page_title: Republic of Singapore Navy
section_title: New security challenges
hierarchical_section_title: Republic of Singapore Navy / History / Independence of Singapore / New security challenges
caption_attribution_description: English: Tuas maritime dispute off the coast of Johor and Singapore
context_page_description: The Republic of Singapore Navy is the naval branch of the Singapore Armed Forces, responsible for the defence of Singapore against sea-borne threats and protection of its sea lines of communications. Operating within the crowded littoral waters of the Singapore Strait, the RSN is widely regarded as one of the most highly sophisticated and well trained in the region. It conducts regular operations with the Royal Malaysian Navy and Indonesian Navy to combat piracy and terrorist threats. To provide air surveillance of the seaward approaches to Singapore, the RSN also jointly operates maritime patrol aircraft with its counterparts from the RSAF to ensure the security of one of the busiest sealanes in the world.
  Though numerically small in comparison to its much larger neighbours in terms of tonnage and manpower reserves, the RSN seeks to maintain a qualitative superiority over any adversary through the implementation of new technologies and fostering of alliances with extra-regional navies. It conducts regular bilateral exercises with the United States, China, India, Australia and New Zealand.
context_section_description: Mindful of the need to upgrade its capabilities to counter ever evolving security threats, the RSN has introduced new Archer class submarines, Formidable class frigates and Independence class littoral mission vessels to its fleet, further enhancing its deterrence at a time of rising disputes in the surrounding seas. In 2009, COSCOM was revamped into the Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) to act as a co-ordinating agency for all national maritime agencies to allow for the seamless execution of maritime security operations. In response to a surge in piracy during the decade, the RSN also engaged in multilateral anti piracy operations in the Malacca Strait with neighbouring nations; and in the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa under the multinational naval Combined Task Force 151, taking command of the task force thrice.
  It also participated in both the search for MH Flight 370 in the Gulf of Thailand and QZ Flight 8501 in the Karimata Strait in 2014. In an analysis of the SAF humanitarian response to Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen noted that the disruption of communications on the ground underscored the need for a Joint Multi Mission Ship platform which could provide "centralised ability for command and control" in the air.
  In October 2018, Malaysia extended its Johor port limits past its 1979 maritime claims into waters off the reclaimed Tuas sector which Singapore claims as its own, leading to a tit-for-tat response as the latter extended its Singapore port limits to overlap with Malaysia's. As Malaysia deployed elements of the Malaysia Coast Guard and government ships to enforce their claims, the RSN's littoral mission vessels were stationed on location 24/7 with the Police Coast Guard, leading to the 2018 Tuas standoff. Both nations eventually suspended the overlapping port limits and withdrew from the area following successful negotiations, though the area remains undelimited.
  The RSN celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017 and hosted an international fleet review, with twenty nations participating.
caption: Map of the Tuas maritime dispute, which shows Malaysia's new claims going beyond its 1979 maritime line
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