A. Minister for Defence Award (MDA)

The MDA is the pinnacle award presented to units or departments in the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for their outstanding achievements in the four areas of innovation, organisational excellence, resource optimisation and staff well-being. There are two tiers to the MDA – the Division/Command level, and Brigade/Formation/Group/Unit level.

This year, four units will be awarded the pinnacle MDA. The Combat Service Support Command (CSSCOM) of the Singapore Army has been awarded the MDA and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Command (UC) of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has been awarded the MDA (Combat Category), both at Division/Command level. The SAF Ammunition Command (SAFAC) and Guards Formation, both from the Singapore Army, have been awarded the MDA and the MDA (Combat Category) respectively, both at the Brigade/Formation/Group/Unit level. This is the second consecutive year that CSSCOM and SAFAC will be awarded the MDA.

(i) CSSCOM, Army – MDA Winner

Combat Service Support Command (CSSCOM) is an integrated Division Head Quarters responsible for (1) providing material supply chain, land platform maintenance and engineering, ammunition management, transport & freight services, and medical services for the Army and the SAF, (2) conducting leadership and vocational training for active servicemen and Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen), and (3) driving innovation, sustainability, contract management, and governance efforts for the Army. CSSCOM also supports national and international events such as the Shangri-La Dialogue, national crises (e.g. SARS) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions. Since 2020, CSSCOM has been supporting our nation's fight against COVID-19 through mask distribution, Home Vaccination Efforts and Swab Operations for the Public.

CSSCOM has built extensive partnerships with the public and commercial sectors to cross-share and experiment with ideas and develop new capabilities (e.g. industrial standards for additive manufacturing) to excel in its diverse lines of operations. CSSCOM continues to upskill over 2,000 of its regulars on digital concepts/tools to generate ideas for better service delivery. CSSCOM's sandboxes (e.g. Smart Camp), labs (e.g. 3D printing lab) and "green lanes" (e.g. simplified safety clearance process) also provide an environment conducive for quick experimentation of ground-up ideas with various Army Divisions/Formations. These efforts have led to innovations such as (a) Unmanned Attendance and Temperature Taking for large groups of up to 500 pax, and the (b) Freight Ops Monitoring dashboard that automates 24/7 tracking of SAF-related freights and provides real-time prompters on expected delays in freight forwarding or changes in routes. The dashboard has eliminated manual tracking and saves a thousand man-hours annually.

(ii) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Command, RSAF – MDA (Combat Category) Winner

UC's mission is to (1) deliver responsive, persistent and precise UAV capabilities to achieve the SAF's mission, (2) develop the SAF's UAV personnel, and (3) raise, train and sustain the RSAF's UAV forces.

To UC, innovation is never simply about finding the best, attention-grabbing, or revolutionary idea. The Command's core belief is that nurturing the spirit of innovation is critical, and that all ideas big and small deserve to be shared and supported. As such the Command has put in the time and effort to not just execute ideas, but more importantly, place emphasis on creating the space, environment and support for the people behind the ideas. With the "3E" framework of Enabling, Encouraging and Energising innovation and the rallying call of the doUC movement (dual meaning of "do you see?" and "do, UC"), the men and women of UC have embraced the innovative spirit, by taking ownership of their mission outcomes, and working hard to create positive changes for the present and the future.

UC personnel have built a ground-up culture of helping each other succeed, such as teaching each other coding skills or 3D printing techniques, so that various initiatives in data analytics, additive manufacturing or gamification can be realised. Work processes are also continuously improved by incorporating innovations in tools and technology. Together, UC generated and pursued 108 ideas in 2021, reflecting a booming community with one in four personnel spearheading an innovation idea to transform their work experience.

(iii) SAF Ammunition Command, Army – MDA Winner

SAFAC is responsible for (1) providing the SAF with safe and quality ammunition for operations and training through a responsive and integrated supply chain, (2) promoting and enhancing explosive and ordnance safety in the SAF by working with the Whole-of-Government (WoG) in forums such as the National Explosives Safety Conference and the SAF Explosives and Ordnance Safety Webinar, and (3) delivering operational solutions for the SAF through ammunition design and consultancy. SAFAC has partnered with the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) to set up the Munition Innovation and Technology Habitat, which aims to institutionalise more proactive ammunition innovations and design improvements with other defence partners. SAFAC is also responsible for National Day Parade (NDP)'s Fireworks Display.

