Navy centralises training systems

Set up last May, the institute was opened yesterday afternoon at Tuas Naval Base by the Second Defence Minister and Education Minister, Rear-Admiral (NS) Teo Chee Hean.

The navy can now inject "more realism" into its training with the use of simulation technology at the IMW, a Ministry of Defence statement said yesterday. About 50 of the institute's naval officers and specialists now run four training centres.

Two of the centres, for tactical training, are located at the naval bases at Pulau Brani and at Tuas.

Connected by fibre-optic links, these two centres provide training exercises simultaneously for naval personnel at both locations.

Through video-teleconferencing facilities, trainees at both sites can also be briefed at the same time.

The other two centres are the Missile Corvette Combat Simulation Centre and the Patrol Vessel Combat Simulation Centre.

Mindef added that trainees "engage the enemy" with weapons such as guns, missiles and torpedoes through computer simulation at the navy's two combat simulation centres. Computers at these centres can also simulate "damage".

All four centres will be managed from the IMW headquarters at Tuas Naval Base, but the institute is expected to move to the Changi Naval Training Base in five years' time.

In his opening address, Rear-Admiral Teo described the institute as "a springboard towards the attainment of training excellence".

He also revealed that the navy would be introducing an advanced new training system next year -- the Naval Warfare Instrumental System.

The system will link ships and aircraft during exercises at sea and provide "realistic combat scenarios", he said.

Recalling his own experience with the navy's first tactical training centre at Brani Naval Base in the early 1980s, he added: "Exploiting technology for cost-effective training is not a new concept to the navy."

Published in the Straits Times. April 14, 1998