| Naval Diving Unit | |
|---|---|
| Active | 12 December 1971 – present |
| Country |  Singapore |
| Branch |  Republic of Singapore Navy |
| Type | Special forces |
| Role | |
| Size | 6 squadrons |
| Part of | Special Operations Task Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Sembawang Camp |
| Nicknames | "Warriors of the Deep", "Frogmen", "Frogmen from the Sea" |
| Motto | "Nothing Stands In Our Way" |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Commander NDU | COL Francis Goh |
| Master Chief NDU | SWO David Ling |
TheNaval Diving Unit (NDU), also referred to as theNaval Divers, is thespecial forces formation of theRepublic of Singapore Navy (RSN) responsible for conductingspecial operations from sea, air, and land.[1] The formation is made up of six squadrons, specialising inexplosive ordnance disposal,underwater demolition,maritime security operations, andcombatant craft operations.[2][3]
In 1959, the British Far East Fleet Clearance Diving Team (FECDT) established a base of operations atHMS Terror Camp, which is the current headquarters of the unit.[4] When theRoyal Navy left Singapore on 12 December 1971, the Singapore Armed Forces Diving Centre under the command of Major Robert Khoo was tasked by then Minister for DefenceGoh Keng Swee to replace the FECDT. The centre was made up of a group of ten divers selected from over 200 volunteers from the ranks of the Singapore Maritime Command, the predecessor to theRepublic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The divers were trained by Lieutenant Victor Rodrigues and were tasked with the maintenance of the Command's naval assets. The SAF Diving Centre became officially known as the Naval Diving Unit (NDU) in 1975.
The unit's first major deployment was during the1983 Singapore cable car crash,[5] where it retrieved the bodies of four drowned victims. In 1988, with the RSN's rapid growing number of naval assets and an expanding scope of responsibilities, NDU took in its first batch ofconscripts to meet its increased manpower requirements. In 1989, Colonel Lau Bock Thiam, then Commander NDU, was tasked with developing NDU's maritime special operations capabilities, which led to the creation of theSpecial Warfare Group (SWG). Naval divers were involved in the salvage operations following the1991 SilkAir Flight MI185 crash,[6] and in humanitarian efforts during the2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.[7]
It was a contributor in themulti-national reconstruction efforts in Iraq from 2003 to 2008.[8][9] Naval divers were also deployed in an operation to search and recover five drowned bodies belonging to members of Singapore's national dragon boating team following a dragon boating incident in Cambodia in 2007.[10]
In 2021, 180 Squadron and Special Operations Boat Task Group were incorporated into the formation.[11] The NDU also celebrated its 50th anniversary.[12]
In December 2022, the NDU announced that Captain (Dr) Chiew Wenqi is the first female navy sailor to be recruited after passing selection.[13]
| Republic of Singapore Navy |
|---|
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| Formations |
| Ships |
| List of ships of the Republic of Singapore Navy |
| Bases |
In NDU, Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) and regulars are expected to undergo the same training before they are qualified to become part of the unit.
Recruitment begins with a vocational assessment, whereby NSFs are selected among the thousands that enlist each year. During the primary stage of selection, physical fitness results and medical records are evaluated. Thereafter, an aptitude test is conducted by Applied Behavioural Sciences Department (ABSD) to assess the recruit.
Medical fitness criteria such as a physical employment standard (PES) of A or B1, good eyesight and hearing, and the absence of chronic illnesses that may impede their training will have to be met before potential entrants undergo a battery of further tests that include a swimming and hyperbaric chamber test, as well as another round of psychological evaluation. Those who meet the requirements will then be enlisted into the unit.
Enlistees into the unit will undergo a 9-week long Basic Military Training (BMT) and 22-week long Combat Diver Course (CDC) in Frogman School (FmS), the unit's training branch. In BMT, the recruits experience a modified training programme at Sembawang Camp instead of theBasic Military Training Centre (BMTC) like most enlistees, where they will undergo additional swimming and water survival training. The recruits who meet a satisfactory standard here will qualify for the CDC, or are otherwise posted to other vocations within the Navy.
The Combat Diver Course (CDC) is known to be demanding.[14] It is conducted in three phases, namely the Foundational, Specialisation, and Advanced phases.
In the Foundational phase, the trainees are introduced to land navigation,outboard motor boat handling, and various underwater confidence tests such asdrownproofing and underwater knot-tying. They are introduced to the Sea Circuit, an obstacle course which involves a fin swim, rope climb from the water, run, a confidence jump back into the water, swim, and run, covering 750 metres per round, where three rounds must be completed within 18 minutes. In addition, trainees must achieve 95 points for theirIndividual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT), run 6 km in 27 minutes, and swim 2 km in their wetsuits, fins, and a floatation device within 50 minutes, before qualifying for Hell Week at the last week of the phase.
