We thank Mr Felix Wong for his letter, “What safeguards are in place for public parks near Nee Soon Range” (June 18).

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the National Parks Board (NParks) would like to assure the public that areas outside of the restricted areas around the Nee Soon 500m Range, such as public parks, designated recreational trails and park connectors, are safe for public use.

The Nee Soon 500m Range was designed and built in accordance to international range safety standards, and undergoes regular maintenance and recertification to ensure it remains safe for operations. Beyond the stop butt of the range, the restricted area provides a needed safety buffer catering to scenarios such as ammunition ricochet. This safety buffer was determined through trials and trajectory simulations matching the live-firing conducted at the range. The SAF imposes strict controls that ensure all live-firing activities conform to the stipulated guidelines for the range. Collectively, these measures ensure that areas beyond the restricted areas are safe for public use.

The SAF and NParks will continue to work closely to ensure safety measures are in place, including regularly reviewing the locations and conditions of warnings signs regarding restricted areas. All trails officially designated by NParks are located outside of restricted areas, and are safe for use. For the safety of members of the public and our soldiers, we urge the public to keep strictly to these designated trails, and stay out of restricted areas.