Debated in Parliament on 8 Jan 2025.
Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant asked the Minister for Defence (a) what has been the overall response rate of operationally-ready NSmen to the both silent and open mobilisation exercises; (b) how have these mobilisation exercises been useful in preparing the NSmen to be mobilised under the Ministry’s scenario planning drills related to the ongoing developments in the Middle East and Europe; and (c) to what extent is realism injected in the deployment exercises in these mobilisation exercises.
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) conducts regular mobilisation exercises (MOBEX) of our National Service (NS) forces. In a silent mobilisation, NSmen are notified through their personal contact numbers. Open mobilisations include the broadcast of unit code-words through mass media. Average attendance rates for both are consistently high: 95% or more of mobilised NSmen would turn up within the stipulated timings.
Mobilisation exercises sharpen the operational readiness of our NS forces, keep our systems and processes well-oiled and enhance SAF's preparedness to respond in a national security situation. Different scenarios may be used in different mobilisation exercises for greater realism and validation of different functions, such as force equipping, force preparation procedures and refresher training.
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