A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which that officer exercises command.
86-415: Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies . In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral . Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral . It is usually equivalent to the rank of major general in armies. In the U.S. Navy and some other navies, there are two rear admiral ranks . The term originated in
172-434: A "flag officer" and an "officer of flag rank". Formerly, all officers promoted to flag rank were considered to be "flag officers". The term is still widely used to refer to any officer of flag rank. Present usage is that rear admirals and above are officers of flag rank, but only those officers who are authorised to fly a flag are formally called "flag officers" and have different flags for different ranks of admiral . Of
258-464: A fifth, previously undisclosed, submarine. Contract for the procurement for six multi-role combat vessels (MRCV) was signed between ST Engineering Marine Ltd and SAAB on 28 March 2023 while procurements plans for the drone-laden Joint Multi-Mission Ships (JMSS) are ongoing. The MRCVs will act as a 'mothership' for unmanned assets and host mine-countermeasure Venus-16 USVs, while the JMSS will increase
344-512: A map laying claim to Pedra Branca , an offshore island controlled by Singapore. The resultant Pedra Branca dispute lasted 29 years until 2008 when the island was awarded to Singapore by the International Court of Justice , during which the Navy was heavily involved in patrols and maintained an active presence in the waters surrounding the island. In January 2003, RSS Courageous collided with
430-604: A matter of law, Title 10 of the United States Code makes a distinction between general officers and flag officers (general officer for the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force; flag officer for the Navy and Coast Guard). Non-naval officers usually fly their flags from their headquarters, vessels, or vehicles, typically only for the most senior officer present. In the United States all flag and general officers must be nominated by
516-642: A merchant vessel within the vicinity of Pedra Branca during a patrol, resulting in four casualties and the first ship to be stricken as a total loss. As a result of the accident, additional safety measures were implemented and the training program enhanced, including the requirement for all officers to better understand the manoeuvring characteristics of their ship and take a COLREGs test every six months. The RSN had also participated in operations other than war within Southeast Asia and abroad. The Navy deployed its Bedok -class mine-countermeasure vessels to search
602-745: A navigational reference point in ancient times. While submarine training was initially conducted in Sweden by the Royal Swedish Navy , training for submariners are now conducted locally in Singapore. Submariners are trained at the Submarine Training Centre (STC) also known as RSS Challenger , named after the first submarine acquired by the RSN. It is located in Changi Naval Base and is designed to be
688-402: A qualitative superiority over any adversary through the implementation of new technologies, fostering of alliances with extra-regional navies, and increased reliance on automation and unmanned assets. This has made the RSN one of the most sophisticated and well trained navies in the region. In addition, bilateral exercises with foreign navies are also held regularly. All commissioned ships of
774-592: A security vacuum, though a smaller British presence eventually remained under the Five Power Defence Arrangements . Growing constraints and strategic need for a base located nearer to the strait was solved by the opening of Brani Naval Base in December 1974. The foresight was validated a few weeks later when terrorists from the Japanese Red Army attacked an oil complex on Pulau Bukom and hijacked
860-475: A state-of-the-art facility featuring submarine simulators in order to enhance the realism and effectiveness of submarine training. Training in the simulators can be up to several days in order to simulate actual deployments when the submariners are training in the STC. Prospective submariners are put through a nine-month-long course which consists of a series of tough tests in order to ensure that every qualified submariner
946-620: A training platform for RSN's midshipmen. RSS Endurance became the first RSN ship to circumnavigate the globe when it participated in the 2000 International Naval Review in New York City. The ships are also actively involved in humanitarian and disaster relief operations, notably in East Timor, the Persian Gulf, the tsunami -hit Indonesian province of Aceh and most recently, disappearance of Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 . The four ships form
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#17328559892841032-613: A virtual procedural trainer that replicates the submarine with all its more than 12 million parts, that offers both physical and tactile training opportunities for the crew members while ashore. Enlistees to the Naval Diving Unit are selected based on their eyesight and medical fitness and trained at Frogman School located within Sembawang Camp. Trainees are required to pass a vocational assessment prior to beginning nine weeks of basic military training. Those who qualify then undergo
1118-462: Is a junior officer , called a flag lieutenant or flag adjutant , attached as a personal adjutant or aide-de-camp . In the Canadian Armed Forces , a flag officer ( French : officier général , "general officer") is an admiral , vice admiral , rear admiral , or commodore , the naval equivalent of a general officer of the army or air force. It is a somewhat counterintuitive usage of
1204-440: Is a SAF-level standing task force formed after the restructuring of Coastal Command. Its role is to ensure Singapore's maritime security and act as a co-ordinating agency for all national maritime agencies to allow for the seamless execution of maritime security operations. The Naval Diving Unit is charged with "explosive ordnance disposal, underwater mine demolition and commando-type missions". Its personnel are considered among
1290-551: Is able to meet operational requirements at sea. The simulators housed in the facility are known as the Submarine Steering and Diving Trainer (SSDT) and Submarine Combat Tactical Trainer (SCTT). The two simulators allow the flotilla to conduct training that closely simulates at-sea conditions without the logistical costs involved in deploying submarines out at sea. The SSDT is designed based on the Archer-class submarine and trains
1376-674: Is also known to have sent prospective submarine Commanding Officers for the Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Command Course as well as the German Navy Submarine Commanding Officer Course. A training suite for crew members of the new Invincible class submarines is now being developed, which is planned to operationalise by 2024. Like the previous simulators before it, it will consist of the combat trainer as well as diving and steering trainer among others. It will additionally feature
1462-551: Is applied to brigadiers , major generals , lieutenant generals and generals in the Army ; commodores , rear admirals , vice admirals and admirals in the Navy ; and air commodores , air vice marshals , air marshals and air chief marshals in the Air Force . Each of these flag officers are designated with a specific flag. India's honorary ranks ( five star ranks ) are field marshal in
1548-494: Is denoted by a wide strip of gold braid on the cuff of the service dress tunic, one to four gold maple leaves over a crossed sword and baton, all beneath a royal crown, on epaulettes and shoulder boards ; and two rows of gold oak leaves on the peak of the service cap. Since the unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, a flag officer's dress tunic had a single broad stripe on the sleeve and epaulettes. In May 2010
1634-651: Is in your hands. A new naval ensign was hoisted at the Telok Ayer Basin for the first time on 5 May 1967 and is marked as the day of the Navy's official establishment. In September, the service was renamed the People's Defence Force – Sea and placed under the Sea Defence Command, with the command being thereafter renamed the Maritime Command in December. The name changes reflected the internal restructuring within
1720-678: Is part of the SAF Advanced School (SAS). The courses offered are Naval Advanced Officer Course (NAOC), Mine Hunting Officer Course (MHOC), Naval Warfare Officer Course (NWOC) and Command Preparatory Programme (CPP). Enlisted specialists and regular military experts (ratings) are instructed in their specialised domains at the Naval Military Experts Institute, under the Maritime Training and Doctrine Command (MTDC), based at Changi Naval Base . This training consists of all
1806-532: Is still in use today, explicitly defined as an officer of the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard serving in or having the grade of admiral, vice admiral, rear admiral, or rear admiral (lower half), equivalent to general officers of an army. In the United States Army , Air Force , and Marine Corps , the term "flag officer" generally is applied to all general officers authorized to fly their own command flags —i.e., brigadier general , or pay grade O-7, and above. As
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#17328559892841892-661: Is the Crown of St. Edward above a crossed sword and baton, above two silver stars, above the word "Australia". Like the Royal Navy version, the sword is a traditional naval cutlass . The stars have eight points, unlike the four pointed Order of the Bath stars used by the army (which are often referred to as "pips"). Prior to 1995, the RAN shoulder board was identical to the Royal Navy shoulder board. The Royal Navy shoulder board changed again in 2001 and
1978-463: Is the Navy rank equivalent to major-general of the Army and Air Force . A rear-admiral is a flag officer , the naval equivalent of a general officer . A rear-admiral is senior to a commodore and brigadier-general , and junior to a vice-admiral and lieutenant-general . The rank insignia for a rear-admiral is two silver maple leaves beneath a silver crossed sword and baton, all surmounted by St Edward's Crown , worn on gold shoulder boards on
2064-524: The Fearless class . In January 2013, the Ministry of Defence awarded ST Engineering a contract to build and design eight vessels. A subsidiary of the company, ST Marine was charged with building the ships at Benoi Yard and integrating the combat systems supplied by the group's electronics arm, ST Electronics. The class was designed with the "lean manning" concept to facilitate a smaller crew complement to reflect
2150-560: The Västergötland class . In November 2005, an agreement was signed with Kockums for the same tropicalisation modifications for two submarines. Amidst the refitting process, an air independent propulsion system was installed, which necessitated the cutting apart of the submarine's hull to fit new components. RSS Archer was relaunched on 16 June 2009 and recommissioned on 2 December 2011, with her sister boat RSS Swordsman being commissioned on 30 April 2013. The AIP modification enables
2236-596: The Indonesian Navy . On 9 August 1965, Singapore seceded from Malaysia to form an independent republic inside the Commonwealth. The SVF became the de facto naval force of the new state, though it remained under the command of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Three ships remained in Singapore after separation: KD Singapura , a captured Japanese minelayer; KD Bedok , a patrol boat from Malaysia; and KD Panglima ,
2322-553: The Laju ferry . Four vessels, RSS Sea Hawk , RSS Independence , RSS Sovereignty and RSS Daring together with the Marine Police, were able to surround the fleeing ferry and prevent it from escaping. Colonel James Aeria would be the final commander of the Maritime Command. On 1 April 1975, the Maritime Command was renamed the Republic of Singapore Navy as part of the reorganisation of
2408-665: The Malaysia Coast Guard and government ships to enforce their claims, the RSN's littoral mission vessels were stationed on location 24/7 with the Police Coast Guard . Both side eventually suspended the overlapping port limits and withdrew from the area following successful negotiations. The Navy underwent a comprehensive restructuring in June 2020 which dissolved all the existing squadrons, reorganising each class of ship into its separate flotilla. The Maritime Security Task Force
2494-599: The Musi River for SilkAir Flight 185 ; served as part of the Australian-led International Force East Timor to address the humanitarian and security crisis in the aftermath of the territory's referendum for independence in 1999; deployed three ships to provide humanitarian assistance and emergency aid to the Indonesian town of Meulaboh in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake ; and
2580-498: The President and confirmed by the Senate . Each subsequent promotion requires renomination and re-approval. For the Navy, each flag officer assignment is usually limited to a maximum of two years, followed by either reassignment, reassignment and promotion, or retirement . Republic of Singapore Navy The Republic of Singapore Navy ( RSN ) is the maritime service branch of
2666-704: The Protector unmanned surface vehicles . They were deployed together with the Endurance -class landing ships tank to the North Persian Gulf for peacekeeping operations in 2005, where they performed surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as force protection duties for more than eight hours at a go. Unmanned assets and the mine countermeasures ships form the Sixth Flotilla of the RSN. The Archer -class submarines were also former Swedish Navy combatants and known as
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2752-586: The Royal Malayan Navy in 1952 in recognition of its services in action during the Malayan Emergency . The third and final Panglima was launched in January 1956 to replace the second vessel. Being more technologically advanced than her predecessors, she became an indispensable part of the local fleet. On 16 September 1963, Singapore was admitted as a state of Malaysia under the terms of confederation and
2838-586: The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for defending the country against any seaborne threats and as a guarantor of its sea lines of communications . The RSN traces its origins to the Royal Navy when Singapore was still a crown colony of the British Empire . The service was formally established in 1967, two years after its independence from Malaysia in 1965, and had undergone a substantial modernisation ever since – which has led them into becoming
2924-601: The Singapore Armed Forces and the growing realisation that maritime security was a crucial element to national security. Headquarters was shifted ashore to Pulau Belakang Mati in 1968. In order to develop local expertise in seamanship and naval engineering , 160 naval recruits underwent training by Royal New Zealand Navy instructors in 1969. At the same time, aspiring officers were sent overseas to learn from established navies in Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand. The Maritime Command launched an expansion program with
3010-605: The 1930s with only two patrol craft. The Straits Settlements Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (SSRNVR) was established on 27 April 1934, and in 1941 became the Singaporean division of the Malayan Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (MRNVR) during World War II . The service received several 75' motor launches built locally by John I. Thornycroft & Company Shipyard in Tanjong Rhu: HMS Pahlawan and
3096-463: The 39 officers of flag rank in the Royal Navy in 2006, very few were "flag officers" with entitlement to fly a flag. For example, a Commander-in-Chief Fleet flies an admiral's flag whether ashore or afloat and is a "flag officer". The chief of staff (support), a rear admiral, is not entitled to fly a flag and is an "officer of flag rank" rather than a "flag officer". List of fleets and major commands of
3182-588: The Army, Marshal of the Indian Air Force in the Air Force and admiral of the fleet in the Navy. A similar equivalence is applied to senior police officers of rank Deputy Inspector General (DIG) , Inspector General (IG) , Additional Director General (ADG) and Director General (DG) . In the United Kingdom, the term is only used for the Royal Navy , with there being a more specific distinction being between
3268-693: The Australian and UK shoulder boards are now identical except for the word "Australia". Rear Admiral Robyn Walker AM , RAN became the first female admiral in the Royal Australian Navy when she was appointed Surgeon-General of the Australian Defence Force on 16 December 2011. In the Royal Canadian Navy , the rank of rear-admiral (RAdm) ( contre-amiral or CAm in French )
3354-543: The Coastal Command (COSCOM) in 1988 and the Fleet in 1989, formalising the responsibilities of each class of ship. Between 1990 and 2001, the resurgent navy acquired six Victory -class missile corvettes, twelve Fearless -class patrol vessels, four Endurance -class landing ship tanks and also commissioned four secondhand Challenger -class submarines from Sweden to hone its underwater domain skills. In 1979, Malaysia published
3440-505: The Navy to seek three additional missile gunboats and an upgrade to the Harpoon missile for the existing fleet under Project Albatross. Due to budgetary constraints in the early 1980s, Defence Minister Howe Yoon Chong decided to allocate more funds to the Air Force for the acquisition of a squadron of F-16s ; the fighter jets were deemed to possess a higher strategic strike value and capable of more diverse roles compared to ships. Howe claimed
3526-413: The Navy's function was best relegated to coastal defence and suggested mounting Oerlikon guns on towed barges as a replacement to guard the nation's maritime borders. Nevertheless, the reduced budget was still sufficient to commission twelve Swift-class coastal patrol craft which freed the missile gunboats from daily patrols for more strategic operations. With the Navy being the lowest priority among
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3612-407: The RSN have the ship prefix RSS standing for Republic of Singapore Ship . The economy and defence are closely interlinked... We need the sea lanes to Singapore to be opened; hence a capable navy is crucial. As an island nation, the RSN forms part of Singapore's first line of defence. Its stated mission objectives are to: The Republic of Singapore Navy traces its origins to the Royal Navy in
3698-491: The RSN's aviation capabilities in supporting disaster relief operations. A new class of patrol vessels to operate alongside the existing littoral mission vessels are to enter service in 2026. The Republic of Singapore Navy is led by the Chief of Navy (CNV), who reports directly to the Chief of Defence Force (CDF). The CNV is responsible for the RSN's overall operational capabilities and administration. The organisational chart shows
