Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition

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.

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

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.

Active Navy units
Two new awards in maritime security and in naval engineering and logistics were introduced in 2015.



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.

Naval NS units
A new Best Naval NS Unit award was introduced from 2015.

Controversies
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.

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.

Press releases

 * Factsheet - List of Best NS Unit Competition Winners 2000
 * Factsheet: Best Unit Award Winners for SAF Day 2006
 * Factsheet: Best Unit Award Winners for SAF Day 2007
 * Factsheet: Best Unit Award Winners for SAF Day 2008
 * Factsheet: Best Unit Award Winners for SAF Day 2009
 * Fact Sheet: Best Unit Award Winners (for 2010)
 * Fact Sheet: Full List of Winners (for 2011)
 * Fact Sheet: Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition 2012
 * Fact Sheet: Full List of Winners (for 2013)
 * Winners of Best Unit Competition 2014
 * Factsheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2015
 * Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2016
 * Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2017
 * Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2018
 * Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2019
 * Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2020

Video clips

 * , accessed 4 December 2008.