In Hell Week, trainees are subject tosleep deprivation, ice-cold baths, and stressed by machine-gun fire, non-stop physical exertion, team-based competitions, and seemingly nonsensical tasks which are meant to simulate the drawn-out chaos and discord of a wartime situation.[15]
The trainees who clear Hell Week proceed on to the Specialisation phase, where trainees are trained inscuba diving, underwater search and salvage capabilities, as well as land andunderwater demolitions.
In the Advanced phase, where trainees learnclosed-circuit rebreather diving and shipboard competencies. By the end of the course, around half to three-quarters of the initial intake are expected to have dropped out. Those who graduate as divers are assigned to Clearance Diving Group (CDG). Conscripts are prospectively chosen to be specialists or officers by the end of the course, and will undergo the 8-week Dive Leader Course or the 9-month Midshipman Officer Cadet Course at theOfficer Cadet School (OCS) respectively.[16]
To qualify as an operator in theSpecial Warfare Group (SWG), naval divers have to pass the four-month Special Warfare Advanced Training (SWAT). In this course, divers are trained in highly specialised advanced diving techniques to operate effectively in the SWG.
The formation consists of six squadrons which specialise in differing capabilities.[17]
Special Boat Group raises, trains and sustains all maritime craft, including the Combatant Craft Large and Combatant Craft Medium which support maritime counter-terrorism operations.[18]
The Clearance Diving Group, composed of regular servicemen and Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs), is tasked with helping to preserve the safety of Singapore's vitalsea lines of communication, and specialises inimprovised explosive device disruption,underwater mine disposal, andexplosive ordnance disposal. The group works alongsidemine countermeasures vessels and is an integral part of the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit. The group is also tasked with underwater security sweeps to ensure that key installations and naval assets are protected from underwater sabotage. The Navyguard-of-honour contingents during the annualSAF Day Parade andNational Day Parade are almost exclusively made up of divers from the Clearance Diving Group.
The Underwater Demolition Group, composed only of Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen), is tasked with thedemolition ofnatural maritime barriers, as well as wartimesabotage operations on enemy maritime infrastructure.
The 180 Squadron comprises the Accompanying Sea Security Teams,[19] which conducts compliant shipboarding checks on merchant ships to ensure the safety and security of Singapore's waters.[20][21]
The Frogman School is the training institute responsible for developing the maritime special operations capabilities for theSingapore Armed Forces (SAF). It conducts the Basic Military Training, Combat Diver Course, Dive Leader Course, Diver Supervisor Course, ASSET Qualification Course, Special Warfare Advanced Training, and Basic Diving Course.
| Pistols | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Origin | Caliber | Version | Notes |
| SIG Sauer P226 |  Germany | 9×19mm Parabellum | P226 E2 | |
| Glock 17 |  Austria | 9×19mm Parabellum | Glock 17 Gen 3 | |
| FN Five-seven |  Belgium | FN 5.7×28mm | Mark 1 | |
| Sub-machine guns | ||||
| H&K MP7 | Germany | HK 4.6×30mm | MP7A1 | |
| H&K MP5 | Germany | 9×19mm Parabellum | MP5A3, MP5SD3, MP5K-N, MP5K-PDW | |
| Assault rifles | ||||
| H&K HK416 | Germany | 5.56×45mm NATO | D10RS D14.5RS | |
| M4 carbine |  United States | 5.56×45mm NATO | M4A1 SOPMOD Block 1 | |
| CAR-15 | United States | 5.56×45mm NATO | Colt Model 653, Colt Model 723 | |
| SAR-21 | Singapore | 5.56×45mm NATO | SAR21, SAR21 MMS | |
| Sniper rifles | ||||
| H&K HK417 | Germany | 7.62×51mm NATO | HK417 16″ | |
| M110 SASS | United States | 7.62×51mm NATO | ||
| Machine guns | ||||
| Ultimax 100 | Singapore | 5.56×45mm NATO | Mark 3 | |
| FN MAG | Belgium | 7.62×51mm NATO | ||
| STK 50MG | Singapore | 12.7×99mm NATO | ||
| Shotguns | ||||
| Remington 870 | United States | 870 MCS | ||
| Grenade launchers | ||||
| M320 GLM | Germany | 40 mm grenade | ||
| M203 | United States | 40 mm grenade | ||
| Milkor MGL |  South Africa | 40 mm grenade | ||
| STK 40AGL | Singapore | 40 mm grenade | ||
The first publicly screened production involving the unit was the 1990 Channel 8 drama series titledNavy.[25]
The unit was also the subject of the 2015Jack Neo filmAh Boys to Men 3: Frogmen[26] which grossed S$7.8 million in the box office.[27] It was filmed on location at the NDU headquarters in Sembawang Camp and some of the trainees and instructors participated in minor roles and as technical consultants.[28][29]
