SMX-26 submarine concept

Navy Open House 2013 - Key things to note

Some key essentials if you are attending the Navy Open House this weekend

1. 18-19 May 2013 (Saturday & Sunday), 9am - 7pm
2. Entry is by shuttle bus only
3. Free shuttle services between Singapore EXPO Hall 3 & Changi Naval Base (CNB) 
4. 1st bus - 8am (18 May)
5. 1st bus - 8.30am (19 May)
6. be mentally prepared for long queues and jams on the way to CNB
7. Dynamic Display showtimes
1. 18 May (Sat) - 9.30am and 2.30pm
2. 19 May (Sun) - 10.30am and 2.30pm
8. Sea cruise (by balloting)
1. both days - 11.30am, 1pm, 3.30pm and 5pm

Suitable attire (text from Navy Open House website)

Ladies, strong winds and metallic edges will be your adversaries at the Naval Base. As such, we do not recommend skirts, dresses, heels, sandals and slippers. We suggest wearing sturdy shoes, shorts, trousers or jeans – for our gentlemen too.

What to bring

1. water
2. sun-block; cap/hat

Link to photos taken during preview of Navy Open House

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.461936633890232.1073741832.100002216990104&type=1&l=f98dcedd76

Akan Datang - Navy Open House 2013

Putting up photos first
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.461936633890232.1073741832.100002216990104&type=1&l=f98dcedd76

Will follow up with photo captions & report, including my observations.

p.s. details on the Navy Open House below.
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/navyopenhouse/

Feedback on National Service

Talking NS without fear or favour | Breakfast Network | An Eye on the News Singapore
Quite a few valid points in this article. Hope to find time to pen down my thoughts and send to the Committee to Strengthen National Service.

New fitness test for Canadian Armed Forces

New fitness test for all 3 branches (Air Force, Army, Navy) of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Test Component	Description	Standard
Sandbag Lift	30 consecutive lifts of a 20 kg sandbag to a height above 91.5 cm, alternating between left and right sandbags separated by 1.25 m.	3 minutes 30 seconds​
​Intermittent Loaded Shuttles	​Using the 20 m lines, complete ten shuttles (1 shuttle = 20 m there, 20 m back), alternating between a loaded shuttle with a 20 kg sandbag and an unloaded shuttle, for a total of 400 m.​	5 minutes 21 seconds​
20 metre Rushes​	​Starting from prone, complete two shuttle sprints (1 shuttle = 20 m there, 20 m back) dropping to a prone position every 10m, for a total of 80 m.​	​51 seconds​
Sandbag Drag​	Carry one 20 kg sandbag and pull four on the floor over 20 m without stopping.​	Completed without stopping​

General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, seemed to deliberately do the test slower than Peter MacKay, the Defence Minister.

But anyway, it seems like a useful combat-oriented fitness test, unlike our IPPT, which is modified from the NAPFA test that we first did in school.

How much is enough?

I've always wondered; how do we have a meaningful debate on how much to spend on defence?

For example, if I were to say, can we stop buying additional F-15SGs, some would naturally say something like "You can't put a price tag on peace".

But we all know that this is not sustainable in the long run.

We have to be able to say, based on our projections, X amount of weaponry will be more than sufficient.

It doesn't help that much of what we need to know, to decide on that X amount, is off-limits due to Operations Security (OPSEC).

Lessons learned with the Singapore Army

h/t to Grunt; first alerted to this at the link below.
http://militarynuts.com/index.php?showtopic=3683

DOD to allow women to serve in direct combat roles

The DEW Line

Great news from the US regarding gender equality. While women have recently been involved at the front-line, it was always done with a subtle side-stepping of rules.

This has finally been resolved, with the Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, and the Joint Chiefs chairman, Martin Dempsey, signing a memo that officially ends the direct ground combat exclusion rule for females.

Link to the actual memo below.
http://www.defense.gov/news/WISRJointMemo.pdf

Bomb Hunters: Afghanistan

A National Geographic documentary on the work of the 23rd Engineer Company. Hurt Locker has nothing on this.

http://pollystreaming.com/National-Geographic-Bomb-Hunters-Afghanistan_v8729

Postscript [3rd Jan 2013]
Looks like the 23rd Engineer Company is quite popular. Another documentary, this time by Discovery Channel.
Heroes of Hell's Highway

Afghanistan: An Army Prepares

An informative video showing the training of new Afghan troops. Past users of the M16 will immediately recognise why the rifle is causing problems for the Afghans.

1. faulty magazines, especially at the magazine feed lip area
2. dirty rifles, specifically carbon built-up after usage of blank rounds