Singapore

Republic of Singapore

The Republic of Singapore is a small island nation in Southeast Asia, formerly a British colony and part of British Malaya. The nation became a self-governing member of the British Commonwealth in 1959, and in 1963 declared independence from Britain. A short-lived member of the Federation of Malaysia, the country was expelled in 1965 and has remained a sovereign republic since.

The Singapore Armed Forces contains approximately 71,000 active duty personnel in the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Camouflage Patterns of Singapore

• The earliest documented use of camouflage by the Armed Forces of Singapore can be traced to the mid-1960s, in the form of a helmet cover printed in a spot pattern camouflage bearing strong similarities to the Beo Gam (leopard) pattern of the Republic of Vietnam. The origins of this camouflage pattern are unknown, but the helmet covers were worn by Infantry units through 1976, after which they were replaced by a striped pattern.

• The standard working uniform of the Singapore Army during the 1970s and 1980s was called the Temasek olive green uniform. Only Commandos were issued camouflage uniforms, in a unique vertical stripe or vertical lizard pattern that first appeared circa 1976 as a helmet cover sported by Infantry units on the M1 steel helmet. The earliest variation of this pattern is printed on 100% cotton twill fabric, and bears a color scheme reminiscent of some patterns seen in Iran during this period, with bright reddish-brown, black, and olive green stripes on a pale olive background.

• Later variations of the vertical stripe pattern were apparently produced in two different versions, one having a more green dominant colorway and the other featuring a higher percentage of black. The differences result from the two colors being exchanged during the printing process, since both variations are based on the same set of drawings, and were produced in a cotton-blend fabric. Rumored to have been developed in Israel, a lighter-colored variation of this pattern was later adopted by the Navy Commandos of the Cypriot National Guards, although the latter seems to be based on a slightly modified set of drawings.

• In the mid-1980s, the SAF adopted a general issue camouflage uniform for all services, based on the US m1948 ERDL camouflage design. Introduced in 1983 and initially supplied primarily to officers, early versions of the camouflage (of South Korean origins) were printed using non-colorfast dyes that apparently faded quickly to a grayish-green shade. This issue would be corrected with later incarnations. The designation of this uniform is "Uniform Man's No.4 Dress Camouflage." Although obviously influenced by US ERDL, the Singapore version in fact incorporates different shapes. Illustrated below are early and later versions, illustrating the differences in color between production runs.

• Although not part of the SAF, the Singapore Police Force Gurkha units wear uniforms in British Soldier 95 DPM pattern camouflage.

• In 2009, the SAF introduced a series a new pixelated camouflage design to replace the previous leaf pattern uniform. Designated "Uniform, Man's, Pixelised, Camouflage Pattern No 4 Dress," the standard issue (temperate) camouflage design incorporates black, foliage green and moss green on a brown base.

• Also released in 2009, a desert version of the pixelated pattern was issued only to personnel serving abroad, such as those attached to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The desert pattern has dark brown and tan pixels on a sandy-colored background, and all indications point to the likelihood that is has been discontinued or remaining stocks are reserved only for an emergency deployment.

• Two additional pixelated designs (one for the Singapore Navy and another for the Air Force) were revealed in May of 2012. Seen here, they are simply a re-coloration of their standard Army pattern but with grey or blue (respectively) instead of green as the primary tone.

• Created in October 2022, the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) is a branch of service specializing in the gathering and distribution of military intelligence, fortifying the nation's digital defence capabilities (cybersecurity), and providing psychological defence for Singapore's military personnel. Although personnel from this service initially wore the standard No. 4 temperate camouflage uniform, a new pixelated design was adopted early in 2024, consisting of dark brown, medium brown, and light tan pixelated shapes on a greyish-khaki background.

Other Camouflage Patterns worn by Singapore

• A small contingent of military personnel (mostly medical) deployed to Afghanistan (ISAF) circa 2006-2007 wearing desert tiger stripe pattern camouflage uniforms designed by the US company Tiger Stripe Products.