SINGAPORE: When it opens next year, the Changi Command and Control Centre will give our efforts to keep our maritime security watertight a boost.

Pooling elements from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), the Police Coast Guard and the Maritime Port Authority under one roof, the centre will allow the agencies to come together and strike out more swiftly when threats loom.

It will also facilitate regional cooperation: Maritime information collected at the centre can be shared with partner agencies from other countries.

And forming a key part of our defense artillery then will be the RSN's new frigates, which are armed with combat systems to deal with air, surface and underwater threats.

The three new frigates commissioned on Tuesday — RSS Intrepid, RSS Steadfast and RSS Tenacious — follow the RSS Formidable that was commissioned last May. The remaining two frigates are expected to be operational by next year, said Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean.

The 114m-long warships — which comprise one of the most advanced Singapore Armed Forces programmes — will provide the RSN with a "quantum leap" in warfare capabilities, the minister added at the commissioning ceremony.

These ships are equipped with anti-aircraft missiles and powerful sensors that can chart a clearer picture of the situation at sea. The ships, which can carry a Sikorsky S-70B naval helicopter each, will also add steel to Singapore's air defence. The helicopters are slated to arrive next year.

But even with the best weapons, the "ultimate priority" in defence is still the people, said Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Chew Men Leong (picture) in an interview last week. With a buoyant economy, it is natural to face pressures in terms of recruiting or retaining talent, said RAdm Chew. It is thus important to ensure that officers' pay keeps pace with that of their peers in the private sector and that people have a fulfilling career in the force, he added. - TODAY/ar