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The Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition is an annual competition which confers awards of recognition to the most outstanding units of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in combat readiness, operational proficiency and administrative excellence. Besides encouraging the above, the award also seeks to promote esprit-de-corps and camaraderie among participating Army, Air Force and Navy units through friendly competition.[1]
The assessment factors of the competition are:
- Combat Proficiency Test
- Marksmanship Test
- Individual Physical Proficiency Test
- Standard Obstacle Course
- Unarmed Combat
- Security
- Manpower Matters
- Logistics Readiness Inspection
- Vehicle State
- Training Safety
The competition was started for active SAF units in 1969, before being extended to the reservist units (now known as NS units) in 1993. These units are conferred their awards at the annual Singapore Armed Forces Day parade.
The types of units that participate include:
- Singapore Infantry Regiment (SIR)
- Singapore Combat Engineers (SCE)
- Ordnance Supply Base (OSB), the Kranji base[2]
Active Army units
The 1st Commando Battalion has won the Best Combat Unit for an unprecedented 38 times since the award was launched in 1969, and for 21 consecutive years since 2004.[3]
| Year | Best Army Units | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat | Combat Support | Infantry/Guards | Armour | Artillery | Engineers | Signals/C4I | Combat Service Support[4] | |
| 1969 | 1 SIR | Not contested | Not contested | Not contested | Not contested | Not contested | Not contested | Not contested |
| 1970 | ||||||||
| 1971 | 3 SIR | |||||||
| 1972 | 4 SIR | GEB | ||||||
| 1973 | 2 SIR | 1 SIB | ||||||
| 1974 | 1 CDO BN | |||||||
| 1975 | 30 SCE | |||||||
| 1976 | ||||||||
| 1977 | 36 SCE | 1 SIR | 41 SAR | 24 SA | 36 SCE | |||
| 1978 | 41 SAR | 1 SIG | 4 SIR | 35 SCE | 1 SIG BN | |||
| 1979 | 42 SAR | SAFPU | 6 SIR | 42 SAR | 160 BN | 38 SCE | 2 SIG BN | |
| 1980 | 7 SIR | 7 SIR | 41 SAR | 1 SIG BN | ||||
| 1981 | 3 GDS | 2 SIG | 3 GDS | 46 SAR | 22 SA | 2 SIG | ||
| 1982 | 42 SAR | SAFPU | 42 SAR | 23 SA | GSMB | |||
| 1983 | 3 GDS | 2 SIG | 46 SAR | 25 SA | 35 SCE | OSB | ||
| 1984 | 41 SAR | 40 SAR | 40 SAR | 22 SA | 1 SIG | |||
| 1985 | 1 CDO BN | 1 CDO BN | 41 SAR | |||||
| 1986 | 5 SIR | 5 SIR | 40 SAR | 23 SA | 36 SCE | 1 TPT BN | ||
| 1987 | 1 CDO BN | SAFPU | 6 SIR | 24 SA | - | OSB | ||
| 1988 | 20 SA | 5 SIR | 20 SA | 35 SCE | ||||
| 1989 | 2 SIR | 41 SAR | 36 SCE | |||||
| 1990 | 24 SA | 5 SIR | 24 SA | 6 DSMB | ||||
| 1991 | 3 GDS | 3 GDS | 46 SAR | 35 SCE | GSMB | |||
| 1992 | 1 CDO BN | 22 SA | 1 GDS | 42 SAR | 22 SA | 36 SCE | ||
| 1993 | 23 SA | 5 SIR | 23 SA | |||||
| 1994 | 20 SA | 40 SAR | 20 SA | 3 SIG | 1 TPT BN | |||
| 1995 | 22 SA | 3 GDS | 42 SAR | 22 SA | 1 SIG | |||
| 1996 | 36 SCE | 1 GDS | 23 SA | |||||
| 1997 | 3 SIR | 3 SIR | 40 SAR | 21 SA | 2 SIG | 9 DSMB | ||
