THE TRAINING ACADEMY FOR THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE NAVY

Abstract

"Singapore .. .the naval key to the Far East ... " "Singapore ... the Gibraltar of the East ... " Time and again, the strategic importance of Singapore in the naval history of the world has been reaffirmed. It is largely contributed by her control of the Straits of Malacca. However, it certainly comes as a surprise looking at the status of the Republic of Singapore Navy (the RSN ). It is until recently efforts in promoting the image of the RSN is witnessed. Even then, the thrust has been in rather superficial screening of celluloid and rendition of slogan. The navy lacks the glamour of airforce or the publicity of the army. It is like a silent but diligent oceanic police, patrolling the coastal waters of Singapore and warding off any potential threat. Singapore's navy can never aspire to attain the popularity of the navies of the great maritime nations like Britain. This is due to the presence of certain inherent limitations. In the first place, the navy comes under the Singapore Armed Forces. The ranks of the officers follow that of the army. There are no titles like Admirals, neither is there a separate Navy Headquarter. It is the conscious effort of the government to unite the land, air and sea forces under the control of the MINDEF. In addition, in the warfares of today, particularly in the context of Singapore, it is becoming increasingly difficult to draw the fine line between the navy and the other forces. Nevertheless, enjoying the longest history and being most steep in tradition among the three forces, the RSN deserves Its share of respect and esteem. The first step towards boosting the image of the RSN is in improving the quality and capability of the naval personnels, be it the officers or the crew. In other words, the training of the naval personnels is of utmost importance. The concept of the naval key takes on a second connotation. The training branch of the navy holds the responsibility of admitting candidates of calibre to the RSN. For that reason, It constitutes the key to the commendation of respect of the RSN from the public, simply by virtue of the integrity and proficiency of the naval personnels that it produces. To achieve this purpose, the existing training facilities of the RSN is to be examined Site visits to the existing training schools and lengthy discussions with some naval officers has confirmed the need to develop a new training institution. However, the search for an appropriate expression for the new Training Academy For The RSN is not an easy task. This is the point of departure for the thesis. "Throughout history, Maritime insularity has been a key ingredient in intellect ferment, the growth of applied technology and the fostering of democracy." C. G. Reynolds Maritime nations, by virtue of the sea enjoy "national privacy". With no unfriendly powers poised on their borders they can ignore culturally inhibiting forces such as military frontiers and forts, military strongman and depots, and frequent border dispute. They can devote their time to develop their institution and industries in relative peace. In addition, by the very nature of their economic life, such nations have placed a high premium on the worth and skill of individuals. The spirit of great maritime peoples has been embodied in their naval heros and their tireless explorers. Life at sea is a high adventure, involving the wisdom and raw stamina in a battle not only against the enemy but also nature. Singapore, without doubt, falls into the category of maritime nations. THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Before plunging into the design of the Training Academy For The RSN. it is worthwhile to be equipped with a basic understanding of the history of naval warfare. This will also assist in the pinpointing the role of the RSN in the international waters and the direction to which the training of the RSN personnels should be geared towards. In addition as the design of the warship embodies the spirit of the great Maritime peoples, being borne out of the most stringent requirements of the technologists, the strategists, the economists and at times the artisans, the warships through different ages will be analysed according to the Hillier's four function model. In this way, a better understanding of the skills and abilities a naval officer must possess in order to maneouvre this complex piece of machinery. This is important as the training of a naval officer is very different from any other military officer in view of the increased specialisation of naval warfare. THE ART OF WAR IN ARCHITECTURE With the basic understanding of naval warfare, the study can proceed to cover that of architecture related to war, or more precisely, naval battles. This research defines the architectural issue for this thesis: the extent to which war theories can be employed as a generator of the architectural forms. The design of the Training Academy For The RSN will be the vehicle to demonstrate that proposition. THE DESIGN OBJECTlVES To carry out the exploration in a more systematice way, three design objectives are carried out. These include the search for the appropriate : training environment training curriculum & training organisation The influence of war theories in the adoption of the desgin solutions to these objectives will be highlighted.