Army Enhances Battlefield Communications

13 Mei 2013

Signallers on parade at the commissioning ceremony. Behind them is the Ku-Band SATCOM system mounted on five-ton transport trucks. (all photos : Sing Mindef)

Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing officiated at a ceremony to mark the commissioning of the Army's Wide Area Communications (WAC) system at Stagmont Camp this morning. Prior to the ceremony, Mr Chan was briefed on the capabilities of the WAC system and how it supports Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) operations by extending the reach and enhancing the scope of battlefield communications.

Speaking during the ceremony, Mr Chan highlighted the advanced capabilities of the WAC system and its contribution to military operations. He said "this powerful and responsive system will form the vital backbone of the 3rd Generation Army, enabling the development of a networked fighting force that is capable of a full spectrum of operations... These enhancements allow our forces to manoeuvre with greater precision and concentrate their fire-power with heightened accuracy."

Commending the officers and men of the Signal formation for their competency and professionalism, Mr Chan said "They have played an indispensible role in supporting all Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) requirements for the Army's missions, safety management and administration. Your competency and professionalism have been proven in our exercises as well as our peace support and other humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations over the years." In conclusion, Mr Chan encouraged the Signal community to continue to develop their capabilities as a vital link for the 3rd Generation SAF.

The WAC system comprises the Digitised Trunk Communications System (D-TCS) and the Ku-Band Satellite Communications (SATCOM) system. The D-TCS connects fighting forces in the battlefield to the command headquarters via a high bandwidth data network. This links together various battlefield communication systems and technologies to enhance the command and control of integrated operations.

Compared to previous SATCOM systems used by the SAF, the Ku-Band SATCOM system is more deployable and can transfer data at a higher rate to better support local training, the coordination and administration of overseas exercises, as well as SAF operations such as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and Peace Support Operations.

Both systems incorporate information assurance technologies to ensure the robustness and security of our networks. Jointly developed by the Signal Formation, Defence Science Technology Agency and Singapore Technologies, the operationalisation of these systems marks as major milestone in the transformation of the SAF into a 3rd Generation integrated fighting force.

Also present at the ceremony were Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and National Development Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Chief of Army Major-General Ravinder Singh and other senior SAF officers.

(Sing Mindef)