SAF opens new institute to train soldiers in homeland security operations

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has opened the new Island Defence Training Institute (IDTI) at Clementi Camp to train soldiers in homeland security and counter-terrorism operations.

The IDTI will train active and national service (NS) units and equip them with the skills to defend the homeland and deal with counter-terrorism alongside their counterparts from the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Commander 2 PDF/IDTF colonel Dinesh Vasu Dash said: “Let me just highlight how the IDTI fits into the entire ecosystem – IDTI aims to be a centre of excellence to train National Servicemen and National Service force members for both homeland security as well as homeland defence missions.

“In other words, if we were to deploy our soldiers to the heartlands, they need to be trained to do similar duties to what the police are doing in the heartlands.

“They need to be trained and need to be given a wide spectrum of training facilities to be able to deal with a whole host of security threats that they might be facing.

“We feel that IDTI is timely at this point in time; it fits very a very important area and allows our soldiers to be well-trained before they can be deployed to the public."

About 18,000 active and operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) will be trained at the institute in homeland security operations, and a further 15,000 personnel for other Island Defence roles annually.

The IDTI comprises two centres, the Homeland Security Training Centre (HSTC) and Island Defence Training Centre (IDTC), and two schools namely, Security and Policing Leadership School (SPLS) and the Security and Policing Vocational School (SVPS)

While the SPLS and SVPS will focus on military security and policing duties, the HSTC and IDTC will be responsible for training and develop SAF units in the protection of military and civilian key installations and conduct of joint deterrence patrols.

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Image: Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) personnel responding to a terrorist scenario during the joint homeland security demonstration at the Island Defence Training Institute (IDTI). Photo: courtesy of Government of Singapore.