Singapore Combat Engineers
Combat Engineers is the military engineering formation of the Singapore Army, providing mobility by bridging gaps and clearing minefields to facilitate speedy advance of troops into enemy territory, and counter-mobility by constructing obstacles such as anti-tank ditches to impede the enemy's movement. Combat Engineers also construct trenches, drainage systems and other related infrastructure to enhance the survivability of troops during operations.
| Combat Engineers | |
|---|---|
Logo of the Combat Engineers Formation | |
| Active | 1967 – present |
| Country | Singapore |
| Branch | Singapore Army |
| Type | Military engineering |
| Role | Military engineering Explosive ordnance disposal CBRD defence |
| Size | 5 active battalions[citation needed] |
| Part of | Singapore Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Jurong Camp II Nee Soon Camp[1] Seletar Camp Sungei Gedong Camp |
| Motto(s) | "Advance and Overcome" |
| Colors | Dark Blue |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| Chief Engineer Officer | COL Terence Ho[2] |
History
The Combat Engineers formation was established in early 1967 as the Engineer Training Wing of SAFTI in Pasir Laba Camp. In July that year, two newly commissioned officers – Second Lieutenants Gurcharan Singh and Chng Teow Hua – were selected to attend the Engineer Officer Basic Course at Fort Belvoir in the United States. After they completed the course, they returned to Singapore, where they and the commanding officer, Major George Mitchell, conducted the first engineer commander's course for officer cadets in the Engineer Training Wing.[3][4][5]
The Engineer Training Wing moved to Pulau Blakang Mati (now Sentosa) in 1968 and was renamed School of Field Engineers. It eventually relocated to Nee Soon Camp. As the Combat Engineers formation grew, HQ Engineers was established in April 1970 to serve as a centralised command. It was renamed HQ Singapore Combat Engineers (HQ SCE) in 1973.[4]
Operations
The Singapore Combat Engineers have been involved in a number of missions and operations in both Singapore and overseas over the years. During the 1974 Laju ferry hijacking, 1975 Operation Thunderstorm and 1991 SQ 117 hijacking, they were activated to identify and defuse explosive devices.[4] They also assisted the Bangladeshi government in disposing an unexploded 500-pound aerial bomb found in an industrial park in 1978.[4]
Besides explosive ordnance disposal, the Singapore Combat Engineers have also provided support in disaster relief and humanitarian aid operations, such as during the 1986 Hotel New World collapse in Singapore, the 1991 United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami,[6][7][8] the humanitarian aid mission in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2013, the 2009 Sumatra earthquakes, and the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.[4]
Organisation
The Combat Engineers formation is composed of HQ Singapore Combat Engineers (HQ SCE), the Engineer Training Institute (ETI), five active battalions – the 30th, 35th, 36th, 38th and 39th Battalions, Singapore Combat Engineers – and an undisclosed number of reservist battalions.[citation needed]
There are five vocations in the Combat Engineers formation: Field Engineer, Bridging Engineer, Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Engineer, Armoured Engineer, and Chemical, Biological and Radiological Defence (CBRD) Engineer. Field Engineers provide mobility, counter-mobility and survivability support to the Singapore Army's divisions and brigades. Bridging Engineers provide bridging support to the main force. EOD Engineers identify and dispose explosive ordnance, and conduct security sweeps at important national events. Armoured Engineers operate their equipment to support Armour units in missions. CBRD Engineers respond to CBR hazards and provide CBR coverage at important national events.[4]
Equipment
| Vehicle / Equipment | Image | Type | Quantity | Origin | Notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelbarrow Mk8 + II | Bomb disposal robot | United Kingdom | [4] | |||
| HSTB 1 | Trackway bridge | Germany | [4] | |||
| Mobility 3rd Generation (M3G) | Amphibious bridging vehicle | Germany | [4] | |||
| Pionierpanzer AEV3 Kodiak | Armoured engineering vehicle | Germany Switzerland | Based on the Leopard 2A4 chassis | |||
| Panzerschnellbrücke Leguan | Armoured vehicle-launched bridge | 10[citation needed] | Germany | Based on the Leopard 2A4 chassis | [9] | |
| Bionix Counter-Mine Vehicle (Trailblazer) | Armoured engineering vehicle | Singapore | [4] | |||
| Bionix AVLB | Armoured vehicle-launched bridge | Singapore | ||||
| M60 AVLB | Armoured vehicle-launched bridge | 12[citation needed] | United States | Phased out | [9] | |
| FV180 Tractor | Armoured engineering vehicle | 36[citation needed] | United Kingdom | Phased out | [9] | |
| M728 | Armoured engineering vehicle | 8[citation needed] | United States | Phased out | [9] | |
| AMX-13SM1 AVLB | Armoured vehicle-launched bridge | France Singapore | Phased out |
See also
References
- ^ . MINDEF. 8 February 2007. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
- ^ "Army Organisation Structure". Ministry of Defence (Singapore). 6 July 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ Tham, Thrina (9 November 2020). "The Unsmiling Colonel". Pioneer. Ministry of Defence (Singapore).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Singapore Combat Engineers". Ministry of Defence (Singapore). 6 July 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ Ministry of Defence (Singapore), 1977 – Singapore Combat Engineers, History Snippets, Vol 8 Issue 1.
- ^ "Combat Engineers roll out heavy-duty vehicles at Meulaboh". cyberpioneer, MINDEF. 3 January 2005. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
- ^ "A day at the beach". cyberpioneer, MINDEF. 16 January 2005. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
- ^ Boey, David (7 January 2005). "S'pore combat engineers went in blind". The Straits Times.
- ^ a b c d "SIPRI arms transfer database". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2016.