NDP 2023: New Total Defence Parade to be featured in this year’s celebrations
As part of the ‘Defending Our Nation as One’ segment, the Total Defence Parade will include three different components.
A new addition to this year’s National Day Parade (NDP) is the Total Defence Parade (TDP), which will feature six large floats, a drive-past featuring 20 assets and a film finale.
The TDP, alongside the usual Parade and Ceremony (P&C), is part of the NDP segment titled Defending Our Nation as One.
The first component of TDP will feature six floats representing each of the six pillars of Total Defence – Social, Psychological, Economic, Digital, Civil and Military.
A combined Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) drive-past will showcase 20 assets as part of the second component.
Assets from the SAF include the Leopard 2SG Main Battle Tank (L2SG), the Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV), the Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV), the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), the Light Strike Vehicle MK II (LSV), the Aster 30 Missile System, the Mobile Adjustable Ramp System (MARS), the Peacekeeper Protected Response Vehicle (PRV), the Fast Response Vehicle (FRV), the Surface-to-Air PYthon-5 and the DERby-Air Defence System (SPYDER), the “Protector” Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) and the Harpoon Missile.
The SPF will showcase the Tactical Strike Vehicle, the Next-generation Fast Response Car (Next-generation FRC), the Traffic Police Expressway Patrol Car, and the Armoured Personnel Carrier.
The 6th Generation Light Fire Attack Vehicle (LF6G), the Hazmat Mitigation Vehicle, the 7th Generation Ambulance and 5th Generation Pump Ladder will be showcased as part of the SCDF’s assets.
The last component, the TDP finale, will pay tribute to all Singaporeans who have played a part towards Total Defence. The finale will be strung together by a film centred on a boy who seeks to uncover what Total Defence is.
All parade participants will perform a salute to tribute all who have contributed towards Total Defence over the past 58 years known as the TDP Salute.
The P&C will be held at the Padang with a full-scale physical parade. The segment will involve more than 1,700 participants from 34 marching contingents which includes 24 contingents from youth, social and economic groups.
The upcoming NDP celebrations also mark the inaugural participation of the Singapore Armed Forces’ Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) as one of the Guard of Honour Contingents.
LTC Ragumaran S/O Davindran will be commanding the parade.
One highlight of the P&C segment includes the Military Tattoo performance which features the talents of the SAF, SPF and Combined Schools Band. Students from Bowen Secondary School Military Band and Yuhua Secondary School Concert Band are involved.
The Choir Music Video featuring a medley of past NDP songs will also be displayed, performed by 127 participants from SG Enable, Voices of Singapore (VOS) Starlight Voices, Pathlight School, Compassvale Secondary School, Xinmin Secondary School and Punggol Secondary School.
Audiences can also expect to see traditional P&C elements such as the Presidential Ceremonial Vehicle drive-past, Presidential Gun Salute, Feu-de-Joie and the State Flag Flypast flown by the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) Chinook helicopter and escorted by two Apache attack helicopters.
In conjunction with the RSAF’s 55th anniversary, NDP will also feature a “Salute to the Nation” by the RSAF’s F-16 and F-15SG fighter aircraft, as well as an enhanced RSAF55 Aerial Display segment.
According to the NDP Committee, this year’s parade aims to unite and inspire Singaporeans to strengthen our solidarity and resolve amidst complex threats and challenges by emphasising the importance of Total Defence.
