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Forging Ahead on Formidable |
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(Source: Singapore Ministry of Defence; issued Sept. 29, 2005)
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The Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) newest warship, RSS Formidable, represents one of the transformational capabilities of the SAF, and it will be at the forefront of maintaining maritime security in the waters around Singapore. Leveraging on technology, the lead ship of the Formidable-class stealth frigates is designed with lean manning as a key consideration. With just 71 personnel on board and an air detachment crew of 15, it calls for new operational mindsets and workflow.
As Commanding Officer of RSS Formidable, COL Jackson Chia's role is no different from commanding officers of other RSN vessels - to ensure the safety of his crew, and that missions assigned to the ship are accomplished.
However, the challenge lies in mitigating the demands placed on the lean crew as they adapt to the complex systems and a whole host of state-of-the-art defence systems and capabilities on board.
"I think being the pioneer batch is a privilege," said COL Chia. "But at the same time, it is also a heavy responsibility because you are bringing together people from different areas of the Navy - people with different backgrounds, different areas of expertise - and trying to gel them together as a team in order to operationalise a new capability."
I think that, in itself, is probably the greatest challenge, but if successful, it will be probably one of the joys of the command."
The new frontier
The key to unlocking the mystery of lean manning, he revealed, is the high level of automation. This changes a lot of the working processes on board and makes it more efficient and effective to allow a ship of this platform to operate with a crew of 71 instead of the usual 150 for a warship of this size.
According to Coxswain, MWO Richard Goh, the crew are certainly relishing their role as the trailblazers, and are anxiously looking forward to operating the multitude of systems on the frigate when these are ready.
"They are very excited because it is a new ship; it is the first time that the Navy is operating a frigate. It is the first time we are having a big ship with so much firepower and a lot of new systems," he said.
Leading Ordnance Electronic Weapon Specialist, SSG Edwin Ong, who has been in the RSN for about seven years and was previously from Landing Ship Tank RSS Endurance, enjoys the opportunity to gain more in-depth knowledge and to establish new processes and procedures on RSS Formidable.
For CPL Toh Wee Chong, a fellow Ordnance Electronic Weapon Specialist, who is one of the Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) on board, the steep learning curve is what spurs him on.
"You need to learn a lot during this period, like the things to indent and providing what is needed for the ship," he explained. "Even though we are NSFs, it is also a very good experience for us to have. Some experiences, such as man-management skills, are applicable even after we complete NS."
Practice makes perfect
So far, all the platform trials have been completed and currently, the ship is undergoing Installation, Checkout, Integration and Testing (ICIT) of its different combat systems. The whole procedure will take 12 to 15 months.
During this period, the ship will be sailing frequently, to test the various combat systems and at the same time, continue building up crew competency and proficiency.
"What we are doing is to let the crew have hands-on experience in operating and maintaining the system," said COL Chia.
"As the saying goes, 'we are what we repeatedly do', so training is a very important component of operationalising this capability, with the emphasis on operating the ship safely and smoothly."
"And when we are talking about a very lean crew, every crew member has a crucial role to play, so you must make sure that they are really well-trained. Therefore, knowledge management is going to be a challenge."
COL Chia added: "With all the technologies and combat systems, it also means that the training time, as compared to other traditional, smaller platforms, is going to be much longer, and you cannot afford to be superficial in your knowledge level."
Agreeing, MWO Goh said: "We can't stick to the traditional way of doing things. We have to think of new, creative ways of managing people."
"For example, there will now be four men on the bridge instead of seven previously. To bring it down to a four-man team, you'll need new procedures. For instance, the communicator might not be on the bridge, but the job still has to be done."
My ship, my home
Ever since their return from Lorient, France, where RSS Formidable was built, the crew has been busy. They sail almost every week - at an average of three to five times weekly - more than other operational ships in the RSN. Thus, ensuring that the crew remains upbeat is essential.