| 1998 | 1 SIR | 1 SIR | 1 SIG | |||||
| 1999 | 1 CDO BN | 21 SA | 2 SIG | 1 TPT BN | ||||
| 2000 | 20 SA | 3 GDS | 20 SA | 3 DSMB | ||||
| 2001 | 2 SIG | 24 SA | 35 SCE | 9 DSMB | ||||
| 2002 | 40 SAR | 20 SA | 1 SIR | 20 SA | 3 TPT BN | |||
| 2003 | 1 GDS | 3 SIG | 1 GDS | 46 SAR | 24 SA | 3 SIG | GSMB | |
| 2004 | 1 CDO BN | 3 TPT | 3 SIR | 3 TPT | ||||
| 2005 | 23 SA | 1 SIR | 41 SAR | 23 SA | ||||
| 2006 | 3 SIG | 5 SIR | 46 SAR | 36 SCE | GSMB | |||
| 2007 | 2 SIR | 40 SAR | 24 SA | 1 AMB | ||||
| 2008 | 24 SA | 3 GDS | 40 SAR | 30 SCE | 2 SIG | 3 TPT BN | ||
| 2009 | 39 SCE | 3 SIR | 42 SAR | 23 SA | 39 SCE | 3 SIG | ||
| 2010 | 3 GDS | 21 SA | 1 SIG | |||||
| 2011 | 24 SA | 3 SIR | 48 SAR | 24 SA | ||||
| 2012 | 11 C4I | 35 SCE | 11 C4I | 6 AMB | ||||
| 2013 | 1 SIG | 4 SIR | 40 SAR | 1 SIG | ||||
| 2014 | 38 SCE | |||||||
| 2015 | 38 SCE | 1 GDS | 48 SAR | |||||
| 2016 | 3 GDS | 40 SAR | GSAB | |||||
| 2017 | 1 GDS | 48 SAR | 6 AMB | |||||
| 2018 | 3 GDS | 11 C4I | ||||||
| 2019 | 3 SIR | 41 SAR | 17 C4I | |||||
| 2020 | 1 GDS | 40 SAR | 11 C4I | |||||
| 2021 | 35 SCE | 3 SIR | 41 SAR | 35 SCE | 16 C4I | |||
| 2022 | 39 SCE | 1 SIR | 21 SA | 39 SCE | 10 C4I | |||
| 2023 | 38 SCE | 1 GDS | 23 SA | 38 SCE | 16 C4I | |||
| 2024 | 30 SCE | 2 SIR | 42 SAR | 24 SA | 30 SCE | 10 C4I | ||
| Year | Combat | Combat Support | Infantry/Guards | Armour | Artillery | Engineers | Signals/C4I | Combat Service Support[4] |
Retired award
| Year | Best Army Units |
|---|---|
| Minor (1974–1976) | |
| 1974 | OMB |
| 1975 | SAFPU |
| 1976 | 36 SCE |
Active Navy units
Two new awards in maritime security and in naval engineering and logistics were introduced in 2015.
| Year | Best Navy Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fleet[5] | Maritime Security | Naval Engineering & Logistics | |
| 1981 | RSS Independence (Fast patrol craft) | Not contested | Not contested |
| 1982 | RSS Sea Scorpion (Sea Wolf-class gunboat) | ||
| 1983 | RSS Justice (Fast patrol craft) | ||
| 1984 | RSS Dauntless (Fast patrol craft) | ||
| 1985 | RSS Persistence (County-class LST) | ||
| 1986 | RSS Swift Archer (Coastal patrol craft) | ||
| 1987 | RSS Sea Scorpion (Sea Wolf-class gunboat) | ||
| 1988 | RSS Sea Hawk (Sea Wolf-class gunboat) | ||
| 1989 | RSS Sea Wolf (Sea Wolf-class gunboat) | ||
| 1990 | RSS Sea Dragon (Sea Wolf-class gunboat) | ||
| 1991 | RSS Sea Scorpion (Sea Wolf-class gunboat) | ||
| 1992 | RSS Vigilance (Victory-class corvette) | ||
| 1993 | RSS Valiant (Victory-class corvette) | ||
| 1994 | RSS Sea Hawk (Sea Wolf-class gunboat) | ||
| 1995 | RSS Victory (Victory-class corvette) | ||
| 1996 | |||
| 1997 | RSS Sea Dragon (Sea Wolf-class gunboat) | ||
| 1998 | RSS Sea Lion (Sea Wolf-class gunboat) | ||
| 1999 | RSS Victory (Victory-class corvette) | ||
| 2000 | |||
| 2001 | RSS Vigour (Victory-class corvette) | ||
| 2002 | |||
| 2003 | RSS Vigilance (Victory-class corvette) | ||
| 2004 | RSS Vengeance (Victory-class corvette) | ||
| 2005 | RSS Resolution (Endurance-class Landing Ship Tank) | ||
