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Mother of 2 serves as coxswain aboard Singapore Navy's first Sentinel-class OPV

While Military Expert 4 Angela Chan may be a seasoned sailor now, she once pursued a more conventional career path.The 46-year-old mother-of-two shared with AsiaOne that she studied engineering before entering the workforce, graduating with a diploma in Electronics, Computer and Communications.She worked in the industry for about six months before realising that office work did not suit her, ME4...

AsiaOne Singapore2026-10-02 06:30查看原文 ↗

Mother of 2 serves as coxswain aboard Singapore Navy's first Sentinel-class OPV

While Military Expert 4 Angela Chan may be a seasoned sailor now, she once pursued a more conventional career path.

The 46-year-old mother-of-two shared with AsiaOne that she studied engineering before entering the workforce, graduating with a diploma in Electronics, Computer and Communications.

She worked in the industry for about six months before realising that office work did not suit her, ME4 Chan said.

Drawn to the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) by an advertisement featuring the sun, sand and sea, she decided to join the Navy and has never looked back.

Now, she serves as coxswain aboard one of four new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs). The first of the vessels was launched on Thursday (Oct 1).

Dubbed Sentinel, the Sentinel-class vessel was launched at the Fassmer shipyard at Berne, Germany, during a ceremony officiated by Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing.

German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, Chief of German Navy Vice Admiral Wilhelm Tobias Abry and the RSN's Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Sean Wat were among those who attended the event.

Sentinel is the first of four OPVs, with the remaining three still under construction.

Following its launch, Sentinel will undergo various trials to assess its systems and performance before heading to Singapore.

The four OPVs are set to take over the responsibilities of the Sentinel-class Maritime Security and Response Vessels (MSRVs), which conduct maritime security operations and safeguard Singapore's territorial waters.

They will also work alongside government agencies such as the Police Coast Guard and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

As a coxswain, the ME4 Chan oversees crew manpower, welfare, discipline, and training matters for both herself and the crew of Sentinel.

At the time of the interview, her crew had undergone training programmes in Singapore to maintain core competencies, including small-arms firing and firefighting.

Overseas, ME4 Chan and her crew also studied theory, attending lessons on deck machinery among other courses.

With the enhanced capabilities of the OPV, she expects manpower planning to change and said she will need to be "well-versed" in the ship's systems and capabilities to efficiently deploy the crew.

Describing the change as one that brings "both advantages and challenges", ME4 Chan shared that the leaner crew means she is able to connect with each member more directly.

"I believe that looking after the crew is important to sustaining operational effectiveness," she said.

"By keeping an open line of communication, monitoring the team's workload and welfare and addressing issues early, I can help ensure that the crew remains motivated, capable and ready to perform throughout extended operations."

"Regardless of gender, everyone is part of the same team and is expected to contribute, pull their weight and know their job," said ME4 Chan.

She added that there are many inspiring women holding leadership appointments in the RSN, across different vocations and echelons.

This reflects the opportunities available for women to take on leadership roles and contribute meaningfully to Singapore's defence, she said.

"Seeing more women take on leadership appointments also provides encouragement to the next generation of female sailors who may aspire to similar roles.

"I hope to inspire and guide more people throughout my career - making small, meaningful changes in the hope that they will do the same for others in the future."

khooyihang@asiaone.com

虽然军事专家 4 级的安吉拉·陈现在是一名经验丰富的水手，但她曾经追求的是一条更传统的职业道路。

这位 46 岁的两个孩子的母亲向 AsiaOne 透露，她在进入职场前学习工程学，并获得了电子、计算机和通信专业的文凭。

ME4 Chan表示，她在业内工作了大约六个月后才意识到办公室工作并不适合自己。

她被新加坡共和国海军（RSN）的一则广告所吸引，广告中展现了阳光、沙滩和大海，于是她决定加入海军，并且从未后悔过。

现在，她在一艘新建的近海巡逻舰（OPV）上担任舵手。第一艘巡逻舰于周四（10月1日）下水。

被命名为“哨兵”号的“哨兵”级舰艇在德国伯尔尼的法斯默造船厂下水，国防部长陈振声主持了下水仪式。

德国联邦国防部长鲍里斯·皮斯托瑞斯、德国海军司令威廉·托比亚斯·阿布里海军中将和新加坡海军司令肖恩·瓦特海军少将等人出席了此次活动。

“哨兵”号是四艘近海巡逻舰中的第一艘，其余三艘仍在建造中。

Sentinel 推出后将进行各种试验，以评估其系统和性能，然后再前往新加坡。

这四艘近海巡逻舰将接替哨兵级海上安全与响应舰（MSRV）的职责，执行海上安全行动并维护新加坡的领海安全。

他们还将与新加坡警察海岸卫队和新加坡海事及港务管理局等政府机构合作。