Police Coast Guard beefs up operational capability
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 16 July 2009 1658 hrs
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</TD><TD class=bodytext vAlign=top width="60%" align=left>Police Coast Guard beefs up operational capability</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top background=images/dotline_240.gif align=left>
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SINGAPORE: Singapore's Police Coast Guard has unveiled a new fleet of patrol craft designed to intercept and fend off intruders more quickly and effectively.
The ten Shark Class boats, costing S$17 million each, are the latest in Singapore's efforts to ramp up its maritime security.
=> $17M per pc for some sampan? Sure or not? Sure no leegalized corruption?
In the first half of this year, 143 suspicious boats, mostly carrying smugglers and illegal immigrants, were stopped before they could enter Singapore.
Over the same period, police also arrested 55 people and seized seven boats and contraband worth S$845,000 over 18 operations.
Last year, the Coast Guard intercepted over 240 intruders, a sharp increase from 70 in 2007 and 35 in 2006.
Speaking at the launch of the new fleet on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng warned that the threat posed by intruders cannot be underestimated.
He said: "If smugglers who bring in cigarettes or illegal immigrants can come in, then we can safely assume that those with ill intent, like terrorists and other kinds of criminals, may also want to come in, and can attempt to come in. And other kinds of contraband can also be smuggled into Singapore, for example, explosives."
The new fleet of high-speed 10 patrol craft will go a long way in protecting Singapore's maritime border. They will replace the current fleet of 10 patrol craft acquired 30 years ago. The current fleet will be decommissioned by next year.
The new boats can move up to 30 knots per hour, faster than the current ones, and are more stable in choppy conditions, such as in the waters off Pedra Branca.
Each is armed with a fully automated firing system, which means greater accuracy over further distances. The fully-computerised system also takes into account the movement of vessels and adjusts the trajectory to ensure a successful hit. Special radars allow police to spot intruders faster, whether during the day or night.
High-tech equipment aside, training is also a priority. At the Coast Guard's new S$29 million Integrated Tactical Training Centre, officers can carry out sea-based weapons training on simulator platforms.
The system allows officers to test their firing skills in a high-speed chase, under all sorts of weather conditions. The aim is to recreate, as realistically as possible, different training scenarios that may not be easy or practical to do so in real time.
The Coast Guard also plans to more than double its length of sea barriers to deter intruders. Currently, there are 27 kilometres of physical barriers along the coastline and the police aim to increase that to 67 kilometres in the future.
- CNA/yb
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 16 July 2009 1658 hrs
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=260 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD width=20 align=right> </TD><TD width=240 align=right>
Police Coast Guard vessel</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD class=update> </TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD><TABLE style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #cccccc" border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=240><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="100%"><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=topic vAlign=top> Video </TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc vAlign=top>
</TD><TD class=bodytext vAlign=top width="60%" align=left>Police Coast Guard beefs up operational capability</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top background=images/dotline_240.gif align=left>
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Police Coast Guard has unveiled a new fleet of patrol craft designed to intercept and fend off intruders more quickly and effectively.
The ten Shark Class boats, costing S$17 million each, are the latest in Singapore's efforts to ramp up its maritime security.
=> $17M per pc for some sampan? Sure or not? Sure no leegalized corruption?
In the first half of this year, 143 suspicious boats, mostly carrying smugglers and illegal immigrants, were stopped before they could enter Singapore.
Over the same period, police also arrested 55 people and seized seven boats and contraband worth S$845,000 over 18 operations.
Last year, the Coast Guard intercepted over 240 intruders, a sharp increase from 70 in 2007 and 35 in 2006.
Speaking at the launch of the new fleet on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng warned that the threat posed by intruders cannot be underestimated.
He said: "If smugglers who bring in cigarettes or illegal immigrants can come in, then we can safely assume that those with ill intent, like terrorists and other kinds of criminals, may also want to come in, and can attempt to come in. And other kinds of contraband can also be smuggled into Singapore, for example, explosives."
The new fleet of high-speed 10 patrol craft will go a long way in protecting Singapore's maritime border. They will replace the current fleet of 10 patrol craft acquired 30 years ago. The current fleet will be decommissioned by next year.
The new boats can move up to 30 knots per hour, faster than the current ones, and are more stable in choppy conditions, such as in the waters off Pedra Branca.
Each is armed with a fully automated firing system, which means greater accuracy over further distances. The fully-computerised system also takes into account the movement of vessels and adjusts the trajectory to ensure a successful hit. Special radars allow police to spot intruders faster, whether during the day or night.
High-tech equipment aside, training is also a priority. At the Coast Guard's new S$29 million Integrated Tactical Training Centre, officers can carry out sea-based weapons training on simulator platforms.
The system allows officers to test their firing skills in a high-speed chase, under all sorts of weather conditions. The aim is to recreate, as realistically as possible, different training scenarios that may not be easy or practical to do so in real time.
The Coast Guard also plans to more than double its length of sea barriers to deter intruders. Currently, there are 27 kilometres of physical barriers along the coastline and the police aim to increase that to 67 kilometres in the future.
- CNA/yb