3784-753: The Royal Malayan Navy was renamed the Royal Malaysian Navy . The Singapore division of the MRNVR was formally transferred from the command of the Royal Navy to the Royal Malaysian Navy on 22 September 1963, becoming the Singapore Volunteer Force . During the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation , Singapore-based ships were charged with defending the southern border against infiltrators and saboteurs, and also undertook local minor engagements against
3870-588: The Royal Navy lists most admirals who were "flag officers". A flag officer's junior officer is often known as "Flags". Flag Officers in the Royal Navy are considered as Rear-Admirals and above. Equivalent ranks in the British Army and Royal Marines are called general officer rather than flag officers, and those in the Royal Air Force (as well as the rank of air commodore ) are called air officers , although all are entitled to fly flags of rank. Captain
3956-534: The Singapore Armed Forces into three distinct services, and has kept the name ever since. The RSN was the first navy in the region to successfully fire a live anti-ship missile when RSS Sea Wolf fired two Gabriel missiles in March 1974. From 1975 to 1976, six Sea Wolf -class missile gunboats were commissioned, which proved vital during Operation Thunderstorm when they were deployed to patrol and apprehend
4042-662: The Third Flotilla of the RSN. The RSN acquired mine countermeasure capabilities as early as 1975, when the USN's USS Thrasher and USS Whippoorwill were reactivated by the RSN's engineers and technicians in California. The Bluebird -class coastal minesweepers were commissioned as RSS Jupiter and RSS Mercury . These two ships were eventually replaced by the Bedok -class mine countermeasures vessels. The first ship, RSS Bedok ,
4128-701: The United Kingdom . In the United States, there have been two ranks with the title of rear admiral since 1985: rear admiral (lower half) (RDML), a one-star rank; and rear admiral (RADM), a two-star rank. Prior to that, a combination of ranks was used. Both the rear admiral (lower half) and rear admiral ranks exist in four of the uniformed services of the United States : the United States Navy , United States Coast Guard , United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps , and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps). Flag officer Different countries use
4214-436: The air. The RSN celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017 and hosted an international fleet review, with twenty nations participating. In October 2018, Malaysia extended its Johor Bahru port limits past its 1979 maritime claims into waters off the reclaimed Tuas sector which Singapore claims as its own. Singapore responded by extending its port limits to overlap with Malaysia's new port limits. As Malaysia deployed elements of
4300-428: The class were commissioned in January 2020. The littoral mission vessels were formerly under 182 Squadron until June 2020 with the inauguration of the Maritime Security Command. The eight Independence -class littoral mission vessels now form the Second Flotilla of the RSN. The Endurance -class tank landing ships are the largest class of ships in the RSN. They were designed and built locally by ST Marine to replace
4386-403: The class, RSS Formidable was built overseas in Lorient , France and commissioned locally on 5 May 2007, marking the 40th anniversary of the RSN. The final two ships, RSS Stalwart and RSS Supreme were commissioned on 16 January 2009. The six frigates form the First Flotilla of the RSN. The Independence -class littoral mission vessel is a class of eight surface platforms succeeding
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#17328559892844472-431: The days of naval sailing squadrons and can trace its origins to the Royal Navy . Each naval squadron was assigned an admiral as its head, who commanded from the centre vessel and directed the squadron's activities. The admiral would in turn be assisted by a vice admiral, who commanded the lead ships that bore the brunt of a battle. In the rear of the squadron, a third admiral commanded the remaining ships and, as this section
4558-497: The declining birthrate in Singapore, with increased levels of automation and remote monitoring systems. This has resulted in its combat information center , machinery control room, and bridge being co-located in a single location known as the integrated command center. Its modularity also allows the ship to deploy unmanned and mine-countermeasure systems or be reconfigured to support disaster-relief operations. The ships have been sent on overseas deployments. The last three ships of
4644-402: The elite forces of Singapore. The Naval Engineering and Logistics Command (NELCOM) is responsible for up-keeping and planning the maintenance schedules of ships and the equipping of supplies and assets. It also conducts weapons readiness checks on ships and works closely with the Defence Science and Technology Agency and ST Electronics . As with the army and air force, all officers of
