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Actions The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is conducting Exercise Wallaby (XWB) from 8 September to 3 November 2024. With an increase in the SAF’s unilateral training at XWB from 6 weeks to 9 weeks, this year’s XWB will set a new training baseline overseas. This year’s exercise features the participation of the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) following its inauguration in 2022 and marks the 34th anniversary of Exercise Wallaby which started in 1990.
Exercise Wallaby is the SAF’s largest overseas unilateral exercise. The exercise is conducted at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) in Queensland, Australia. Approximately four times the size of Singapore, SWBTA is a valuable training area that allows the SAF to exercise its full range of capabilities and cross-service integrated training. This year’s XWB involves about 6200 personnel and approximately 490 platforms from the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) over three training frames. The Exercise is also supported by defence engineers from the Defence Technology Community demonstrating the strong ops-tech partnership.
Frame 1: 8 Sep to 26 Sep. Frame 1 involves the Singapore Army’s Armour, Army Intelligence, Combat Engineer, and Combat Service Support units, and the RSAF’s aircraft, Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) assets and Air-Land Tactical Control Centre (ALTaCC).
i. The 8th Singapore Armoured Brigade (8 SAB) utilised the vast and varied terrain in SWBTA to execute complex manoeuvres under realistic combat situations to maintain its operational readiness as a Mechanised Combined Arms Brigade. The exercise comprised a Brigade Command Post Exercise, culminating in a Field Training Exercise that involved the Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV) from the 41st Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment (41 SAR) and the Leopard 2SG Main Battle Tanks from the 48th Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment (48 SAR). The exercise was supported by the 38th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers (38 SCE), 11th Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence Battalion (11 C4I Bn), and 33rd Combat Service Support Battalion (33 CSSB). The exercise also involved an Armour live firing, which featured the Hunter AFV from 41 SAR firing alongside the Leopard 2SG Main Battle Tanks from 48 SAR for the first time. 41 SAR is the first Hunter AFV battalion to participate in XWB.
ii. The RSAF will be using the large airspace in SWBTA to conduct realistic and complex training such as Helicopter Composite Force Operations involving the H225M, AH-64D and CH-47F, as well as AH-64D and H225M Side-mounted Machine Gun Firing. This is also the first time that the H225M is participating at XWB, where it will also conduct live-firing across the frames and utilise its integrated electronic warfare suite. Participating in the exercise for the first time, the SPYDER system operated by the RSAF’s Divisional Air Defence Group (DAG) will operate alongside the Singapore Army and provide enhanced air defence coverage for its area of operations.
iii. The Singapore Army and the RSAF would also conduct integrated operations including close air support, underslung and troop lift operations. Such integrated air-land training and operations by our armoured platforms and helicopters enhances cross-service interoperability and operational competencies.
Frame 2: 27 Sep to 14 Oct. Frame 2 involves the Singapore Army’s Guards and SAF Transport units and the RSAF’s aircraft, GBAD assets and ALTaCC.
i. 1st Battalion, Singapore Guards (1 GDS) will complete Stage 2 of the evaluation conducted by the Army Training Evaluation Centre (ATEC), to validate their proficiencies as a Battalion.
ii. Guards Training Centre (GTC) will utilise the vast cross-country terrain and airspace of SWBTA for the Singapore Army's Guards to conduct pathfinder training and to fully exercise the manoeuvre capabilities of the Light Strike Vehicle Mark II.
ii. 3rd SAF Transport Battalion and 122 Squadron’s C-130 will also conduct airdrop training in Frame 2 and 3.
iv. The complexity and scale of operations will increase for the RSAF in Frame 2 with the participation of additional air assets such as the C-130 and Heron-1 UAV. The CH-47Fs and H225Ms will employ their chaff and flare systems to simulate air-land operations in a contested environment. The Heron-1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), together with the AH-64D helicopters, will make full use of the vast airspace of SWBTA to conduct cooperative lasing in support of live-firing missions.
v. The level of integration will also expand to strengthen cross-service training with different parts of the Army taking part in the exercise. The RSAF will conduct integrated Air-Land training in support of Guards requirements and SAF Transport units, including troop lift, underslung, airdrop and close air support missions. The Air-Land integrated live-firing will feature the AH-64D and Guards’ SPIKE SR missiles.
Frame 3: 15 Oct to 3 Nov. Frame 3 involves the Singapore Army’s Infantry, Armour, Army Intelligence, Combat Engineer and Transport units, the RSAF’s aircraft, GBAD assets, ALTaCC. The RSAF Agile Innovation and Digital Department (RAiD) and the DIS’ Military Intelligence Expert (MIE) intelligence analysts will also participate in Frame 3.
i. As part of a combined arms brigade exercise, the 2nd Singapore Infantry Brigade (2 SIB) will take advantage of the terrain in SWBTA to validate operational capabilities as a Combined Arms Brigade. The exercise will involve a Brigade Command Post Exercise and a Field Training Exercise, before concluding with a company-level motorised live-firing exercise with the Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) from the 5th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (5 SIR). The exercise will be supported by the 30th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers (30 SCE), and the 16th Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence Battalion (16 C4I Bn).
ii. The RSAF will maximise the cross-service participation opportunities in Frame 3 to strengthen air-land linkages and processes, validate new operational concepts, as well as drill the planning-to-execution of large-scale Participation missions. The training realism and complexity for helicopter, UAV and GBAD operations will increase, and the airspace management operations conducted by ALTaCC will ensure that manned-unmanned operations can proceed unimpeded. Innovation efforts will also take place during Frame 3 by leveraging new equipment and rapid software prototyping capabilities provided by RAiD.
iii. Intelligence analysts from the DIS will support the Army and RSAF’s operations through the analysis of threats and provision of intelligence support, to enhance battlefield situational awareness. Frame 3 will demonstrate the Services’ interoperability and partnership to achieve mission success.