Singapore Ministry of Defence, The Singapore Armed Forces Ammunition Command (SAFAC) was officially inaugurated on 23 May, becoming the single organisation responsible for ammunition services across the SAF.
This means that all ammunition of the SAF, regardless of the Service, is placed under the command of SAFAC. In the past, the Army, Navy and Air Force managed their respective ammunition stockpiles.
Colonel (COL) Tan Nam Seng, Commander of SAFAC, said the past process was not effective, especially when the SAF was transforming into a 3G fighting force.
He identified three benefits which SAFAC could bring about – synergy of ammunition support, developing a knowledge base of sophisticated ammunition like precision-guided ammunition, and better utilisation of the SAF's underground ammunition facilities.
In his opinion, the synergy generated by bringing together the ammunition services across the SAF was the biggest benefit. “Through this synergy, we can create a larger pool of knowledgeable servicemen and professionals, and optimise the resources that we have,” said COL Tan.
As a result of becoming a joint command, there was a reduction in the number of personnel required to manage the ammunition. This enabled SAFAC to free up more resources and re-invest them in engineering developments.
The result was new equipment like the AP-1408. In the past, ammunition personnel took up to six hours to sort out live rounds and used cartridges before sending them for recycling. In some cases, empty cartridges had gunpowder residue, which could be dangerous. The AP-1408 can burn out gunpowder residue in cartridges and compress them into smaller pieces.
With the AP-1408, ammunition personnel need not waste time sorting out ammunition after military exercises. “It also ensures that the rounds are free of gunpowder and can be recycled in a safer manner,” added COL Tan.
As a joint command, SAFAC can also develop a safety management system that transcends every level of the SAF ammunition services. Last year, there was zero ammunition incident in the 20 million rounds that the SAF used.
“This was possible because there is a concerted effort in managing ammunition as a system,” said COL Tan. But he would like to see more from SAFAC: “My hope is to see the ammunition community within the SAF recognised as a world's best in the way we provide our services and support for SAF operations.”
The new SAF Ammunition Command comprises four critical arms:
1) Systems office – manages ammunition systems as well as the testing and evaluation of ammunition logistics engineering solutions.
2) Operations branch – plans operations, develops doctrines, and coordinates all ammunition support operations of the ammunition bases.
3) Central Ammo Base – serves as the operational command for the SAF's underground ammunition facilities and as subject matter expert for air and naval ammunition support operations.
4) General Support Ammo Base – serves as subject matter expert for army ammunition support operations
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