[4][5][6] The RSN also regularly conducts operations with the navies of its neighbouring countries to combat piracy and terrorist threats in the congested littoral waters of the Strait of Malacca and Singapore.

Though numerically small in comparison to its much larger neighbours in terms of tonnage and manpower reserves, the RSN counteracts by continuously seeking to maintain a qualitative superiority over any adversary through the implementation of new technologies, fostering of alliances with extra-regional navies, and increased reliance on automation and unmanned assets.

A new 90' motor vessel bearing the name Panglima was launched in 1944, but upon its transfer to the MRNVR in 1948, proved unsuited for tropical waters and began deteriorating rapidly.

[16] During the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, Singapore-based ships were charged with defending the southern border against infiltrators and saboteurs, and also undertook local minor engagements against the Indonesian Navy.

[28] The foresight was validated a few weeks later when terrorists from the Japanese Red Army attacked an oil complex on Pulau Bukom and hijacked the Laju ferry.

[33][34] From 1975 to 1976, six Sea Wolf-class missile gunboats were commissioned, which proved vital during Operation Thunderstorm when they were deployed to patrol and apprehend the influx of boat people fleeing the fall of South Vietnam.

Due to budgetary constraints in the early 1980s, Defence Minister Howe Yoon Chong decided to allocate more funds to the Air Force for the acquisition of a squadron of F-16s; the fighter jets were deemed to possess a higher strategic strike value and capable of more diverse roles compared to ships.

Howe claimed the Navy's function was best relegated to coastal defence and suggested mounting Oerlikon guns on towed barges as a replacement to guard the nation's maritime borders.

This created a "crisis of confidence" within the RSN in the next few years, which defence planners regarded as lacking a proper doctrine for existence beyond patrols and tackling illegal immigration.

[39] Between 1990 and 2001, the resurgent navy acquired six Victory-class missile corvettes, twelve Fearless-class patrol vessels, four Endurance-class landing ship tanks and also commissioned four secondhand Challenger-class submarines from Sweden to hone its underwater domain skills.

[40] In January 2003, RSS Courageous collided with a merchant vessel within the vicinity of Pedra Branca during a patrol, resulting in four casualties and the first ship to be stricken as a total loss.

[41] As a result of the accident, additional safety measures were implemented and the training program enhanced, including the requirement for all officers to better understand the manoeuvring characteristics of their ship and take a COLREGs test every six months.

Between 2007 and 2020, the RSN has introduced new Archer-class submarines, Formidable-class frigates and Independence-class littoral mission vessels to its fleet to enhance its deterrence amidst rising tensions in the surrounding seas.

Unmanned assets such as the Specialised Marine Craft patrol boat and Protector USV have been commissioned to combat the personnel shortfall in Singapore due to falling birthrates.

[46][47] The RSN has engaged in multilateral anti-piracy operations in the Malacca Strait with neighbouring nations;[48] and in the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa under the multinational naval Combined Task Force 151, taking command of the task force thrice;[49][50][51][52] It participated in both the search for MH Flight 370 in the Gulf of Thailand and QZ Flight 8501 in the Karimata Strait in 2014.

[53][54][55] In an analysis of the SAF humanitarian response to Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen noted that the disruption of communications on the ground underscored the need for a platform which could provide "centralised ability for command and control" in the air.

The MRCVs will act as a 'mothership' for unmanned assets and host mine-countermeasure Venus-16 USVs,[52] while the JMSS will increase the RSN's aviation capabilities in supporting disaster relief operations.

As midshipmen, part of their training involves being deployed four weeks at sea with the regular fleet to hone their skills in leadership, navigation and basic seamanship.

[78][79] The enlisted specialists and military experts undergo a rigorous and realistic Summative Exercise (SUMEX) at the end of their course prior to joining the operational ships.

It will additionally feature a virtual procedural trainer that replicates the submarine with all its more than 12 million parts, that offers both physical and tactile training opportunities for the crew members while ashore.

[88] Enlistees to the Naval Diving Unit are selected based on their eyesight and medical fitness and trained at Frogman School located within Sembawang Camp.

[95] The lead ship of the class, RSS Formidable was built overseas in Lorient, France and commissioned locally on 5 May 2007, marking the 40th anniversary of the RSN.

[98][99] The class was designed with the "lean manning" concept to facilitate a smaller crew complement to reflect the declining birthrate in Singapore, with increased levels of automation and remote monitoring systems.

[107] The ships are also actively involved in humanitarian and disaster relief operations, notably in East Timor, the Persian Gulf, the tsunami-hit Indonesian province of Aceh and most recently, disappearance of Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501.

The ships are constructed of glass reinforced plastic to maintain low magnetic and acoustic signatures, and are fitted with Voith Schneider Propellers, giving it the highest manoeuvrability in the navy.

They were deployed together with the Endurance-class landing ships tank to the North Persian Gulf for peacekeeping operations in 2005, where they performed surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as force protection duties for more than eight hours at a go.

A life extension program between 2009 and 2013 redesigned the mast to incorporate new sensors, overhauled the combat management system, and added the ability for the ship to launch a single ScanEagle UAV for remote surveillance without the need to approach a target.

[138] 189 Squadron was subsequently transferred to Coastal Command in January 2005, placing all eleven ships under the same formation; the anti-submarine suite was also gradually removed as the RSN refocused its ASW capability on other platforms.

A comprehensive tropicalisation refitting programme was implemented for all four submarines, which involved the installation of air conditioning, marine growth protection systems and corrosion-resistant piping.

Automation was incorporated into the design of TNB to reduce manpower requirements, such as mechanical ramps for the loading and unloading of vehicles and an automatic storage and retrieval system.