4730-454: The end of their course prior to joining the operational ships. The RSN has also partnered with ST Education and Training to operate the training ship STET Polaris since 2010. Polaris was specially constructed with a "dual bridge" to facilitate training requirements for two navigation teams to operate simultaneously and can carry 30 trainees and instructors; the ship was named after the North Star , which mariners had traditionally used as
4816-406: The first HMS Panglima in 1937; the latter would later be sunk during the fall of Singapore in February 1942. A new 90' motor vessel bearing the name Panglima was launched in 1944, but upon its transfer to the MRNVR in 1948, proved unsuited for tropical waters and began deteriorating rapidly. In 1948, the Malayan Force was raised by the Singaporean government, and was later granted the title of
4902-480: The former Royal Navy inshore patrol boat built in 1956. Panglima was recommissioned as a Singaporean ship on 1 January 1966. On 1 February, the service ceased to be under Malaysia and became the Singapore Naval Volunteer Force (SNVF); Bedok and Singapura were also recommissioned and the latter became a floating headquarters. Now that the new white ensign of our own young country will fly here and in our ships, I hope that you will all remember that its reputation
4988-474: The helmsman to steer the submarine as well as the diving officer in diving the submarine while allowing the “Officer of the Watch” to oversee the entire process. The SCTT is designed to train the submariners in combat operations, which consists of four consoles modelled after those installed on board the actual submarines. These are used to train the crew in submarine combat operations such as analysis, surveillance, command and control, and weapons control. Singapore
5074-402: The influx of boat people fleeing the fall of South Vietnam . In order to support sealift operations, six County-class tank landing ships were purchased from the United States; these were popularly referred to as dollars ships due to the price ($ 1) paid for each vessel. Two Bluebird -class minesweepers were also transferred from the United States to combat the threat of mine warfare within
5160-450: The key aspects of the duties the sailors are expected to perform on board the ships. This includes basic firefighting and damage control skills, rope handling and seamanship skills as well as shiphandling which is done through a ship simulator allowing trainees to practice their watchkeeping skills inside a safe, controlled environment. The enlisted specialists and military experts undergo a rigorous and realistic Summative Exercise (SUMEX) at
5246-417: The main strike arm of the navy. Its frigates and missile corvettes are capable of conducting anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine operations with their equipped armaments and sensors. Its landing ships tank and civil resource vessels provide sea transportation and logistics support overseas, while the submarines force provides a subsurface capability for the navy. The Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF)
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#17328559892845332-509: The mid-life upgrade program. Equipped with Sikorsky S-70B naval helicopters, an international derivative of the Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk . These naval helicopters feature anti-surface and anti-submarine combat systems, extending the ship's own surveillance and over-the-horizon targeting and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The naval helicopters are part of the 123 squadron of the RSAF and piloted by air force pilots. Two more S-70B helicopters were ordered in February 2013. The lead ship of
5418-434: The most advanced surface combatants in Southeast Asia" with a special surface-to-air missile configuration which combines the Thales Herakles radar with the Sylver A50 launcher and a mix of MBDA Aster 15 and 30 missiles. Other armaments include Boeing Harpoon missiles and an OTO Melara 76 mm gun for surface defence. The Blue Spear SSM is planned to be equipped onboard the Formidable class Frigates on completion of
5504-424: The most powerful navy in Southeast Asia. The RSN also regularly conducts operations with the navies of its neighbouring countries to combat piracy and terrorist threats in the congested littoral waters of the Strait of Malacca and Singapore. It also jointly operates the Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft with its counterparts from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to provide air surveillance of
