BUILDING

THE FIGHTIN FORCE

The fighting force was not built in a day. It took the efforts and determination of many people and 2 decades to arrive at where the MGB is now. WE attempt to chart the progress of the MGB from its patrolling role in its current role as a principal strike craft in the Navy.When the MGBs arrived in the early 1970s, they were given more patrol duties than time for operational training. The training schedule was further aggravated by the "refugee problem" which warranted more Naval surface units to be committed to our coastal surveillance. Though acquired as a missile gunboat, the MGB was not quite used as one until much later in the decade.

The patrolling duties of the MGBs were gradually eased with the arrival of the Coastal Patrol Craft. The RSN's intention then was to establish a professional wartime defence capability, which was the original role planned for the MGBs. Hence, they began to concentrate more on the training of their roles as principal strike craft and in the development and doctrines and tactics.

That was also the begininning of the "Cycle Training". The
"cycle" programme dictatedthe training schedulefor each ship. Basically, each ship had to go through a period of work-up training followed by exercises to maintain the training standards. The requirement then was for a ship to go through 15 sorties before she could be considered operationally ready. A typical week would begin with an exercise briefing on Monday. On Tuesday, the ships would proceed for a TTC exercise. The ships would then sail on Wednesday and returned on Thursday. The sortie debrief would be conducted on Friday. On Saturday, the Officer would type the report and the ship would prepare for the sortie of the next week. This would go on and on , week after week until the ship attained her operational readiness status. On top of all these were patrol duties which though reduced, were not totally removed.

In 1986, the MGBs were finally relieved of all patrolling duties. There was another impetus to boost the MGBs fighting capability, this time in terms of combat endurance. Longer sorties were then planned for the MGBs and these sorties were nicknamed, albeit inappropriately, "Compressed Sorties". Compressed training also had the added advantage of reducing the work-up training period. Within a year, "Compressed Sorties" were then found to be too demanding on the crew with no significant training values gained. It was then replaced wiht the "2 days 1 night" compact training sorite which has persisted until today.

During the 80s, the MGBs settled nicely into their roles as the principal strike crafts of the RSN. The training and readiness of the ships were maintained throughout with regular training exercises both at sea and on shore. Notwithstanding all these, it is clear that the MGBs had consistantly caught up with time as tchnology advanced over the years. Over the decade of the 80s, the MGBs went through many  upgrading programmes such that the MGBs of today is remarkably different from the MGBs of 1975. The MGB entered another era as she sailed proudly into the 90s. The MGBs of the 90s are now before our eyes. A ship fittedwith the technology of a frigate and manned by highly educated and trained crew, putting it in good stead with established navies.

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