1. Minister for Defence Award (MDA) 




The Minister for Defence Award (MDA) is the pinnacle award that recognises MINDEF/SAF units or departments for their outstanding achievements in the areas of Innovation, Organisational Performance Excellence, Staff Well-being, and Future Workplace Experience.

This year, four MDA winners, one continuous effort award and eight commendations were awarded to 13 recipients. The four MDA 2024 winners are:

S/N	Entity Name	Services	Winner of
1	3rd Singapore Division (3 DIV)	Singapore Army	MDA Combat Category (Division/ Command/ Formation Level)
2	8th Flotilla (8F)	Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)	MDA Combat Category (Unit/ Squadron/ Group Level)
3	Air Power Generation Command (APGC)	Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)	MDA Non-Combat Category (Division/ Command/ Formation Level)
4	7 Air Engineering and Logistics Group (7 AELG)	RSAF	MDA Non-Combat Category (Unit/ Squadron/ Group Level)

3rd Singapore Division from Singapore Army and 8th Flotilla from the RSN are awarded the MDA (Combat Category) at the Division and Unit Level respectively. APGC and 7 AELG from the RSAF are awarded the MDA (Non-Combat Category) at the Division and Unit Level respectively.

1. 3rd Singapore Division, Army, MDA Winner – Combat Category (Division/ Command/ Formation Level)



3 DIV^[1] realises innovation outcomes through the TIGER Innovation Framework comprising five key pillars: Team Spirit, Innovation Resources, Ground-up Initiatives, Emphasis by Commanders, and Reward and Recognition. The framework encourages units to come together to leverage different expertise within the division, cross-pollinate ideas and build a positive innovation culture through Innovation Advocates from both Officers and the WOSpec Corps. The division believes that innovation is not only about creation, but also about modification and adoption, resulting in cross-adoption of initiatives by other units. One example is Project Roar, which has been adopted by several units within and outside of 3 DIV. An initiative to eliminate pen and paper during mobilisation, NSmen gave positive feedback and cited shorter wait times at each station during their mobilisation. The digitalisation allowed the team to create a dashboard that provides real time information on the mobilisation flow to the brigade headquarters, enabling quick responses to any issues that might arise from the ground. Other notable projects include (i) a Motorised Fleet Tracker App allowing commanders and troopers to check the serviceability of their vehicles and routine servicing schedules on the go; and (ii) the Reimagine Our Everyday (RoE) initiative, which addressed day-to-day inefficiencies and digitalisation of processes.

2. 8th Flotilla, RSN, MDA Winner – Combat Category (Unit/ Squadron/ Group Level)



A strong culture of innovation is created through 8F’s innovation framework, which focused on (i) creating value and tangible benefits for 8F; (ii) keeping things simple by leveraging on existing platforms to generate ideas; (iii) creating a Fail-Safe environment for innovation projects; and (iv) recognising innovation efforts and keeping innovation within 8F’s mindspace. These efforts led to projects that enhanced safety, achieved greater operational effectiveness and improved workplace environment. One project that will be implemented throughout RSN is Project Rapid Hull Damage Repair Patch, a magnetic patch that reduces the need for shoring during damage control.

3. APGC, RSAF, MDA Winner – Non-Combat Category (Division/ Command/ Formation Level)



APGC^[2] has a strong structure supporting top-down, across and ground-up innovation, and has in place a psychologically safe space to experiment and innovate. APGC’s innovation structure comprises the iLead (innovation team), Data, Digitisation and Digitalisation Office (D3O), and Sustainability Office. In their pursuit of innovation, APGC tapped on the wider ecosystem for continuous development and learning, from in-house expertise as well as external partners, vendors, and industry best practices. All these led to innovations such as (i) various Smart Air Base initiatives to continuously transform the way APGC conducts operations and to provide a next generation workplace experience; (ii) leveraging 3D printing technology to develop products that reduced the need for a second person for the Before Operation Service rear brake light checks; and (iii) the Landing Gear System Digital Data Analysis Kit, which enhanced the precision and comprehensiveness of troubleshooting on the F-15SG landing gear system and resulted in 50% manpower reduction, 80% man hour savings and eliminated potential safety hazards.

4. 7 AELG, RSAF, MDA Winner – Non-Combat Category (Unit/ Squadron/ Group Level)



7 AELG^[3] believes in embracing out of the box thinking and pushing boundaries for continuous improvement and to succeed in an operationally demanding environment. Through their interconnected key thrusts – Enable, Energise and Encourage, 7 AELG developed strategies that forged an innovative culture, created learning opportunities and promoted a safe environment to experiment. These efforts have led 42 innovation and 31 process improvements projects in 2023, resulting in about 25,000 man hours saved and cost avoidance of $816,000. Some notable projects include (i) the F-15SG Augmented Reality Application designed to improve training realism for NSF Air Force Technicians, which was also repurposed for RSAF 55 Open House to allow visitors to visualise the RSAF’s F-15SG closer; and (ii) the Landing Gear System Digital Data Analysis Kit.


