Special Operations Force (Singapore): Difference between revisions

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{{Use Singapore English|date=June 2015}}

[[Image:Special Operations Force (Singapore).jpg|thumb|400px|Members of the SOF displaying their equipment at a public exhibition during the [[National Day Parade]] celebrations of 2005 at [[Marina South]]]]

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}

{{More citations needed|date=December 2021}}

{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = Special Operations Force

| image = File:SOF oval rectangular patch.jpg

| caption = Patch of the Special Operations Force

| dates = 1984 – present

| country = {{flagcountry|Singapore}}

| branch = {{Army|SGP}}

| type = [[Special forces]]

| role = {{ubl|[[Special operations]]|[[Direct action (military)|Direct action]]|[[Counterterrorism|Counter-terrorism]]|[[Special reconnaissance]]}}

| command_structure = [[Commandos (Singapore Army)|Commandos]]<br />[[Special Operations Task Force]]

| battles = [[Singapore Airlines Flight 117#Timeline|Operation Thunderbolt]]

| website = <!-- Commanders -->

| notable_commanders = Colonel Lam Shiu Tong<ref>{{cite web|last=Yeo|first=Jared|title=Our Army recognises the commitment and dedication of its servicemen|url=http://www.mindef.gov.sg/content/imindef/mindef_websites/atozlistings/army/army_news/News_Archive/2011/Jun2011/APC.print.html?Status=1|publisher=MINDEF|access-date=19 December 2013|date=27 June 2011}}</ref> <br /> Colonel Chiang Hock Woon<ref name="Commando Formation and SOTF Welcome New Commander">{{cite web|last=Cheam|first=Samuel|title=Commando Formation and SOTF Welcome New Commander|url=http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/mindef_websites/atozlistings/army/army_news/News_Archive/2011/Mar2011/Cdo_COC.html|publisher=MINDEF|access-date=19 December 2013|date=11 March 2011}}</ref>

<!-- Insignia -->| identification_symbol =

| identification_symbol_label =

}}

The '''Special Operations Force''' ('''SOF''')<ref name="SOSOF">{{Cite web | title=Special Operations.Com | url=http://www.specialoperations.com/Foreign/Singapore/SOF.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224225528/www.specialoperations.com/Foreign/Singapore/SOF.htm | archive-date=2012-02-24 | access-date=2024-12-22}}</ref> is the primary [[special forces]] unit of the [[Singapore Army]] responsible for conducting [[special operations]]. The SOF is only composed of highly trained regular servicemen, most of whom are from the [[Commandos (Singapore Army)|Commandos]] formation.{{sfnp|Neville|2019|p=178}}

It is also a component of the [[Special Operations Task Force]] (SOTF), alongside the [[Special Warfare Group (Singapore)|Special Warfare Group]] (SWG) of the [[Republic of Singapore Navy]] (RSN).<ref>{{cite web|last=Chow|first=Jermyn|title=Special forces to work under one command|url=http://www.asiaone.com/News/the%2BStraits%2BTimes/Story/A1Story20090701-151921.html|publisher=AsiaOne News|access-date=19 December 2013|date=1 July 2009}}</ref>

The '''Special Operations Force''' (SOF) is part of the [[Singapore Army]]'s Commandos arm. It is highly trained, and trains regularly with the [[United States]] [[Delta Force]], [[U.S. Army Rangers]], and [[Navy SEAL]]s. They also practise [[freefall|free-falling]] in all [[terrain]]s and [[weather]] conditions.

==History==

It takes approximately four years to [[military training|train]], including training in overseas deployments and freefalls to qualify as a SOF trooper.

On 27 September 1972, a [[flight engineer]] aboard [[Olympic Airlines]] Flight 472 accidentally activated a hijack alarm. The flight, which had 31 passengers and 11 crew members on board, took off from Sydney, Australia at 1030 hours SST and was heading towards [[Paya Lebar Airport]] in Singapore. The Australian authorities were not informed of the situation until four hours later. Following a flurry of conflicting reports, Australia's [[Civil Aviation Safety Authority]] warned Paya Lebar Airport to be prepared for a possible hijack.

