The Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN's) Formidable-class frigate RSS Stalwart and three of the RSN's six Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk naval helicopters are preparing to return to Singapore after completing four months of integration training with the US Navy's Helicopter Maritime Strike Weapon School and the US 3rd Fleet in San Diego.
Teo Chee Hean, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, told Jane's on 25 March that the Seahawk integration programme, which began in November 2009 with the inauguration of the RSN's Peace Triton naval helicopter detachment, had successfully concluded with a "high-tempo, week-long exercise" involving five surface ships, a submarine, maritime patrol aircraft and F-18 Hornet combat jets.
The frigate and aircraft would be returning home "shortly", Teo said, enabling the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to focus "for the next two years on integrating the operations of its new assets – such as the S-70B helicopters, Formidable-class frigates and Archer-class submarines – into the SAF's overall force structure". He implied that further naval procurements were not expected while this integration work continues.
Jane's