SAFAC also leverages the AmmoZone Ecosystem^[1] to overcome operational challenges and resource constraints. Enabled by the ecosystem, SAFAC's five different thematic operational sandboxes have experimented with over 70 ideas, implementing 25 of the ideas in 2021. Some of the implemented ideas include (1) Ammunition Change-Out Initiative, where the shelf-life limiting/defective component is replaced instead of disposal of the whole ammunition, (2) Point of Sales at Ammo Retail Outlet, which enables the self-checkout of ammunition and eliminates the need for pre-packing of ammunition, and (3) Automated Finance Process enabled by Visual Basic for Applications and Robotic Process Automation (RPA). To promote learning and collaborations, SAFAC also established five Core Interest Groups in Video Editing, Rapid Prototyping, RPA, App Development and Data Analysis for all servicemen across all ranks, with more than 200 members joining in 2021 alone.

(iv) Guards Formation, Army – MDA (Combat Category) Winner

The Guards are an elite formation proficient in specialised warfighting capabilities and equipped with competencies to support the SAF's full spectrum of Operations. These range from conventional, heliborne and underslung operations, to HADR and joint operations. The Guards Formation also coordinated national and multinational operations such as WoG COVID-19 Operations, NDPs, Regional HADR Conferences, and multi-national military exercises.

Recognising innovation is an integral part of the Guards' DNA to achieve operational excellence. The formation has deliberate innovation vision, strategy and governance systems to harness and nurture ideas and subsequently realise them. Some innovations that enhance soldiers' performance, comfort, and safety include 3D-printed helmet mounts to alleviate discomfort when donning night vision devices and redesigning ballistic shields with hooks for better soldier-load distribution. The Guards Formation also extended its spirit of innovation in organising national events such as NDP in 2021 through extensive collaboration with national agencies such as SG Green Ambassadors, Nanyang Technological University and Public Utilities Board to co-create a green and sustainable event (e.g. sustainable NDP Packs). The Formation is also developing a data analytics solution which leverages Geo-Spatial technology to predict natural disasters thereby strengthening the SAF's coordination capabilities for regional HADR missions.

B. MINDEF Exemplary Innovator Award

Aligned with the Public Sector Transformation's Exemplary Innovator Award, the MINDEF Exemplary Innovator Award recognises exemplary individuals or teams that have injected innovation in their work, made a real difference to their stakeholders and advocated the spirit of innovation in their teams. This year, 13 outstanding individuals and teams will receive this award. Notable projects and individuals include:

(i) Operations Technology Centre, SAF Home Recovery Task Group

With the surge in COVID-19 cases back in 2021, the Home Recovery Programme (HRP) became the default model of care for Fully Vaccinated individuals. The operations technology centre (OTC) of the SAF Home Recovery Task Group (HRTG), which consists of partnerships between the Army, RSAF's SWiFT Team and DSTA, successfully applied technology solutions to scale up the HRP. The HRTG's OTC assessed the operational needs, sourced for and implemented digital solutions for a scalable patient management system. It allowed for the tracking and monitoring of up to 3,500 patients daily from detection to recovery, streamlining workflows and processes of the HRP.

(ii) NS Fitness Improvement Training by the Army

Launched in 2021, the SAF's 10-session NS Fitness Improvement Training (FIT) programme was designed to encourage Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) to incorporate fitness and regular exercise into their lifestyles . Co-designed with Health Promotion Board and SportSG, the NS FIT programme, offered at 38 community locations islandwide, offers NSmen greater convenience and flexibility to stay active and fulfil their annual fitness requirements.

(iii) Automated Logging of Wheel and Engine Order Log for Independence-class Littoral Mission Vessel by Maritime Security Task Force

The team from Maritime Security Task Force successfully trialled the use of a speech-to-text solution to automate the logging of Wheel and Engine Orders issued by the Officer-of-the-Watch. The trial addressed the vocabulary prediction of unique lingo used in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), overcame the interference from ambient noise via noise cancellation software during speech-to-text conversion, and eliminated the need for manual recording by a Navigation Systems Operator. If adopted, this proposed solution would allow for man-hour savings, real time recording of orders and reduction of human errors in transcribing of Wheel and Engine Orders for ships across the Singapore Navy.

(iv) 3WO Chan Wei Siong from Amour Training Institute

3WO Chan pioneered the use of long-lasting, weatherproof LED beacons, in lieu of cyalume sticks, to indicate weapon status during firing exercises. This helped to enhance safety for personnel during live firing. Apart from enhancing situational awareness on the ground, it is also a far more environmentally friendly and sustainable solution. He later transformed singular LED lights to a multi layered, tower-like LED light to provide various status of firing.

