SAF debunks claim that parachutes are packed by China contractors
TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — Debunking claims that it has outsourced the packing of parachutes to foreign companies, Chief Commando Officer Simon Lim said today (Jan 12) this function has been outsourced to “reputable local company” Singapore Technologies since 2010.
The response comes after Facebook user Leslie Ang had claimed in a post on Saturday that the packing of the parachutes is no longer done by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) “Riggers” — SAF staff who have been trained and certified to pack parachutes. Mr Ang claimed the role had been outsourced to contractors from China. Since the post was put up, it has been shared more than 970 times.
In a post on the Singapore Army’s Facebook page today, Colonel Lim clarified that the SAF continues to employ riggers for key operations and training roles. “(But) in order to optimise our resources, we have outsourced the parachute-packing function to Singapore Technologies (ST) — a reputable local company,” he said. This arrangement has been in place since 2010 and there has not been any problems arising from parachute reliability, he added.
He also said many of ST’s parachute-packing staff are former riggers from the Commando Formation, and all of ST’s parachute-packing staff are trained and competent in their roles. “The training that they undergo, conducted by the SAF Master Rigger, is benchmarked against the United States Federal Aviation Administration standards,” he said.
The SAF Master Rigger will certify ST’s packers and closely supervise the packing process while all equipment for specialised operations passes quality assurance checks and adheres to stringent safety procedures.
He added: “We are confident that this arrangement allows us to optimise the deployment of our SAF Riggers, whilst meeting the full operational and training needs of the SAF Commando Formation.”
Hours after the Facebook post, another one was put up featuring interviews with riggers on the parachute packing process.
According to the second post, the process comprises seven sequential stages, and all stages are critical. They are done by one packer and one checker with "no changes in personnel throughout", whereby the Singapore Technologies staff assumes the packer role while the SAF Rigger assumes the role of the checker, the SAF said.
"At the end of each stage of the packing process, the packer will call for a check by our SAF Rigger, who ensures that the parachute is packed correctly," the SAF said.
In addition, the SAF Riggers conduct safety inspection for each stage before allowing the packer to proceed to the next stage of the packing process.
In the post, 3WO Shirley Ng, an SAF Rigger of the Aerial Delivery Wing, Special Operations Tactical Support Centre, said: “There is no room for error. Their (soldiers’) lives depend on us.”
