Singapore Armed Forces

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military of the Republic of Singapore. They are responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. Since its inception, the SAF has been involved in various operations, both domestically and abroad. It has an approximate active strength of over 51,000 full-time personnel and is capable of mobilising over 252,500 reservists in the event of national exigencies or a full-scale war. It also has a large pool of conscripts (also known as Full-time National Servicemen, or NSFs) in the active and reserve forces, with about 50,000 reaching military age annually. The SAF is headed by the chief of defence force, appointed by the President, on the advice of the Cabinet. It was first created in 1854 as a private organisation, with the governor serving as its first Colonel. It is one of the most capable, robust, technologically sophisticated and powerful militaries in the Southeast Asia region. In the 1980s the SAF in Singapore armed itself to attain the capability to defend Singapore's maritime lifeline.