SAF Honours Its Best Units

Commando fighters from the 1st Commando Battalion conducting urban operations training.

The Army's 1st Commando Battalion (1 Cdo Bn), the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)'s RSS Tenacious, and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s 143 Squadron (SQN) have clinched the Best Combat Unit, Best Fleet Unit and Best Fighter Squadron awards respectively in this year's Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Best Unit Competition. In total, 18 active units and 12 National Service (NS) units are recognised for being the best in their respective formations. President Halimah Yacob and Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen will present the awards to the winners at the SAF Day Parade on 1 July 2022 at the SAFTI Military Institute.

1 Cdo Bn achieved the Best Combat Unit in the SAF Best Unit Competition for the 19th consecutive year, and an unprecedented 36 wins since the introduction of the competition in 1969. Trained to operate deep within enemy territories, the SAF Commandos are renowned for their high proficiency in specialised operations such as airborne operations, reconnaissance, and raid missions. Commanding Officer (CO) of 1 Cdo Bn, Major (MAJ) Tan Rui Lin said, "I am honoured and proud that the unit continues to maintain its standard of excellence, and this has a special significance to all of us this year. The 1 Cdo Bn is celebrating its 50th anniversary since its founding, and this is a testament of how we are able to uphold the traditions that have served us well. We have evolved and adapted to the more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, but what is common through generations of Commandos is the mental fortitude and sharpness of thought, directed by the understanding and belief in our purpose in defending the nation."

The Best Fleet Unit award is won by the RSN's Formidable-class frigate RSS Tenacious for the second time, the first was in 2015. RSS Tenacious demonstrated excellent warfare competencies and professionalism in numerous bilateral and multilateral exercises such as Exercise Eagle Indopura, Exercise Milan, Exercise Pacific Griffin, and the Singapore-India-Thailand Maritime Exercise (SITMEX). The Commanding Officer of RSS Tenacious, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Tung Wanling attributed the achievement to her crew's dedication and perseverance. She said, "It was a demanding yet fulfilling year for us. When many around us needed to hunker down amidst waves of COVID-19 variants, we remained steadfast in flying the nation's flag high across oceans. In these long deployments, we continued to cement partnerships and maintained our sharp edge. This win speaks volumes of the crew's tenacity, readiness and commitment to excellence. I am immensely proud of each and every individual aboard, and thankful for the personal sacrifices they had made with their families in defence of our nation."

The RSAF's 143 Squadron has won the Best Fighter Squadron for the third consecutive year since 2020. It is the Squadron's sixth win in total, and their fourth while operating the F-16 multi-role fighter aircraft. The 143 Squadron conducts a wide spectrum of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, and maintains a high state of operational readiness and standards to support Singapore's round-the-clock air defence operations. Beyond the daily training and operational duties, 143 Squadron also participates in various local and overseas exercises to sharpen its combat edge, strengthen integrated operations across the SAF and hone each personnel's professional competencies. These include Exercise Bersama Gold, Exercise Bersama Shield, Exercise Cope Tiger, Exercise Elang Indopura and Exercise Pacific Griffin. The Squadron's participation in the Singapore Airshow 2022 was also testament to the precise flying and airmanship of the Squadron, and their engagement efforts allowed the public to better understand the RSAF's operations. Commanding Officer of 143 Squadron MAJ Joel Ng said, "This third consecutive win of the Best Fighter Squadron award is testament to the high performance culture and resilient mentality that has taken root in the Squadron and our RSAF airmen and women. Apart from the dedication and commitment from each individual, our success will not be possible without the teamwork and strong integration with our Air Force Engineers from 5 Air Engineering and Logistics Group. This award serves to inspire the top guns in our Squadron to train harder, raise our standards higher, and continually strive for excellence as one RSAF tribe. We also recognise and appreciate the support from our families that has allowed our people to focus on safeguarding Singapore's skies."

The annual SAF Best Unit and Best NS Unit Competitions were introduced in 1969 and 1993 respectively to recognise units which have excelled in the areas of combat readiness, operational proficiency and administrative excellence. The units are assessed based on a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation process over the past year. The competitions also serve to enhance mission excellence, professionalism and camaraderie among servicemen in the SAF units.

Crew of the Republic of Singapore Navy's Formidable-class Frigate RSS Tenacious in the ship's Combat Information Centre.

Servicemen from the Republic of Singapore Air Force's 143 Squadron, which operates the F-16C/D multi-role fighter aircraft.

More Resources

Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2022