2. MINDEF Exemplary Innovator Award  



Aligned with the Public Sector Transformation's Exemplary Innovator Award, the MINDEF Exemplary Innovator Award recognises individuals who have injected innovation into their work, made a real difference to improve physical and virtual workplace environments, and advocated the spirit of innovation in their teams and in MINDEF/SAF. This year, 40 outstanding individuals and teams received this award while another 20 were commended. Notable projects and individuals included:

1. CyTEC Metaverse – Cyber Defence Test and Evaluation Centre (CyTEC) SAF C4Command / Cyber Security Task Force, Digital and Intelligence Service



In cyber exercises, it is challenging for cyber defenders to visualise the physical impact of cyberattacks on Operational Technology (OT) systems as they only see log files and network packet captures on computer screens. It is also costly and potentially dangerous to simulate attacks on real physical OT systems. CyTEC Metaverse enables cyber defenders to visualise the physical aftermath of cyberattacks in a virtual environment while enhancing training realism. This is done by integrating realistic virtual OT systems to a 3D environment. The in-house development of the CyTEC Metaverse has saved over $300,000 in development cost and 2 months of development time.

2. LUMI (An AI Clustering Tool) – Citizen Services Department, Service Delivery Division and Data Science & Strategy Department, Digital and Corporate Transformation Division, MINDEF



LUMI has transformed the way MINDEF/SAF analyses unstructured data such as customer relations management (CRM) text data from NS call centre cases (NSCC). Analysing unstructured text data requires large volumes of man-hours and effort due to the need to read, understand, group, and summarise the general patterns across all available data. The tool groups related cases and summarises key points for analysis, and can generate insights in finer granularity that is specified by the user. LUMI can also be used to adapt to different types of use cases in MINDEF/SAF. Through LUMI, the analysis process is shortened significantly, saving up to 97.3% of man hours required.

3. ME4 Lye Joon Fah, 8th Flotilla, RSN



ME4 Lye oversees several innovation projects, including Project Rapid Hull Damage Repair Patch, a rapid magnetic seal that can be utilised to quickly seal off bulkheads or compartments to contain flooding and maintain the ship’s stability. The seal can be deployed by one person, thus reducing the manpower required for damage control, minimises damage and allow crew members to efficiently contain leaks or floods in a shorter time. This project will also be implemented across RSN ships.

4. ME4 Enver Toh Wei Ren, 507 Squadron, RSAF



ME4 Enver shared his expertise and knowledge of 3D printing to his squadron and other units in Paya Lebar Air Base, resulting in more personnel using the 3D printer to develop prototypes to improve work processes. One example is the Re-usable Battery Lug Insulator, where he worked with his team to fabricate reusable insulators in replacement of tape. This innovation resulted in less waste and expedited the insultation process by 85%.

3. MINDEF Dare to Do Award (MD2D) 



Aligned with the Public Sector Transformation's Dare to Do Award, the MD2D recognises teams/individuals for their spirit in risk-taking and perseverance such as to identify new opportunities to do things better, have the courage to attempt new ways of doing things even when there is no precedence, and persevere and continuously try even when they faced difficulties. This year, 27 outstanding individuals and teams received this award and another 21 were commended. Notable projects include:

1. Digital Data Analysis Kit For F-15SG Landing Gear System, 817 Squadron, 7 AELG, APGC, RSAF



Through the use of the voltage recorder, the Digital Data Analysis Kit for F-15SG Landing Gear System allows the crew to monitor the voltage signals in real time and at a safe distance, which has reduced the overall man hours needed for troubleshooting of a landing gear defect by 80%. This kit enhanced work efficiency and safety, eliminating the dangers of physical analysis and the need to conduct multiple landing gear swings, as it can capture all the data needed for troubleshooting in 1 swing. This is an improvement over the traditional method of using a multimeter, which would require the crew to position themselves close to a moving landing gear strut during the troubleshooting process.

2. Portable Distance Accuracy Course (DAC) Bay – BMTC School 2, Army (MD2D Commendation)



Existing DAC bays and training ground are not weather-proof and inclement weather would cause DAC trainings to be delayed, postponed, or cancelled, which adversely impact the conduct of DAC lessons and other subsequent lessons in BMTC. With the portable DAC bay, trainers are now able to eliminate inefficiencies arising from such training disruptions, and deploy it flexibly and rapidly within camp premises regardless of weather conditions, resulting in time savings and more efficient training.

[1]The 3rd Singapore Division is an interdisciplinary combined arms unit, consisting of Infantry, Armour, Artillery, Combat Engineers, Intelligence, Signals, Air Defence, and Combat Service Support.

[2]APGC is responsible for generating and sustaining effective, timely, and robust air power and oversees air base operability within each RSAF air base to ensure the successful launch and recovery of aircraft.

[3]7 AELG is responsible for generating and sustaining the F-15SG and C-130’s air power swiftly and precisely, and developing professionals with strong engineering and maintenance competencies, at Paya Lebar Air Base.