All individual physical proficiency test (IPPT) requirements will be waived for affected operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) with immediate effect, and in-camp training (ICT) activities that are not essential to operations have been deferred.

These new safe-distancing measures rolled out by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) during the Covid-19 outbreak was announced by the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) on March 31.

All IPPT preparatory training and remedial training at fitness conditioning centres, Safra gyms and parks will be suspended.

The fitness conditioning centres will be shut.

All training in the SAF will also be done in smaller groups.

New measures kick in until April 30

The new measures will be in place until April 30.

The ministry said: “While there is no requirement at this juncture for more stringent measures, such as isolating essential operational units within SAF premises, the SAF will continue to monitor the evolving situation and may implement further measures to ensure continued operational readiness, should the Covid-19 situation deteriorate.”

It was not announced if full-time servicemen (NSF) would still have to take the IPPT.

The new measures may be extended if the Covid-19 situation does not improve, Mindef said.

Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Melvyn Ong said: “It is increasingly clear that we are unlikely to return to the status quo anytime soon.”

Critical functions to continue

Mindef said that SAF crew would continue to perform critical functions round-the-clock.

On March 30, the SAF announced that guests would not be invited to the Basic Military Training Centre on Pulau Tekong on enlistment day as part of measures to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Enlistment of soldiers would be done in smaller batches. 

Mindef said the SAF had already put in place a slew of health precautions and safe-distancing measures. 

Top photo via The Singapore Army Facebook