Singapore Special Operations Force.html



The Special Operations Force (SOF) is part of the Singapore Army's Commandos arm. It is highly trained, and trains regularly with the United States Delta Force, U.S. Army Rangers, and Navy SEALs. They also practice free-falling in all terrains and weather conditions.

Selection and Training

It takes approximately four years to complete SOF training, including training in overseas deployments and freefalls to qualify as an SOF trooper.

Operations

Operation Thunderbolt

Known operations include the 1991 rescue of Singapore Airlines Flight 117 at Singapore Changi Airport.

The SIA Airbus A310 was hijacked on March 26, 1991, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) commandos stormed the Airbus at 6:50 am on March 27 with the operation over in 30 seconds and 123 passengers and crew were freed with no injuries to hostages or SOF commandos¹. All four hijackers were killed by gunfire.¹

This was the first time the SOF was revealed to the public.

The operation was unique on two accounts: first, it marked the first time Singapore resolved an aircraft hijacking with the use of deadly force. Second, it was the first time that an SAF unit had been sent on operations even before its existence had been officially acknowledged. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the SAF did not take the wraps off the SOF even after the black-clad commandos were photographed storming the SIA plane. They would consistently refer to them as commandos. MINDEF only acknowledged the SOF's existence on February 20, 1997. This was 13 years after they were formed and six years after they first went into action.

References

See also

• Naval Diving Unit (Singapore)
• Special Tactics and Rescue (Singapore)
• List of special forces units