Naval Diving Unit (Singapore)
The Naval Diving Unit is a special forces unit of the Republic of Singapore Navy, and is regularly tasked with salvage operations, underwater mine demolition, commando and frogman-type warfare.
History
Since 1959, the British Far East Fleet Clearance Diving Team, together with the Bomb & Mine Disposal Team, had established a base of operations at HMS Terror Camp where the present NDU now stands. When the Royal Navy left Singapore on 12 December 1971, the FECDT was replaced by the SAF Diving Centre under the command of Major Robert Khoo.The unit was made up of a group of divers recruited from the ranks of the Singapore Maritime Command, precursor to the Republic of Singapore Navy. The divers were trained by Lieutenant Victor Rodrigues and tasked to look after the Command's naval assets.
As the only public diving capability available in Singapore at the time, SAF divers were called upon to conduct underwater tasks in support of government and civilian organizations. These included ship husbandry and repair below the waterline, salvage and clearance, pipeline restoration, underwater demolition, construction and welding and the location and recovery of drowning victims.
In 1975, the SAF Diving Centre became officially known as the Naval Diving Unit.
The NDU of today had its origins in 1985 when it was realised that underwater explosive ordnance disposal and keeping Singapore's waterways open were vital. The RSN Fleet had also grown significantly and more divers were now needed to support ships in harbour and on overseas deployments.
Naval Divers were involved in salvage operations following the crash of SilkAir Flight MI185 on 19 December 1997, which killed all 104 people on board.
The NDU of the 1990s is almost totally unrecognisable from its forebear, the SAF Diving Centre of 1972. Traces of its legacy, however, exist at the in the form of the British made Camel Laird 10-man hyperbaric chamber.
Organisation and structure
Frogman School
This is where trainees undergo highly specialised training required to become elite Frogmen. Here, they undergo nine months of grueling training, including Basic Military Training, Land Combat Training, and the Combat Diver Course. Advancing through the different stages, an increasing number of trainees drop out as they are unable to keep up with the intense physical and mental demands required of them. Trainees are increasingly deprived of sleep as the training goes on and numerous vetoes are set in place which trainees are required to pass. Vetoes include timed run, sea swim, Individual Physical Proficiency Test, etc. This training culminates in the final evolution, Team Building Week, more commonly known as Hell Week. It is a five-day intensive and consistent physical training phase where sleep deprivation and non-stop mental harassment are commonplace. Only the most motivated and dedicated trainees, who exhibit outstanding teamwork and spirit can pass this final test. By the end of the 9-month training, as much as 50% of the initial batch will have had to exit the course. Following this, graduates are sent to either the Underwater Demolition Group, Special Warfare Group or the Clearance Diving Group.Underwater Demolition Group
The Underwater Demolition Group is where the bulk of the National Service trainees go, and further training takes place here. Here, divers are sent overseas for further training and upgrading of skills. The UDG ensures nothing gets in the way of the Navy's mission, combining their mastery of combat diving skills with expertise in underwater demolition to clear any underwater obstacles.Clearance Diving Group
The duties of the Clearance Diving Group is to help preserve the safety of Singapore's vital sea lanes. As part of the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit, the CDG work closely with mine countermeasure platforms to conduct hull checks as well as clear mines and war relics. CDG also form an integral part of Accompanying Sea Security Teams, by boarding and searching ships that carry highly sensitive material through Singaporean waters.Special Warfare Group
The Naval Diving Unit's Special Warfare Group consists of elite maritime warriors. It is an all-regular unit created as a counterpart to the Army Commando Formation's Special Operations Force starting off under the name "The A-Team" in 1987, armed with expertise in conducting highly complex operations and the ability to operate over land, air and sea. Together with state-of-the-art weaponry, and a highly trained team, the SWG act as a force multiplier for the Navy. The best candidates from Special Forces Qualification Course are selected to attend the Special Warfare Course before being inducted into this unit. Members train with various foreign units, and may also attend the United States Navy's Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL course.The insignia of the SWG shows an anchor, re-breather and trident over a pair of bat wings, with the motto: "Will to Do, Spirit to Dare".
Recruitment
In NDU, Full-time National Servicemen and regulars are expected to undergo the same training before they are qualified to become Frogmen. Recruitment begins with a vocational assessment, whereby NSFs are selected among the thousands that enlist each year. During the primary stage of selection physical fitness results and medical records are evaluated. Thereafter, an aptitude test is conducted by Applied Behavioral Sciences Department to gauge the recruit. Perfect eyesight is a requirement, which explains the absence of people wearing spectacles in NDU, and tip-top health condition, not suffering from any chronic illnesses that might jeopardise their training, such as asthma. The selected few will then undergo a battery of tests that include water confidence in a chamber and psychological evaluation. Those who meet all of these stringent requirements will then be selected to join the NDU.Training
Basic training encompasses basic soldiering skills, and build up their stamina and discipline through drills and Physical Training. Enlistees who do not achieve at least National Physical Fitness Award Silver standard will undergo the Physical Training Phase before BMT to build up their level of physical fitness.Additional training includes Drown-Proofing Training, Pool Competency, Fast Roping, Improvised Explosive Device Disruption, Underwater Mine Disposal, Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Special Land Operations.
After basic training, trainees will go through a four-month Combat Diver Course, which is divided into four phases: Physical Phase, Diving Phase, Land Combat Training and Shipboard Competency. Trainees will go through "Team Building Week", also known as "Hell Week", where divers are pushed to their ultimate limits physically and mentally.
Once the course is over, trainees split into their various career paths, the Specialist Career Path and the Officer Career Path.
In the Specialist Career Path, trainees will go through Combat Advanced Skills Training for a month, training in basic land combat and building up physical fitness. They will then be in the Special Forces Qualification Course for 9 months. They will be trained in specialised combat diving, military free-fall and advanced demolitions, to deal with the full spectrum of SAF operations.
The final course will be the Special Warfare Course, lasting 4 months, specialising in skills as required.
In the Officer Career Path, trainees will be trained to inspire and lead their team to mission success. The trainees will be trained at the Officer Cadet School for nine months. The trainees will get to train on board one of the RSN's platforms. After which, they will go through the Naval Diver Professional Phase.
Naval Divers are also regularly sent overseas for training, in particular, with the Army Green Berets and Navy SEALs of the United States, British Special Boat Service and the Russian Spetsnaz. In 2001, naval officer Captain Wong Foo Chan became the first foreigner to top his class in the Green Berets course, and received a commendation medal for this achievement. He had also completed the Navy SEAL course in 1999.