| 2006 | RSS Vengeance (Victory-class corvette) | ||
| 2007 | |||
| 2008 | RSS Formidable (Formidable-class frigate) | ||
| 2009 | RSS Victory (Victory-class corvette) | ||
| 2010 | RSS Stalwart (Formidable-class frigate) | ||
| 2011 | RSS Chieftain (Challenger-class submarine) | ||
| 2012 | RSS Valiant (Victory-class corvette) | ||
| 2013 | RSS Intrepid (Formidable-class frigate) | ||
| 2014 | RSS Formidable (Formidable-class frigate) | ||
| 2015 | RSS Tenacious | RSS Resilience | Systems Readiness Engineering Centre (Weapons) |
| 2016 | RSS Vigour | RSS Bedok | Systems Readiness Engineering Centre (Networks and Sensors) |
| 2017 | RSS Steadfast | RSS Resilience | Ship Superintending Engineering Centre |
| 2018 | RSS Stalwart | RSS Daring | Systems Readiness Engineering Centre (Weapons) |
| 2019 | RSS Formidable | RSS Independence | |
| 2020 | RSS Vigour | Ship Superintendent Engineering Centre | |
| 2021 | RSS Conqueror | RSS Fortitude | Systems Readiness Engineering Centre (Weapons) |
| 2022 | RSS Tenacious | RSS Fearless | |
| 2023 | RSS Valiant | RSS Dauntless | |
| 2024 | RSS Tenacious | RSS Indomitable | |
| Year | Fleet[5] | Maritime Security | Naval Engineering & Logistics |
Active Air Force units
The Best Helicopter Squadron award was introduced in 2010 to recognise the contributions of the RSAF helicopter squadrons. In 2014, two new awards in Control and Air Engineering were introduced. A new award in air logistics was introduced in 2015. 140 SQN currently holds the record for clinching the Best fighter Squadron 12 times.
| Year | Best Air Force Units | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighter Squadron | Helicopter Squadron | Ground Based Air Defence[6] | Air Combat Support[7] | Control Squadron | Air Engineering | Air Base Operability[8] | |
| 1985 | 145 SQN (A-4S Skyhawk) | Not contested | 165 SADA | Not contested | Not contested | Not contested | Not contested |
| 1986 | 140 SQN (Hawker Hunter) | ||||||
| 1987 | 149 SQN (F-5E/F Tiger II) | ||||||
| 1988 | 160 SADA | ||||||
| 1989 | 143 SQN (A-4SU Super Skyhawk) | 120 SQN (UH-1H) | |||||
| 1990 | 165 SADA | 122 SQN (C-130 Hercules) | |||||
| 1991 | 140 SQN (F-16A/B Fighting Falcon) | 160 SADA | 111 SQN (E-2C Hawkeye) | ||||
| 1992 | 165 SADA | 120 SQN (UH-1H) | |||||
| 1993 | 160 SADA | 125 SQN (Super Puma) | |||||
| 1994 | 126 SQN (Cougar) | ||||||
| 1995 | 144 SQN (F-5S/T Tiger II) | 160 SQN | 120 SQN (UH-1H) | ||||
| 1996 | 140 SQN (F-16A/B Fighting Falcon) | 3 DA BN | |||||
| 1997 | 145 SQN (A-4SU Super Skyhawk) | 165 SQN | 121 SQN (Fokker F-50 MPA/UTL) | ||||
| 1998 | 122 SQN (C-130 Hercules) | ||||||
| 1999 | 140 SQN (F-16A/B Fighting Falcon) | 160 SQN | 125 SQN (Super Puma) | ||||
| 2000 | 145 SQN (A-4SU Super Skyhawk) | 163 SQN | 120 SQN (UH-1H) | ||||
| 2001 | 142 SQN (A-4SU Super Skyhawk) | 111 SQN (E-2C Hawkeye) | |||||
| 2002 | 149 SQN (F-5S/T Tiger II) | 3 DA BN | 121 SQN (Fokker F-50 MPA/UTL) | ||||
| 2003 | 140 SQN (F-16C/D Fighting Falcon) | 18 DA BN | |||||
