Passing the Combat Diver Course is an important milestone for individuals seeking to become part of the Singaporean Navy’s elite Naval Diving Unit.
Thanks to TheDrive for this:
This is a graduation ceremony at the bottom of a diving pool for a group of trainees who had passed the Republic of Singapore Navy’s Combat Diver Course, with everyone in full scuba gear.
The 13 foot deep dive pool is located at the Singapore Armed Force’s (SAF) Sembawang Camp in the northern part of the country.
The pool is specifically designed so groups can see what is happening underwater, with large windows along one side, and is also used for public demonstrations of the skills of personnel assigned to the country’s elite Naval Diving Unit (NDU).
As with the U.S. SEALs’ legendary Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Team course, or BUD/S, the Republic of Singapore Navy’s training program for prospective NDU members includes a “hell week” that is designed to weed out individuals who are unlikely to make it through the entire course. It has been reported that up to 60% of those who start this training process regularly wash out.
The NDU traces its roots back to elements of the British Royal Navy’s Far East Fleet Clearance Diving Team (FECDT), which arrived in Singapore in 1959, at which time it was a self-governing British colony. When the FECDT personnel left in 1971, at which point Singapore had become an independent country, its own Navy created a new diving unit, which was initially focused on more traditional underwater salvage and demolitions missions.
