Changi Naval Base

Coordinates: 1°19′15.72″N 104°01′32.60″E / 1.3210333°N 104.025722°E / 1.3210333; 104.025722

Republic of Singapore Navy

Formations
Fleet
Maritime Security Task Force
Naval Diving Unit
Naval Logistics Command
Training Command
Ships
List of ships of the Republic of Singapore Navy
Bases
Tuas Naval Base
Changi Naval Base
Former Brani Naval Base

Changi Naval Base (CNB) is the latest naval facility of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and was built to replace Brani Naval Base. Located about 1.5 kilometres east of Changi Air Base (East) and 3.5 kilometres east of Singapore Changi Airport, the base was built on 1.28 km² (0.50 sq mi) of reclaimed land, it was officially opened on 21 May 2004 by Goh Chok Tong, the second prime minister of Singapore.

Overview

Entrance to Changi Naval Base (CNB)

Its 6.2 km (3.9 mi) berthing space can accommodate an aircraft carrier^[1] and is often used by visiting ships of the Royal Navy as part of the Five Powers Defence Arrangements and United States Navy (USN), as a result of the signing of the addendum to the 1990 United States-Singapore Memorandum of Understanding in 10 November 1990, which formalised arrangements for USN ships to use CNB facilities.^[2]

The Straits Times stated in an editorial that:

“

The US Navy uses Singapore's naval facilities for logistics and re-supply, while Singapore uses American air bases and abundant space for ground training.[3]

”

Design

Automation was incorporated into the design of CNB to reduce manpower requirements. It has an automated underground ammunition depot that allows ammunition to be loaded onto the ships and an automated warehouse system to store items. The base has a fibre optic broadband network for information management. The base was also designed to be environment-friendly, with three small-scale wind turbines powering the 50 lights along the breakwaters at night. Conventional roof construction materials were substituted by 72 thin film solar panels and the solar energy generated lights 100 downlights in the base. Seawater is used in the air-conditioning system,^[4] saving about 35,000 m³ (equivalent to 20 Olympic-sized pools) of potable water annually.^[5]

Deployment

Currently, the submarines, frigates, amphibious transport docks and missile gunboats are based at CNB. Co-located in CNB is the Changi Naval Training Base, also known as RSS Panglima - named in honour of the first ship of the navy.^[6][7]

References

1. ^ "Our Bases". Republic of Singapore Navy. http://www.mindef.gov.sg/navy/assets_bases.html. Retrieved 2005-03-04. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Transcript: Cohen/Tan press briefing on US-Singapore relations". USIS Washington File. Archived from the original on 2005-04-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20050426084021/http://canberra.usembassy.gov/hyper/WF981110/epf203.htm. Retrieved 2005-05-07. 
3. ^ The Straits Times (in print) editorial on November 23, 2009. http://www.straitstimes.com/Home.html
4. ^ "DSTA developed innovative solutions at Changi Naval Base". DSTA. http://www.dsta.gov.sg/home/DisplayPage/ContentPage10.asp?id=2170. Retrieved 2005-05-07. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "DSTA gives Changi Naval Base a 'green' edge". DSTA. http://www.dsta.gov.sg/home/DisplayPage/ContentPage12.asp?id=2166. Retrieved 2005-05-07. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ "1956 - Serving with pride: The RSS Panglima". MINDEF. http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/about_us/history/birth_of_saf/v12n01_history.html. 
7. ^ "2004 - Changi Naval Base". MINDEF. http://www.nexus.gov.sg/imindef/about_us/history/maturing_saf/v10n05_history.html. 

External links

• RSN web page on Changi Naval Base (CNB)
• Changi Naval Base on GlobalSecurity.Org