| 2004 | 149 SQN (F-5S/T Tiger II) | 160 SQN | 120 SQN (UH-1H) | ||||
| 2005 | 144 SQN (F-5S/T Tiger II) | 122 SQN (C-130 Hercules) | |||||
| 2006 | 140 SQN (F-16C/D Fighting Falcon) | 112 SQN (KC-135 Stratotanker) | |||||
| 2007 | 3 DA BN | 127 SQN (CH-47SD Chinook) | |||||
| 2008 | 149 SQN (F-5S/T Tiger II) | 121 SQN (Fokker F-50 MPA/UTL) | |||||
| 2009 | 144 SQN (F-5S/T Tiger II) | 112 SQN (KC-135 Stratotanker) | |||||
| 2010 | 140 SQN (F-16C/D Fighting Falcon) | 127 SQN (CH-47SD Chinook) | 121 SQN (Fokker F-50 MPA/UTL) | ||||
| 2011 | 149 SQN | 120 SQN | 165 SQN | ||||
| 2012 | 145 SQN (A-4SU Super Skyhawk) | 126 SQN | 163 SQN | 111 SQN | |||
| 2013 | 149 SQN (F-15SG Strike Eagle) | 116 SQN | |||||
| 2014 | 145 SQN (A-4SU Super Skyhawk) | 125 SQN | 122 SQN | 203 SQN | 807 SQN | ||
| 2015 | 144 SQN (F-5S/T Tiger II) | 126 SQN | 112 SQN | 206 SQN | Air Force Supply Centre | ||
| 2016 | 140 SQN | 127 SQN | 6 DA BN | 121 SQN | 208 SQN | 707 SQN | |
| 2017 | 143 SQN | 125 SQN | 165 SQN | 205 SQN | 811 SQN | Air Force Supply Centre | |
| 2018 | 149 SQN | 112 SQN | 207 SQN | 817 SQN | 706 SQN | ||
| 2019 | 142 SQN | 3 DA BN | 119 SQN | 206 SQN | 811 SQN | 707 SQN | |
| 2020 | 143 SQN | 163 SQN | 122 SQN | 816 SQN | 706 SQN | ||
| 2021 | 120 SQN | 3 DA BN | 112 SQN | ||||
| 2022 | 6 DA BN | 119 SQN | 811 SQN | 608 SQN | |||
| 2023 | 3 DA BN | 111 SQN | 201 SQN | 816 SQN | 707 SQN | ||
| 2024 | 142 SQN | 163 SQN | 205 SQN | 817 SQN | |||
| Year | Fighter Squadron | Helicopter Squadron | Ground Based Air Defence[6] | Air Combat Support[7] | Control Squadron | Air Engineering | Air Base Operability[8] |
Army NS units
| Year | Best Army NS Units | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infantry / Guards | Armour | Artillery | Combat engineers | Signals/C4I | Combat Service Support | Combat Support | |
| 1994 | 67 GDS / 88 GDS / 187 SIR | 422 SAR | 211 SA | 307 SCE | 6 SIG BN | 9 DS MED BN | Not contested |
| 1995 | 514 SIR / 543 SIR / 70 GDS / 91 GDS | 432 SAR | 204 SA | 8 SIG BN | |||
| 1996 | 184 SIR / 188 SIR / 504 SIR / 514 SIR / 543 SIR / 70 GDS | 423 SAR | 265 SA | 6 SIG BN | 6 DS MED BN | ||
| 1997 | 83 SIR / 188 SIR / 525 SIR / 541 SIR / 70 GDS / 550 GDS | 204 SA | 321 SCE | ||||
| 1998 | 184 SIR / 514 SIR / 525 SIR / 542 SIR / 531 GDS / 549 GDS | 416 SAR | 308 SCE | ||||
| 1999 | 185 SIR / 187 SIR / 523 SIR / 573 SIR / 531 GDS / 548 GDS | 425 SAR | 211 SA | 322 SCE | |||
| 2000 | 85 SIR / 187 SIR / 524 SIR / 573 SIR / 595 SIR / 548 GDS | 466 SAR | 323 SCE | ||||
| 2001 | 516 SIR / 542 SIR / 557 SIR / 602 SIR / 86 GDS / 90 GDS | 274 SA | 326 SCE | ||||
| 2002 | 652 SIR / 621 SIR / 596 SIR / 550 GDS / 86 GDS / 524 SIR | 254 SA | 324 SCE | ||||
| 2003 | 652 SIR / 652 SIR / 595 SIR / 550 GDS / 90 GDS / 548 GDS | 271 SA | 327 SCE | 9 SIG BN | |||
| 2004 | 652 SIR / 657 SIR / 596 SIR / 543 SIR / 566 SIR / 583 GDS | 424 SAR | 278 SA | 328 SCE | 6 SIG BN | ||
| 2005 | 588 SIR / 596 SIR / 657 SIR / 682 SIR / 550 GDS | 466 SAR | 275 SA | 324 SCE | 9 DS MED BN | ||
