Singapore Minister of Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen officiated at a parade this May 31, 2011, to mark the operationalisation of 2nd Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (2 SIR) as the first Motorised Infantry Battalion.

Before the parade, Dr Ng was briefed on the capabilities of the battalion and witnessed 2 SIR in an urban operations exercise at Murai Urban Training Facility, operating as part of a networked and integrated force with support from air and land platforms. He also viewed some of the urban operations technology such as keyhole sensors, the Advanced Combat Man System and the Battlefield Management System.

Speaking at the parade, Dr Ng emphasised the strength of the 3rd Generation Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) does not lie in individual pieces of hardware but in the ability to network an array of systems and capabilities. He said, "It has demonstrated clearly how individual soldiers, in the section all the way up to the platoon, battalion, brigade and division, are now able to sense and communicate seamlessly with the components of the SAF while on the move.

The Army’s motorised infantry battalion can now function at a higher tempo and at longer ranges, covering a wider area of operations." He added that the "network allows the SAF to create an overall fighting system that is flexible and more responsive to the complex demands of the modern battlefield."

The operationalisation of 2 SIR as the first Motorised Infantry Battalion is another major milestone in the SAF’s transformation into a 3rd Generation fighting force. 2 SIR will operate the Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle, which provides infantry forces with enhanced protection, mobility and firepower as well as networks soldiers and other air and land weapon platforms.

Also present at the parade were Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and National Development Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Neo Kian Hong, Chief of Army Brigadier-General Ravinder Singh and other senior officers from the SAF.

Video Singapore Army 2nd Battalion of Infantry Regiment Urban operation exercise