[ad_1]
SINGAPORE: Security forces will be alert next week. About 19 heads of state are expected to arrive in Singapore for the 33rd ASEAN summit.
Various armed forces of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will organize a joint operation involving more than 40 assets and 1,600 men for the Summit, which will take place from Monday to Thursday (11-15 November).
These are the Air Defense Task Force, the Marine Safety Working Group, the Island Defense Task Force and the Special Operations Working Group. They will work with Interior Ministry agencies to provide security at the summit site, Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Center.
Security forces will be on alert for the 33rd ASEAN summit. (Photo: Ariel Lim)
The security requirements of the upcoming event are as complex as the historic summit held in June between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to Colonel Lim Kok Hong, chief of the current SAF operations group.
"We have many more heads of state coming here, about 19 other dependent heads of state. The movements will be very different and there will be more complexity on the ground, "said Colonel Lim.
READ: SCDF to Deploy Hazmat Transport Vehicles and 150 Officers at ASEAN Summit
Speaking aboard RSS sovereignty at Tuas naval base on Friday, Colonel Lim said the various agencies were working closely together to develop and execute plans for the summit.
Sovereignty RSS is one of five Coastal Mission ships ordered by Singapore, patrolling overpopulated and busy waters. At all times, up to two LMVs or patrol ships secure the territorial seas of Singapore, as well as the Coastal Police.
Singaporeans should expect security operations different from those of the Trump-Kim Summit.
"Each summit site will pose different challenges, the previous one was much closer to the sea, so our security position is different, it's closer to the inside, but there's a lot more to Heads of State, many more hotels, different, "noted Colonel Lim.
As part of joint SAF operations, two other such vessels will be stationed at the waters surrounding Marina Barrage. They will be accompanied by an unmanned aerial vehicle and an Apache helicopter.
In the air, the Air Defense Task Force will activate the Gulfstream 550 for airborne surveillance of the island. During critical periods, the air force will have combat planes, helicopters or surveillance planes in flight to enhance its defense.
On land, MHA agencies are responsible for security. They are supported by the Island Defense Task Force, which includes sections on chemical, biological, radiological and explosive products that will conduct preventive scans in key areas.
Special Operations teams will also be available for any contingency or counter-terrorism measure when Heads of State are present.