(v) ME5 Johin Tan from 815 Squadron, 5 Air Engineering & Logistics Group

Expert (ME) 5 Johin Tan is the Maintenance Innovation Technology Office Lead of 5 Air Engineering & Logistics Group (5 AELG) and the Innovation Officer of Tengah Air Base (TAB). An avid innovator, he spearheaded improvements to numerous operational systems, such as the F-16 fighter aircraft's Grounding System, to enhance 5 AELG's operational readiness. In addition, ME5 Tan was instrumental in guiding and coaching many teams to win awards such as the Team Excellence Awards, administered by the Singapore Productivity Association. His efforts cumulated in Tengah Air Base (TAB) winning the Most Innovative Air Base in Air Power Generation Command for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021. He also led the effort to construct INNO5PACE in TAB, a dedicated space for RSAF personnel to conduct experiments and lessons such as 3D printing techniques and software coding sessions.

C. MINDEF Dare to Do Award (MD2D)

Aligned with the Public Sector Transformation's Dare to Do Award, the MD2D recognises individuals or teams that (1) were able to identify new opportunities to do things better, (2) had the courage to attempt new ways of doing things even when there was no precedent, and (3) were able to take measured risks, and had the perseverance to try and try again, even when they faced difficulties. To encourage a culture of resilience in MINDEF/SAF, demonstration of successful outcomes is not a pre-requisite for nominations. This year, 11 outstanding individuals and teams will receive this award. Notable projects and individuals include:

(i) Multi-Sensorial Extended Reality for Crisis Management by SAF Medical Training Institute

SAF Medical Training Institute (SMTI) worked with NUS Connective Ubiquitous Technology for Embodiments Centre to develop the Crisis Management System, a multi-sensory Extended Reality (XR) simulation platform to educate medical trainees on triage procedure in a guided, virtual environment. The platform utilises XR technology with a physical mannequin equipped with smart sensors and haptic devices to recreate the tactile feel of a digital twin that trainees will see through VR goggles. Trainees will be immersed in a spatially-accurate, engaging and safe training environment, allowing them to build up familiarity and proficiency in triage procedure on top of cognitive learning. This is a first for medical training in the SAF as well as at the national level.

(ii) Spin Up Kit by Air Combat Command

Troubleshooting of defects in the F-15SG Skid Control system in the past required a team of nine engineers from the Air Combat Command (ACC) and several hours to determine and isolate the fault in the Skid Control system. The process was labour intensive as it required personnel to use a pneumatic drill gun to spin the wheel speed detector at high revolutions. The team sought to enhance the procedure by creating an automated and precise spinning motor, which automated the test and resulted in an 83% man-hour savings annually. The innovation also improved the precision of the fault rectification process. ACC also obtained approval from Boeing, the manufacturer of the F-15 aircraft, for this innovative solution.

(iii) ME2 Joyce Yip Yoke Keng from 817 Squadron, 7 Air Engineering & Logistics Group

To account for the SAR21 rifle ammunition blanks that were fired off from the NDP Guard of Honour Feu De Joie (or Fire of Joy), ME2 Joyce Yip brainstormed and designed a one-man operated automatic blanks counter box. The counter box uses a container, sensor and LED display to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the accounting process. When a blank is inserted into the container through the entry point, it will be detected by the sensor which will send a signal to the automatic counter to incrementally account for it on the LED display. Her Dare to Do effort greatly reduced the manpower required and time taken by up to 90%, compared with manual accounting of all the blanks.

D. MINDEF Savings and Value Enhancement Awards (SAVE)

The MINDEF SAVE Award is the highest accolade recognising the exemplary efforts of entities in achieving resource optimisation with realised cost-savings of at least $1M through the nominated projects. This year (FY21), 8 deserving units/initiatives received the SAVE award in recognition of their spirit of excellence and innovation to maximise efficiency and optimise resources. Notable projects include:

(i) Ammunition Component Change Out by Army and DSTA

The SAF stockpiles ammunition to meet both operational and training requirements. However, not all ammunition can be utilised through training before shelf-life expiry. Underutilised ammunition leads to high life-cycle cost from procurement and shipment, to disposal of expired articles. In addition, the stockpiling process creates a high carbon footprint through the production of new inventories of ammunition and disposal of expired items. Driven by a spirit of excellence, SAFAC, together with DSTA, embarked on an innovative redesign of ammunitions to facilitate the changing out of expiring components – replacing shelf-life limiting components and recycling suitable expired articles. This greatly extends the shelf-life of the ammunition and enhances safety during operations. This component change out innovation led to improved environmental sustainability – as procurement and disposal demands were reduced – and a one-time savings of S$15M.

(ii) Adapting the RSAF's 0.5" Ammunition for the RSN by DSTA, RSN and RSAF

Common ammunition is used by different weapon systems across the Services. To optimise resources and minimise wastage of serviceable ammunition that arose due to the discontinued use of a weapon system in the RSAF, DSTA worked closely with the RSN and RSAF to redeploy these serviceable ammunition for the Hitrole Remote Control Weapon system used by the RSN's Littoral Mission Vessels. The project achieved a one-time cost savings of $2.59M and optimised the usage of the SAF's existing resources.