart taking part in naval warfare training exercise off Hawaii coast

SINGAPORE – More than 25,000 military personnel drawn from the naval, land and air forces of 29 countries, including Singapore, are taking part in a 36-day naval warfare exercise off the coast of Hawaii.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) Formidable-class frigate RSS Stalwart is involved in “high-end naval warfare” training with other navies at the Exercise Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac), which will end on Aug 2, said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) in a statement on July 14.

During the exercise, the frigate successfully fired two live Aster surface-to-air missiles that took down two inbound missiles simulated using high-speed, sea-skimming aerial drones – a significant milestone in the RSN’s capabilities, said Mindef.

The ship’s commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Sam Tan, said the successful firing of the Aster missiles against two simultaneous inbound missiles showed the precision and effectiveness of the RSN’s anti-air warfare suite, and validated Singapore’s air defence capabilities.

Military Expert 2 (ME2) Vijayan Manimaran said coordinating the dual missile firings required precise timing and synchronisation, and tested the readiness of both the ship’s personnel and its combat systems.

The team had gone through numerous drills and simulations to perfect the procedures and their response times, added the weapon control system supervisor.

“This accomplishment is a testament to the hard work and competency of our team, our operational readiness, and marks a significant step forward in our maritime defence capabilities,” said ME2 Vijayan.

In the 2024 run of the biennial exercise, the RSS Stalwart is also leading a task unit consisting of three other ships from South Korea, Mexico and the United States. It will lead the unit as it takes part in practice runs such as manoeuvring drills and under way replenishment – the process of transferring fuel or supplies from one ship to another while on the move.

A team of 16 Singapore navy personnel deployed to shore command centres is also helping to plan and coordinate the execution of the exercise, said Mindef.

Marine systems cluster chief ME3 Rain Teo noted that the RSN’s deployment began more than a month ago, as the RSS Stalwart had to sail thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean to reach Hawaii.

Along the way, it participated in various multilateral exercises, she said. These included war games alongside naval vessels from Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands and the US.

While transiting between Guam and Hawaii, the ships conducted drills such as manoeuvring and communication exercises, gunnery firings, under way replenishments, anti-submarine warfare training, air medical evacuation and air defence simulations, said Mindef.

This is the ninth time since 2008 that the Singapore navy is taking part in Exercise Rimpac, which is the world’s largest international maritime exercise. Hosted by the US Navy, it aims to foster cooperation and readiness among participating nations.

About 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces and more than 150 aircraft are taking part in the exercise in 2024, which began on June 28.

The scale and scope of Rimpac provide Singapore with a unique opportunity to hone the navy’s multidimensional warfare capabilities, said the RSN fleet commander, Rear-Admiral Kwan Hon Chuong.