07 August 2019

SAF, PLA special forces hone counter-terrorism capabilities during Exercise ‘Co-operation 2019'

by Kelvin Wong

Special forces and reconnaissance personnel from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) successfully concluded the latest edition of the bilateral Exercise ‘Co-operation’ held in Singapore from 27 July to 5 August.

The 10-day army drill focused on counter-terrorism operations in urban environments, and involved approximately 240 personnel from the SAF’s 3rd Singapore Division and 1st Commando Battalion, as well as the PLA Southern Theater Command Army (STCA)’s 74th Army Group.

Singapore Armed Forces and People’s Liberation Army special forces personnel conducting a mock urban assault against a simulated terrorist threat. (MINDEF)

According to the Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), Exercise ‘Co-operation 2019’ is the fourth and most complex iteration of the exercise series since its inception in 2009. It comprised three segments: commando component training, live firing, and a combined urban operations field training exercise.

Component training included training activities such as basic demolition and close quarter battle techniques, field medical intervention, rappelling, reconnaissance and surveillance, and weapon handling drills.

Live-firing exercises were also conducted at the SAF’s Multi-Mission Range Centre (MMRC). The USD15 million facility is an indoor live-firing range with two 50 m and four 100 m ranges, which also includes two reconfigurable rooms for urban operations training. Each room can accommodate one infantry section of seven troops during each training mission.

The combined field training exercise saw troops from both forces jointly conduct a counter-terrorist raid at the Murai Urban Training Facility (MUTF) on 5 August. The facility is a mock settlement comprising 200 pre-fabricated and pre-cast buildings, which supports large-scale training exercises for a battalion-sized force and employs laser-based urban combat instrumentation systems.

Special forces and reconnaissance personnel from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the People’s L...

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