5590-444: The narrow and shallow channels of the Singapore Strait . Prior to this, the SAF Diving Center had already been established in 1971 to train the first batch of frogman recruits in conducting underwater mine disposal operations. In 1975, the service was reformed as the Naval Diving Unit and based at Sembawang Camp , where it remains. During the latter half of the decade, the increased operational demands and rate of patrols led
5676-421: The naval uniform dark dress tunic was adjusted—exterior epaulettes were removed, reverting to the sleeve ring and executive curl -rank insignia used by most navies. commodores ' uniforms display a broad stripe, and each succeeding rank receives an additional sleeve ring. There are no epaulettes on the exterior of the tunic, but they are still worn on the uniform shirt underneath. In the Indian Armed Forces , it
5762-410: The navy are trained and commissioned at the Officer Cadet School with their interservice counterparts. As midshipmen , part of their training involves being deployed four weeks at sea with the regular fleet to hone their skills in leadership, navigation and basic seamanship. Navy officers are also offered specialisation courses later in their careers at the Naval Officers' Advanced Schools (NAS) which
5848-403: The necessity of a seagoing fleet to secure the nation's sea lines of communication in the Malacca Strait and South China Sea, both of which lead to the Port of Singapore ; a major contributor to the economy. To combat the growing technological obsolescence and decline in morale, the government launched the "Navy 2000" program. The service underwent an internal restructuring with the formation of
5934-419: The objectives of combating sea robberies and smuggling, and improving seaward power projection . In June 1968, six Independence -class patrol crafts were purchased and commissioned between 1970 and 1972, marking the first purpose-built ships the Navy possessed. Part of the urgency stemmed from British prime minister Harold Wilson 's intention to withdraw British troops East of Suez by 1971, which would leave
6020-529: The old County-class tank landing ships (LST). Each ship is fitted with a well dock that can accommodate four landing craft and a flight deck that can accommodate two medium lift helicopters. While the RSN describes the Endurance class as LSTs, they lack the beaching capability traditionally associated with LSTs, and their well docks and flight decks qualify the Endurance class more as amphibious transport docks. The ships provide sea transportation for personnel and equipment for SAFs overseas training, as well as
6106-403: The peacetime administrative chain of command with five formations : the Fleet, Maritime Security Command, Naval Engineering and Logistics Command, Naval Diving Unit, and the Maritime Training and Doctrine Command. The current Chief of Navy is Rear Admiral Sean Wat , who took over command on 10 March 2023. The Fleet is responsible for operations beyond the Singapore Strait and represents
6192-572: The rear admiral rank is superior to commodore and captain. However, the rank is junior to the three-star rank vice-admiral and four-star rank admiral, who is generally a Chief of Naval Staff of the Navy. The highest ordinary rank currently filled in the Royal New Zealand Navy is rear admiral and this is the rank held by the Chief of Navy unless that person is also Chief of Defence Force . The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has two ranks with
6278-462: The seaward approaches to Singapore, which is one of the busiest sealanes in the world. The RSN has engaged in international anti-piracy operations further abroad, partaking in the multinational Combined Task Force 151 off the Gulf of Aden . Though numerically small in comparison to its much larger neighbours in terms of tonnage and manpower reserves, the RSN counteracts by continuously seeking to maintain
6364-605: The surrounding seas. Unmanned assets such as the Specialised Marine Craft patrol boat and Protector USV have been commissioned to combat the personnel shortfall in Singapore due to falling birthrates. The RSN has engaged in multilateral anti-piracy operations in the Malacca Strait with neighbouring nations; and in the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa under the multinational naval Combined Task Force 151 , taking command of
6450-538: The task force thrice; It participated in both the search for MH Flight 370 in the Gulf of Thailand and QZ Flight 8501 in the Karimata Strait in 2014. In an analysis of the SAF humanitarian response to Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen noted that the disruption of communications on the ground underscored the need for a platform which could provide "centralised ability for command and control" in
