LST 207 Endurance-class - Operations
Over the years, LSTs have been used to support the SAF in its international missions. The older LSTs had been involved in providing support for the peacekeeping mission, INTERFET, in East Timor in 1999. The LST undertook her maiden world voyage in May-Sep 2000. The vessel participated in three major international exhibitions - IMDEX Asia 1999 and 2001, and the International Naval Review 2000 in New York City.
The RSS Endurance is the first RSN vessel to circumnavigate the globe and to sail through both the Suez and Panama canals. The ship left Singapore on 5 May 2000 and called at nine ports in the United States, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Egypt and Saudi Arabia during its four month voyage. The RSS Endurance participated in the US Navy's International Naval Review 2000, held in New York to celebrate US Independence Day. Visitors were entertained to the beat of lion dances. The RSS Resolution was the lead ship of a fleet of 36 vessels that stretched over 5 kilometers during the Singapore National Day Maritime Review on 9 August 2000. Other vessels which took part included missile gunboats, mine-countermeasure vessels and coastal-patrol craft. RSS Conqueror, Singapore's first submarine made its first National Day appearance on that day as well.
During CARAT 2000 (Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training), a joint navy exercise between the Singapore and United States Navy, a Mistral surface-to-air missile was fired from RSS Resolution on 19 September 2000.
The Endurance class LST Team was awarded the DTP2001 Team Award in November 2001 for harnessing leading-edge technologies in the design, development and construction of RSN's largest and most sophisticated naval vessel. The team comprises members from the Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA), Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), Singapore Technologies Marine (ST Marine) and Singapore Technologies Electronics (ST Electronics). As the overall program manager, DSTA equipped the LSTs with many innovative features such as the cockpit-like Integrated Bridge System and the Ship Control and Management System.
The Endurance-class LSTs have participated in several missions since its introduction. As part of Singapore's contribution to the reconstruction efforts in Iraq, RSS Endurance was sent to the Arabian Gulf in late 2003 for a two-month stint. RSS Resolution followed in November 2004 and RSS Endeavour in February 2006.
Perhaps the most notable involvement for the LSTs to date was during Operation Flying Eagle, Singapore's humanitarian mission to Meulaboh, Indonesia, after a massive tsunami hit many parts of Asia on Boxing Day 2004. When the earthquake and tsunami occurred on 26 December 2004 (the Boxing Day Tsunami), port structures suffered badly and the damage was exacerbated by poor maintenance and construction. Earthquake damage and changes to sea levels left wharf facilities either high and dry or, in the case of Singkil, so much lower that access roads had disappeared, wharves stood only just above sea level and were totally cut off from their support structure such as storage areas and transit sheds. In much of the area, road access was lost and port facilities rendered unusable, in the short term at least.
Although some NGOs stepped in to initiate shipping capacity to resume access, much of this activity relied on small local vessels with dubious safety and reliability, and in due course with some chartered small cargo vessels with bow ramps, the popular Landing Craft Tank or LCTs. There were many locations in Nias and Simeulue served by beach landings suitable for LCTs.
The SAF, Singapore Armed Forces, mounted its biggest-ever rescue and relief operation, Codenamed Operation Flying Eagle. The missions were in four locations in two countries - Medan, Banda Aceh and Meulaboh in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand. A self-sufficient, landing ship dock RSS Endurance, with sea, air, and land transport capabilities, set sail with the mere anticipation that Within a few days of the disaster, the RSS Endurance sailed to Aceh to deliver emergency supplies, medical personnel and HASG (Humanitarian Assistance Support Group) personnel to aid in the relief efforts. She was then joined by RSS Persistence on 4 January 2004 and RSS Endeavour on 16 January 2004. They became a vital component in the relief efforts, bringing in essential supplies, equipment and personnel.
The west coast of Aceh, Indonesia was devastated and its population was in need of assistance. The composition of the ship's Task Force - a primary healthcare team, field surgical team, and public health component - as well as the supplies and equipment carried by the ship was decided in advance of on-the-ground assessments. The Singaporean team was among the first to arrive and initiate operations, thanks, in large part, to it possessing logistical capabilities. Although she was able to eventually land her amphibious craft the re-shaping of the seabed by the force of the Tsunami caused delays as mariners sought to establish how close they dare go to shore. The ships were anchored 3.7 km away from the shore and were in 200 ft-deep waters in case another tsunami struck.
Landing Ships play an important role in the amphibious operations of any armed forces in the world. In Singapore, these ships have shown that it is not only able of playing this role well, but it also has the versatility to contribute significantly to non-combat missions such as Operation Flying Eagle.
In March 2009 ScanEagle, a long-endurance, fully autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS) developed by The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and subsidiary Insitu, successfully completed a ship-based trial with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The trial included both an RSN LST (Landing Ship, Tank) and a frigate. ScanEagle was launched and recovered from the ships' helicopter decks, flying day missions using an electro-optical camera payload and night missions using an infrared camera payload.
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