Flight 472 landed in Singapore at 1825 hours SST and was immediately surrounded by the police before the Singapore authorities could confirm that it was a false alarm. The incident highlighted the lack of special forces trained and equipped to deal with a hijack or hostage situation in Singapore.

The Special Operations Force is made up of an unspecified number. an elite [[special forces|special force]] which deals with situations such as [[hostage-taking]]. As with other such organisations, the identities of its personnel is closely guarded. The most prominent SOF personnel (due to high profile appointments after active service) is Colonel [[Lo Yong Po]], who often bears United States Navy Seal badges and service medals.

The SOF was created in 1984.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/young-soldiers-are-no-strawberry-generation-says-the-chief-commando-officer | title=Young soldiers are no 'strawberry' generation, says Chief Commando Officer | newspaper=The Straits Times | date=4 December 2019 }}</ref>

Non-active former SOF personnel can be spotted sometimes with a "SPECIAL FORCES" tab on the right sleeve of a combat uniform, or a smaller semi-circle badge on ceremonial uniform, though most prefer to be discreet and choose not to wear the tabs.

===Operation Thunderbolt (1991)===

Successful operations include the [[1991]] rescue of [[Singapore Airlines Flight 117]] at [[Singapore Changi Airport]]. It was the first time the SOF was revealed to the public. Four hijackers were killed within 30 seconds, with no casualties on the SOF or passengers.

{{main|Singapore Airlines Flight 117}}

On 26 March 1991, [[Singapore Airlines]] Flight 117 was hijacked in flight by four men, who took all 129 people on board hostage. At [[Singapore Changi Airport]], commandos from the SOF stormed the plane, killed the four hijackers and freed the hostages in under a minute.<ref name="FC">{{Cite web |title=As a Special Forces soldier, he stormed a hijacked Singapore Airlines plane. Now he's a monk |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/special-forces-storm-hijack-singapore-airlines-monk-fred-cheong-902161 |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=CNA |language=en}}</ref> This also marked the SOF's first combat operation.<ref name="FC"/>

Troopers are trained in jungle-warfare, [[reconnaissance]] and [[counter-terrorism]], and are deployable by land, [[airborne forces|airborne assault]] and [[amphibious assault]], specialising in free-falling, diving and long-range land insertion. They are each cross-trained to operate all types of weapons and equipments, though each trooper is assigned a specialist appointment in his team.

Commando HQ was awarded a Medal of Valor and a unit citation for the success of the operation.<ref name="SOSOF"/>

The SOF uses [[weapon]]s that include the [[SAR-21]] [[assault rifle|Assault Rifle]], [[MP5]] [[submachine gun]], [[M4 carbine]], [[P-90]] submachine gun, various [[shotgun]]s, Vektor and SiG [[pistol]]s, several kinds of [[sniper rifle]]s and a wide variety of classified weapons.

===Other operations===

Successful operations include the [[1991]] rescue of [[Singapore Airlines Flight 117]] at [[Singapore Changi Airport]]. It was the first time the SOF was revealed to the public. Four hijackers were killed, with no casualties on the SOF or passengers.

[[File:14 bajak dir.jpg|300px|thumb|[[Kopaska]] and SOF commandos in a joint exercise.]]

It was reported that some SOF commandos have been deployed to Afghanistan under Operation Blue Ridge alongside regular Commandos.{{sfnp|Neville|2019|p=178}}

==See Also==

*[[Naval Diving Unit (Singapore)]]

*[[Special Tactics and Rescue (Singapore)]]

*[[List of special forces units]]

==See Alsoalso==

* [[Singapore_Armed_Forces#History|History of Singapore Armed Forces]]

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==References==

[[Category:Singapore Army]]

{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===

* {{cite book |title=The Elite: The A–Z of Modern Special Operations Forces|last=Neville|first=Leigh|year=2019|publisher=Osprey Publishing|___location=Oxford|isbn=978-1472824295}}

{{Singapore-stub Armed Forces}}

{{commons category|Special Operations Force (Singapore)}}

[[Category:1984 establishments in Singapore]]

[[Category:Formations of the Singapore Army]]

[[Category:Special forces of Singapore]]

[[Category:CommonwealthCounterterrorism regimentsin and corpsSingapore]]

[[Category:Military counterterrorist organizations]]