6536-562: The term "flag officer" in different ways: The generic title of flag officer is used in many modern navies and coast guards to denote those who hold the rank of rear admiral or its equivalent and above, also called "flag ranks". In some navies, this also includes the rank of commodore . Flag officer corresponds to the generic terms general officer , used by land and some air forces to describe all grades of generals, and air officer , used by other air forces to describe all grades of air marshals and air commodores . A flag officer sometimes
6622-473: The term, as only flag officers in command of commands or formations actually have their own flags (technically a commodore has only a broad pennant , not a flag), and army and air force generals in command of commands or formations also have their own flags, but are not called flag officers. Base commanders, usually full colonels , have a pennant that flies from the mast or flagpole on the base, when resident, or on vehicles that carry them. A flag officer's rank
6708-407: The three services, it saw little hope of an expanded fleet with a larger stake in Singapore's defence and many people left the service. This created a "crisis of confidence" within the RSN in the next few years, which defence planners regarded as lacking a proper doctrine for existence beyond patrols and tackling illegal immigration. It was not until 1984 that naval officials convinced the government of
6794-510: The title of rear admiral: rear-admiral (one-star), a one-star rank; and rear-admiral (two-star), a two-star rank. Rear admiral is a two-star rank in the Sri Lanka Navy . In Sweden , rear admiral is a two-star admiral rank of the Swedish Navy . The Royal Navy maintains a rank of rear admiral. Note that the rank of rear admiral is quite different from the honorary office Rear-Admiral of
6880-475: The twenty weeks Combat Diver Course where they are taught dive theory and must qualify for drown proofing, pool competency and survival skills requirements. The Formidable -class multi-role stealth frigates entered service with the RSN in 2007 and are derivatives of the French Navy 's La Fayette -class frigate . The frigates are key information nodes and fighting units, and were, at time of launch, "by far
6966-503: The white short-sleeved shirt or the tropical white tunic. The service dress features a wide strip of gold braid around the cuff and, since June 2010, above it a narrower strip of gold braid embellished with the executive curl. On the visor of the service cap are two rows of gold oak leaves. A rear admiral in the Pakistani Navy is a senior and two-star rank naval officer, appointed in higher naval commands. Like most Commonwealth navies,
7052-476: Was built by Karlskronavarvet in Sweden based on the Landsort -class design. The remaining three ships were prefabricated in Sweden and transferred to Singapore for final assembly by ST Marine . The ships are constructed of glass reinforced plastic to maintain low magnetic and acoustic signatures, and are fitted with Voith Schneider Propellers , giving it the highest manoeuvrability in the navy. The RSN also operates
7138-423: Was considered to be in the least danger, the admiral in command of it was typically the most junior. This has continued into the modern age, with rear admiral the most junior admiralty of many navies. The Royal Australian Navy maintains a rank of rear admiral; refer to Australian Defence Force ranks and insignia . The abbreviation is RADM. Since the mid-1990s, the insignia of a Royal Australian Navy rear admiral
7224-752: Was part of the Multi-National Force – Iraq coalition force maintaining maritime security around key Iraqi installations in the Persian Gulf . The Coastal Command was revamped in 2009 into the Maritime Security Task Force to improve coordination between national maritime agencies such as the Police Coast Guard and harbour authorities. Between 2007 and 2020, the RSN has introduced new Archer -class submarines, Formidable -class frigates and Independence -class littoral mission vessels to its fleet to enhance its deterrence amidst rising tensions in
7310-473: Was restructured, with the newly created Sea Security Group and Force Protection Group placed under it. The RSN launched its first newly built Invincible -class submarine in 2019, with the second and third submarines RSS Impeccable and RSS Illustrious launched on 13 December 2022. All three submarines will be expected to be commissioned in 2023, with an operationalisation date set for 2024. The fourth submarine RSS Inimitable remains in construction, together with
7396-401: Was the highest rank in the United States Navy from its beginning in 1775 until 1857, when Congress created the temporary rank of flag officer, which was bestowed on senior Navy captains who were assigned to lead a squadron of vessels in addition to command of their own ship. This temporary usage gave way to the permanent ranks of commodore and rear admiral in 1862. The term "flag officer"
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