The Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) newest urban training facility will be a real-life version of first-person shooter game Counter-Strike.

It will feature targets that can return fire and retreat, and scorecards to grade soldiers on their performance.

SAFTI City 100 football fields big

Known as "SAFTI City", it will progressively open from 2023.

It will be the size of 100 football fields when completed and comprise of more than 70 concrete buildings.

This will include three 12-storey blocks, simulated underground facilities and urban training structures, such as schools and malls.

Buildings and roads are configurable, giving soldiers a different mission setting each time.

SAFTI City can replicate Singapore’s highly urbanised streetscape with interconnected building clusters and MRT station with multiple surface exits.

S$400 million facility

The facility will cost S$400 million to build.

It will provide a realistic environment for soldiers to tackle new threats and it will improve training effectiveness.

According to CNA, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on June 28 that the SAF’s chances of fighting in jungle operations have “diminished considerably”.

“The SAF today is expected to conduct a wider range of operations amidst a complex and uncertain security environment,” he said.

“These include homeland security, counter-terrorism, urban operations and disaster relief operations.”

“When completed, SAFTI City promises to be among the most advanced purpose-built military training facilities for urban ops in the world.”

How SAFTI City works

Soldiers will fire at targets using blanks with lasers, and those who get hit will have red lights blink on their vests.

Targets can shoot back using the same laser technology or retreat.

They can also move on what look like Segways.

They will fall flat once killed.

Equipped with tech

SAFTI City will be equipped with sensors for monitoring and capturing data.

Battlefield instruments and video cameras will track soldiers’ actions in real time.

This will allow training performance to be compiled and processed using data analytics, providing prompt and accurate feedback on individual soldier and team performances.

Soldiers will have their performance graded on a scorecard, with distance covered, shot accuracy and average kills measured.

When completed, SAFTI City will contain more than 200 buildings and span 88 hectares including maneuver space.

At the brigade level, a total of 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers in a single mission can be trained at one time.