Interesting project started as a naval project and end as a
tri-service project.
What is the current status / news and any more details ?
" mine clearance personnel from the Air Force " , we have ?
Singapore in co-operation with SWEDEC
Publicerad: August 25, 2004 8:8
The Swedish and Singaporean naval forces have been co-operating for
more than ten years. Singapore is for example using mine clearance
vessels and submarines manufactured in Sweden. This co-operation
now seems to expand to include also EOD and mine clearance since
the Swedish IT-based mine clearance system, EOD IS, are in use at
the Singaporean Armed Forces.
After several months of preparation, a representative of the EOD IS
section at SWEDEC visited the Singaporean Naval Forces 194th Mine
Warfare Squadron. The intention of this visit was to present the
IT-based EOD and mine clearance system EOD IS as well as to train a
number of operators in order to have the system evaluated.
During the first days of the visit, the Commanding Officer of the
194th Mine Warfare Squadron, LtCol Philip Alvar, was focused on
exclusive use of the system for naval operation purpose within his
own squadron only. However, the Commanding Officer and his staff
soon realised that this system was too complex and important to be
used "only" by the naval forces. Consequently, representatives of
the naval diving forces, the engineers of the Army, the mine
clearance personnel from the Air Force as well as representatives
of the Singaporean Armed Forces Head Quarters command and control
mechanisms and many others were rapidly and resolutely
convened.
The Singaporean Armed Forces have now decided to evaluate EOD IS
for six months, and concurrently, together with SWEDEC, establish a
plan for possible implementation of the system in Singapore. As a
result of this work, Singapore could become the sixth nation to
implement EOD IS and also constitute a link to other Asian
countries.
At present the EOD IS User Group includes Sweden, Finland, Great
Britain, Germany and Denmark.