"When people are motivated, they will be able to take on more tasks, assume more responsibilities and take ownership of the ship," said MWO Goh. "The way to motivate them is to make them feel that this is their ship, make them feel that this place where they work and live belongs to them instead of just doing it as part of their job."
It is clear the homely feel has already permeated the decks of RSS Formidable when SSG Ong declared unabashedly: "I like the crew very much. I find that we work very closely, like a family."
"Whenever support is needed, help will be offered. We are a lean crew, so we need to work doubly hard, that is the way we should do it," he said.
Experiencing the Formidable
Complementing the admirable display of unity by the crew is the equally impressive hardware that powers the ship. "We have this Ship Management System (SMS) and it is probably one of the most advanced systems onboard any modern warship today. It is a system that works on a network architecture, controlling all machinery and engineering systems," said COL Chia. "This is a system that I think even the ship builder, DCN, is very proud of."
In addition, its sea-keeping capabilities have also passed the stern evaluation tests with flying colours, after going through tumultuous sea states during the ship's 39-day voyage from France.
The ship experienced conditions of over sea state six, indicating strong winds and high swelling of about four metres in the Indian Ocean.
Although a few of the crew were sick, and they could still carry on with the training. That gave the crew a lot of confidence in the sea-keeping capabilities of the ship.
An operational ship, better crew
Currently, the key objective is to get the ship operational and it is every crew member's responsibility to achieve the level of competency and proficiency required. But for COL Chia, what is even more important is for every member to give his best, and in doing so, take responsibility for his own successes.
"On board this ship, there should be no failures, no one who gives up hope on trying to be a better person. At the end of my command tour, if every person can be better, in terms of their own individual competency, knowledge and what they set out to do for their careers, then that would be a vision I have achieved," he said.
At 114.8 metres-long, the stealth frigate is designed for multi-mission profiles with most activities revolving around three key operational centres: the Bridge, Combat Information Centre (CIC), and the Machinery Control Room (MCR).
"What you see on the surface is a ship, but the most important part of the ship is really the combat systems. She is able to network with other ships, aircraft, her own helicopter and shore facilities," said Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean, after sailing on RSS Formidable on 5 Aug. "She is really a node in the whole network warfare concept that we are developing for the SAF," he said.
The CIC is where the locally-built Combat Management System (CMS) is located. This nerve centre of the frigate's integrated combat system was jointly developed by the RSN, the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and the DSO National Laboratories.
Designed with embedded intelligence for command and control, contact evaluation, track management, threat prioritisation as well as weapon alignment, the CMS provides a high level of integration, decision support and automated architecture for the frigate.
The reduced magnetic and acoustic signatures of the ship and its myriad of sensors also add to her stealthy nature, and the configuration is further complemented with a Sikorsky S-70B naval helicopter.
With these advanced equipment in place, the frigates look set to enhance the RSN's capabilities to undertake a greater spectrum of operations and to help defend Singapore and its vital Sea Lines of Communications more effectively.
RSS Formidable is the only ship in its class to be built in France by Direction des Constructions Navales (DCN).
Under a technology transfer agreement signed in 2000, DCN will design and build the first ship while the remaining five frigates will be built locally by Singapore Technologies Marine.
These six frigates are slated to replace the RSN's ageing Missile Gunboats, which have been in service for over 30 years.
COMBAT AND WEAPON SYSTEMS:
--Multi-Function Radar: THALES Herakles Multi-Function Radar (MFR)
--Navigation Radar: TERMA Electronic Navigation Radar
--Surface-to-Surface Missile: Harpoon Surface Missile System
--Surface-to-Air Missile: MDBA Aster Missile System
--Naval Gun: OTO Melara 76mm Gun
--Sonar: EDO Active Low Frequency Towed Sonar (ALOFTS)
--Torpedo: Whitehead A244S System
--Communications: CET Integrated Communications System
--Gun Fire Control System: EADS Gunfire Control System
--Standard Operating Common Consoles: ST (Elect) SES
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