Interesting project started as a naval project and end as a tri-service project.
What is the current status / news and any more details ?
" mine clearance personnel from the Air Force " , we have ?
Singapore in co-operation with SWEDEC
Publicerad: August 25, 2004 8:8
The Swedish and Singaporean naval forces have been co-operating for more than ten years. Singapore is for example using mine clearance vessels and submarines manufactured in Sweden. This co-operation now seems to expand to include also EOD and mine clearance since the Swedish IT-based mine clearance system, EOD IS, are in use at the Singaporean Armed Forces.
After several months of preparation, a representative of the EOD IS section at SWEDEC visited the Singaporean Naval Forces 194th Mine Warfare Squadron. The intention of this visit was to present the IT-based EOD and mine clearance system EOD IS as well as to train a number of operators in order to have the system evaluated.
During the first days of the visit, the Commanding Officer of the 194th Mine Warfare Squadron, LtCol Philip Alvar, was focused on exclusive use of the system for naval operation purpose within his own squadron only. However, the Commanding Officer and his staff soon realised that this system was too complex and important to be used "only" by the naval forces. Consequently, representatives of the naval diving forces, the engineers of the Army, the mine clearance personnel from the Air Force as well as representatives of the Singaporean Armed Forces Head Quarters command and control mechanisms and many others were rapidly and resolutely convened.
The Singaporean Armed Forces have now decided to evaluate EOD IS for six months, and concurrently, together with SWEDEC, establish a plan for possible implementation of the system in Singapore. As a result of this work, Singapore could become the sixth nation to implement EOD IS and also constitute a link to other Asian countries.
At present the EOD IS User Group includes Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, Germany and Denmark.