SINGAPORE : The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) saved a
whopping S$206.7 million last year due to innovations and work
improvement ideas.
A little device resulted in savings of over S$147,000 for
the SAF. And it came about from a mundane activity.
Military Expert (ME2) Ong Chin Lin started reading up on invisible
infrared signals after his father complained that the TV remote
control could be faulty.
He found that the infrared signals could be captured by a
photo-transistor.
He then developed a device that could check the infrared navigation
lights on the Chinook helicopters in the day. Previously, it could
only be done at night with the aid of night vision goggles.
Ong was one of the winners of the over 120 Mindef Pride awards,
given out for productivity and innovation.
Other innovations included a device which automatically inflates a
life jacket when it sinks below a certain depth.
Acting Prime Minister & Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said:
"For Mindef and the SAF, productivity is harder to measure, as our
output cannot be quantified in dollar terms.
"I don't think we want to be measuring the effectiveness of the SAF
- the productivity by the number of wars we fight. We can, however,
ensure there is continued innovation and productivity gains by
focusing on processes that will help us reduce the manpower and
dollar resources required for a given output."
The award winning innovations are on display at the Mindef Pride
Day Exhibition at the HDB Hub until Thursday.
- CNA/al
