The Singapore Army welcomed its new Chief of Army (COA) today as Major-General (MG) David Neo handed over command to Brigadier-General (BG) Cai Dexian at a Change of Command Parade held at Pasir Laba Camp this evening.

The incoming COA, BG Cai, 40, joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 2003. He has held various senior command and staff appointments within MINDEF and the SAF, amongst others, the appointments of Commanding Officer of the 48th Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment, Commander of the 8th Singapore Armoured Brigade, Head of the Joint Plans and Transformation Department, Director of Personnel Policy, and Commander of the 3rd Singapore Division. Over the course of his career, BG Cai drove many capability development and force transformation efforts for the SAF, such as establishing the Digital and Intelligence Service and developing the SAF 2040 long-term plan. BG Cai was also deployed to Afghanistan in 2012, as part of the SAF’s contribution to the international reconstruction efforts there.

The outgoing COA, MG Neo has led the Singapore Army since March 2022. Under his stewardship, the Singapore Army maintained a high level of operational readiness, expanded its range of capabilities, and enhanced its interoperability with government agencies. MG Neo led the Army 2040 transformation plan, steering the operationalisation of new warfighting concepts, inter-service integration, acquisition of cutting-edge warfighting systems, as well as development of workforce, innovation and digitalisation initiatives. MG Neo also guided the Singapore Army to resume and expand local and overseas integrated, large-scale training and live-firing after the COVID-19 pandemic. He also expanded collaboration with the militaries of major powers and regional countries. The Singapore Army also successfully executed several operations, such as the disposal of one of the largest wartime bombs unearthed in Singapore and the delivery of humanitarian aid for Gaza.

In his farewell speech during the parade, MG Neo said, "We started in 2022 to make Army strong, to focus ourselves on strengthening safety, transform training, reimagine our everyday, operationalise Army 2040, nurture our people and strengthen our ability to conduct homefront operations... BG Dexian will bring strategic thinking, drive, and most importantly the desire to make every day great to be a soldier... I know you will give him every support in his leadership of the Army.”

This change is part of the continuing process of leadership renewal in the SAF. The parade was witnessed by the Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral (VADM) Aaron Beng, and attended by senior officials from MINDEF and the SAF, as well as servicemen and women from the SAF.

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen launched SAFTI City Phase 1 today at the SAFTI Training Area. SAFTI City provides a realistic and challenging urban training facility for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), as its operational needs evolve to include a wider range of scenarios from peace to war. This advanced facility will help our soldiers to train better to conduct operations in built-up areas, including homeland security, counter-terrorism, and disaster relief operations. SAFTI City enables our soldiers to employ equipment and concepts in line with the latest shifts in the modern battlefield, such as the use of drones and robotics in urban environments.

Dr Ng was briefed on the key features of SAFTI City and observed how training in SAFTI City will be more realistic and effective, through smart instrumentation and battlefield effects simulators. Speaking at the event, Dr Ng highlighted the importance of developing SAFTI City for our soldiers to meet the evolving security threats that Singapore faces. He said, “Urban operations will increasingly play a role in any military. Fighting in urban built up areas in SAFTI City is a physical manifestation of that commitment of giving realism to our soldiers so that they are prepared…. I would say it is a significant asset for the SAF. It is a significant national asset … and it is the ultimate realism. So, I am very proud of my SAF planners, and they have taken them five years to do this. I think this investment in this training facility will last for a generation and beyond.”

SAFTI City is designed to resemble a densely populated urban city, with a mix of low and high-rise buildings having multiple entries and exits, interconnected buildings, subterranean environment, presenting a realistic environment to challenge our soldiers in the complexities of urban operations. Features like the integrated Transport Hub, which comprises MRT platforms, a bus interchange and an office building, closely replicate buildings found in Singapore, to support training for homeland security operations.

Equipped with smart instrumentation and approximately 11,000 sensors, SAFTI City allows tactical combat actions to be tracked in high-fidelity, and data can be used for post-training feedback and analysis. Trainers can also see the location of training troops in real-time, and can then deploy interactive targets and battlefield effects to simulate various combat scenarios.

Dr Ng was accompanied by Chief of Army (COA) Major-General David Neo, Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) Mr Roy Chan and other officials from the Ministry of Defence, the Singapore Army and DSTA.