Structure & Units of Army

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Army Introduction

Total Personnel & Equipment

Individual Unit

Army Introduction

The Army has completed the integration of its active and reserve ground forces. The army's 3 combined arms divisions, the 3rd, 6th and 9th, each now comprise 2 infantry brigades and 1 mechanised brigade. Each has an overall strength of 13,000. The change is designed to improve all-round training effectiveness and to permit greater specialisation in areas such as heli-borne and waterborne operations. A mechanised division (32nd Division) is currently being planned.

The Army has 2 other formations, the 21st Division which is a rapid deployment force built around 3 elite infantry brigades and 25th Division which is very much a paper force, made up of personnel who have completed their 13-year reservist training cycle. There are also 2 People's Defence Force Commands which are essentially second-line, wholly reservist light infantry divisional-type formations specialising in home defence (coastline defence and key installations defence).

Units that do not belong to the Combined Arms Divisions or the People's Defence Force Commands are under the command of the Chief-of-Staff. These specialist units may operate independently or could be directed to assist the Combined Arms Divisions during operations.

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Total Personnel & Equipment

Note: Full-time NS man are those serving their 2.0 to 2.5 years of national service. NS man are those serving their 13-year reservist cycle. Reserves are those who finished their 13-year reservist cycle and will not be recalled for training during peacetime.

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Individual Unit

Note: In SAF, typically, 7 men form 1 section, 3 sections = 1 platoon, 3 platoons = 1 company, 3 companies = 1 battalion (Bn) (which is named as regiment), 3 battalions (regiments) = 1 brigade (Bde), 3 brigades = 1 division (Div).

Note: SIB = Singapore Infantry Brigade, SIR = Singapore Infantry Regiment, SAB = Singapore Armoured Brigade, SAR = Singapore Armoured Regiment, SCE = Singapore Combat Engineers (battalion size), SADA = Singapore Air Defence Artillery (battalion size), DISCOM = logistics, maintenance and support units, SA = Singapore Artillery (battalion size).

Note: Guards (battalion size) = Elite infantry trained in heli-borne and amphibious warfare. 7th SIB is an active Guards brigade while 13th SIB and 15th SIB are NS man units.

Note: 25th Division is makeup of soldiers who have completed their 13-year reservist training cycle or those who are not in active reservist training. The strength of this division is estimated to be above 100,000.

Note: PDF = People's Defence Force. 1st PDF and 2nd PDF have a total strength of about 34,000 soldiers. PDF units are Singapore last line of defence consisting of mainly light infantry NS man and reserves. The roles of PDF units are to defence Singapore's coastal line and key installations during wartime. PDF units are equipped with 20mm AA guns.

Note: Due to tough trainings and high physical expectations, reservist commandos go through a 6-year training cycle instead of the usual 13-year cycle. SOF are regulars trained in special operations such as anti-terrorists.

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