| 2006 | 626 SIR / 657 SIR / 596 SIR / 581 SIR / 609 SIR | 442 SAR | 278 SA | 6 DS MED BN | |||
| 2007 | 652 SIR / 622 SIR / 596 SIR / 609 SIR / 566 SIR | 466 SAR | 256 SA | 328 SCE | 31 FCCS BN | ||
| 2008 | 652 SIR / 622 SIR / 596 SIR / 634 GDS / 663 SIR | 442 SAR | 280 SA | 327 SCE | |||
| 2009 | 652 SIR / 622 SIR / 696 SIR / 685 GDS / 628 SIR | 282 SA | 329 SCE | ||||
| 2010 | 588 SIR / 700 SIR / 720 SIR / 685 GDS / 663 SIR | 280 SA | 9 SIG BN | ||||
| 2011 | 688 SIR / 700 SIR / 720 SIR / 724 GDS / 693 SIR | 453 SAR | 282 SA | ||||
| 2012 | 778 SIR / 700 SIR / 803 SIR / 745 GDS / 747 GDS | 452 SAR | 6 SIG BN | ||||
| 2013 | 688 SIR / 755 SIR / 720 SIR / 745 GDS / 747 GDS | 430 SAR | 287 SA | 321 SCE | 3 CSH | ||
| 2014 | 688 SIR / 755 SIR / 787 SIR / 734 GDS / 611 SIR | 483 SAR | 289 SA | 324 SCE | 32 CSS BN | ||
| 2015 | 688 SIR / 700 SIR / 787 SIR / 740 GDS / 611 SIR | 485 SAR | 321 SCE | 9 SIG BN | 8 CSH | ||
| 2016 | 754 SIR / 772 SIR / 787 SIR / 735 GDS / 611 SIR | 288 SA | 324 SCE | 3 CSH | |||
| 2017 | 733 SIR / 769 SIR / 788 SIR / 740 GDS / 812 SIR | 474 SAR | 289 SA | 327 SCE | 2 CSH | ||
| 2018 | 746 SIR / 772 SIR / 788 SIR / 740 GDS / 612 SIR | 473 SAR | 288 SA | 324 SCE | 63 CSS BN | ||
| 2019 | 746 SIR / 769 SIR / 790 SIR / 745 GDS / 792 SIR | 474 SAR | 267 SA | 327 SCE | |||
| 2020 | 786 SIR / 797 SIR / 790 SIR / 737 GDS / 792 SIR | 228 SA | 351 SCE | ||||
| 2021 | 746 SIR / 783 SIR / 793 SIR / 737 GDS / 716 SIR | 484 SAR | 295 SA | - | 38 CSS BN | 351 SCE | |
| 2022 | 786 SIR / 783 SIR / 791 SIR / 758 GDS / 716 SIR | 474 SAR | 9 SIG BN / 167 C4I | 61 CSS BN | - | ||
| 2023 | 776 SIR / 783 SIR / 791 SIR / 758 GDS / 909 SIR | 489 SAR | 6 SIG BN / 167 C4I | 33 CSS BN | |||
| 2024 | 776 SIR / 794 SIR / 763 SIR / 909 GDS / 757 SIR | 244 SA | 391 SCE | 9 SIG BN / 167 C4I | 2 CSH | ||
| Year | Infantry / Guards | Armour | Artillery | Combat engineers | Signals/C4I | Combat Service Support | Combat Support |
Retired award
| Year | Best Army NS Units |
|---|---|
| People's Defence Force Command | |
| 1994 | 73 SIR / 184 SIR |
| 1995 | 63 SIR / 504 SIR |
Naval NS units
A new Best Naval NS Unit award was introduced from 2015.
| Year | Best Naval NS Units |
|---|---|
| 2015 | RSS Vigilance (Victory-class missile corvette) |
| 2016 | RSS Vengeance Team 1 |
| 2017 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | RSS Vengeance |
| 2020 | |
| 2021 | |
| 2022 | RSS Vigilance |
| 2023 | |
| 2024 | 3rd Flotilla - Support Group 1 |
In 2003, the 1st Commando Battalion was barred from the competition after it was found guilty of doctoring score-keeping records and fitness test results.[9]
In 2009, three regulars from the 24th Battalion Singapore Artillery were convicted of falsifying their unit's test scores. Soldiers' results for the standard obstacle were doctored. As a result, the unit was disqualified that year and the trio were convicted and fined by the General Court Martial.[10]
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