RSS Endurance Makes Port Calls during Deployment

Commanding Officer of RSS Endurance, Lieutenant Colonel Jason Yee (right) welcoming personnel from the Myanmar Navy onboard the ship.

The Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) Endurance-class Landing Ship Tank (LST), RSS Endurance, is presently on Midshipman Sea Training Deployment (MSTD) from 26 February to 8 April 2013. As part of the 42-day deployment, RSS Endurance made a port call at Yangon, Myanmar from 4 to 8 March 2013 and will be making port calls at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 15 to 19 March 2013 and Shanghai, China from 27 March to 1 April 2013.

During the port call at Yangon, Commander of Naval Training Command, Colonel Gerald Heng, hosted a reception for the Myanmar Navy onboard RSS Endurance. This is the RSN’s first port call in Yangon since 2003. Following the port call at Yangon, RSS Endurance will make a port call at Ho Chi Minh City where there will be a ship visit hosted for the personnel from the Vietnam People's Navy and Vietnamese officials. Both navies will also conduct a passage exercise comprising communication drills. At the final port call at Shanghai, the ship will be hosting an open house onboard the LST for local residents and Singaporeans staying in Shanghai. The ship will also be hosting a reception for personnel from the People’s Liberation Army (Navy) East Sea Fleet onboard RSS Endurance. In addition, both navies will also conduct a passage exercise comprising communication drills.

During the MSTD, the midshipmen, RSN’s officer cadets, undergo training modules in watch-keeping, gunnery, seamanship, communications, medical, engineering as well as leadership activities to sharpen their competency and leadership skills. The port calls, conducted as part of the MSTD training, allow the midshipmen to interact with personnel of other navies and aid in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the RSN and its foreign counterparts.