Fact Sheet: ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet (AARM)

Background

The 1st AARM was hosted by Malaysia in 1991 with six participating ASEAN countries (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand). In 2000, all 10 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) came together to participate in the AARM held in Thailand. In that same year, the 1st ASEAN Chiefs of Army Multilateral Meeting (ACAMM) was held. In 2011, the 1st ASEAN Army Sergeant Majors Annual Meeting (ASMAM) was conducted with Indonesia as the host. Since then, the annual ACAMM, ASMAM and AARM have been instrumental in promoting solidarity among the ASEAN armies.

The ASEAN countries take turns to host the AARM, ACAMM and ASMAM. Singapore first hosted the event in 1996, and again in 2002 and 2009. Singapore is hosting the 27th AARM, 18th ACAMM and 7th ASMAM this year.

The 27th AARM involves the participation of 550 participants from all 10 ASEAN countries.

27th AARM

Overview. The 27th AARM's motto "Comrades in AARM" emphasises and promotes solidarity among ASEAN armies, reflecting the aim of AARM. The competition will take place from 6 Nov to 22 Nov 2017. The AARM participants will compete in five disciplines - Carbine, Machine Gun, Pistol Ladies, Pistol Men and Rifle. Chief of Staff - General Staff, Brigadier-General Siew Kum Wong officiated at the AARM Opening Ceremony on 13 Nov 2017. The AARM Closing Ceremony, officiated by Chief of Army (COA) Major-General Melvyn Ong, will be held on 22 Nov 2017.

Competition Venues. The 27th AARM will be conducted in three main locations, namely Nee Soon 500m Range, SAFTI 300m Range and the Multi-Mission Range Complex (MMRC). The MMRC is being used for the first time as an indoor range for the AARM matches. It showcases the SAF's innovative use of an all-weather multi-storey indoor range that is equipped with advanced technology to facilitate training in different operational scenarios.

Competition Schedule.

Prizes Categories. Each discipline will consist of individual and team matches. Gold, Silver and Bronze will be awarded to the top three winners. The winning categories are (i) overall individual champion for each discipline (five disciplines in total); (ii) overall team champion for each discipline (five disciplines in total); and (iii) overall champion for 'falling plate' for each discipline (five disciplines in total).

Novelty Shoot. As a key highlight in both the AARM Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the traditional novelty shoot will be conducted. The participating countries' Deputy COAs and COAs will be participating in the novelty shoots during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies respectively. They will compete in two teams of five each in a Falling Plate Match using the pistol and carbine. The winning team will be determined by the most number of targets hit in the shortest time.

Games Village. The 27th AARM participants will be housed at the Games Village, located at the Infantry Training Institute (ITI) in Jurong Camp. The Games Village includes a dining hall, a medical centre, and recreational and sports facilities.

Other Information
AARM Logo

AARM Emblem
Every year, the host country of the AARM refreshes the design of the AARM emblem to reflect the uniqueness of the host country. There are two main elements that are always featured as part of the design - the flags of the ASEAN countries and the ASEAN logo.

Singapore National Symbol
The Red Lion Head symbolises courage, strength and excellence. The five partings of the mane represent democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.

National Flags
These are the national flags of the 10 participating ASEAN countries, with the host country's flag at the top of the emblem.

SAF Crest
The SAF Crest comprises the inscription, "Tentera Singapura" (Singapore Armed Forces) encircling the State Crest. This symbolises the protection and preservation of the values of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality represented by the State Crest.

ASEAN Logo
The ASEAN logo represents a stable, peaceful, united and dynamic ASEAN.

Laurel Leaves
The Laurel Leaves symbolise triumph. This year, there are 27 laurel leaves to symbolise the 27th edition of AARM.

Rifles
The Rifles represent the essence of AARM as a shooting meet to foster friendship among the ASEAN participants. This year's rifles are represented by the Singapore Assault Rifle (SAR) 21.

Motto
The Motto "Comrades in AARM", embedded at the base of the Bullseye, underscores aim of AARM - promoting solidarity among ASEAN armies.

The SAR 21
The SAR 21 is the SAF standard-issue assault rifle. It was jointly developed by the Singapore Army, the Defence Technology Group and the Chartered Industries of Singapore. The key features include an Integrated 1.5x Optical Scope and a Laser Aiming Device.

More Resources

ASEAN Armies in Singapore for the 27th ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet