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.