| Republic of Singapore Navy | |
|---|---|
| Angkatan Laut Republik Singapura (Malay) 新加坡海军部队 (Chinese) சிங்கப்பூர் கடல் படை (Tamil) | |
 Crest of the Republic of Singapore Navy | |
| Founded | 5 May 1967 |
| Country |  Singapore |
| Type | Navy |
| Role | Naval warfare |
| Size | 4,000 active personnel[1] 5,000 reserve personnel[1] 40 ships |
| Part of | Singapore Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Changi Naval Base |
| Motto(s) | "Beyond Horizons" |
| March | "Republic of Singapore Navy March" |
| Ships |
|
| Engagements | |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| President of Singapore | Tharman Shanmugaratnam |
| Minister for Defence | Ng Eng Hen[3] |
| Chief of Defence Force | VADM Aaron Beng[3] |
| Chief of Navy | RADM Sean Wat[3] |
| Master Chief Navy | ME6 Richard Goh[3] |
| Insignia | |
| Pennant |  |
| Ensign |  |
| Jack |  |
| State Colour |  |
| Logo |  |
The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is the maritime service branch of 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 the most powerful navy in Southeast Asia.[4][5][6]
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.[7][8] 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 the seaward approaches to Singapore, which is one of the busiest sealanes in the world.[9][10] 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 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.[11] 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.[12][13]
All commissioned ships of the RSN have the ship prefix RSS standing for Republic of Singapore Ship.
- ^ a b International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023. London: Routledge. pp. 286–287. ISBN 9781032508955.
- ^ "Commercially operated ship arrives to support training of RSN NSmen". The Straits Times. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Leadership Biographies". Ministry of Defence (Singapore). 10 March 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ Foizee, Bahauddin (13 September 2019). "Why Singapore's Navy Should Be Taken Seriously". The National Interest. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ Rupert Herbert-Burns; Caitlyn Antrim; Halae Fuller; Lindsay Dolan (16 July 2012). Indian Ocean Rising: Maritime Security and Policy Challenges. Henry L. Stimson Center. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-9836674-6-9.
- ^ Brimelow, Ben. "How a tiny city-state became a military powerhouse with the best air force and navy in Southeast Asia". Business Insider. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ "Drop in piracy in regional waters". The Straits Times. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "Piracy attempt foiled by S'pore, Indonesian navies". The Straits Times. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "Fokker 50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft". Republic of Singapore Navy - Careers. Archived from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ Moktar, Faris (22 August 2017). "Busy shipping lane's narrow passageway hard for vessels to navigate". Today. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ Foizee, Bahauddin (19 August 2019). "Singapore's ambitious naval procurement plans". Asia Times. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ A Maritime Force for a Maritime Nation: Celebrating 50 Years of the Navy. Straits Times Press. 2017. ISBN 9789811130304.
- ^ Onwards and Upwards: Celebrating 40 Years of the Navy. SNP International Publishing. 2007. ISBN 978-981-248-147-4.