MORE TO SEE AND DO AT THIS YEAR'S NAVY OPEN HOUSE

Ever wanted to experience life as a sailor in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)? Held at Changi Naval Base (CNB) from 9am to 7pm on 18 and 19 May, this year's Navy Open House (NOH 2013) will leave you spoilt for choice with a wide range of activities.

Participate in a Fire Fighting and Damage Control drill, patch a "hole" in the hull of a mock-up ship, or try your hand at steering a ship on the Bridge Simulator exhibit. Another highlight not to be missed is the 15-minute high-octane dynamic display, where you can catch the elite naval divers in action as they storm a vessel to rescue hostages.

Military Expert (ME) 7 Low Yong Joo, Naval Logistics Commander and chairman of this year's NOH organising committee, wanted NOH 2013 to "bring the sea to the people".

"The Navy is the silent warrior, always out there 24/7 but out of the public eye. This is a great opportunity for the public to know more about the Navy, what we do and the people behind the Navy."

He revealed that almost 120,000 visitors attended the previous NOH held three years ago. Organisers are aiming to attract the same number of visitors this year with a series of new and enhanced displays, as well as by bringing back crowd favourites.

For the first time this year, visitors can walk along an 80m "One SAF (Singapore Armed Forces)" avenue to visit the One SAF static display and take photos with the RSN's S-70B Sea Hawk naval helicopter, the Army's Leopard 2SG Main Battle Tank and the Bionix II Infantry Fighting Vehicle, as well as the Air Force's Surface-to-air PYthon-5 and DERby (SPYDER) ground-based air defence system.

Perennial crowd favourites include visits on board all of the RSN's classes of ships, including the submarine rescue vessel MV Swift Rescue, and photo-taking opportunities with a submarine.

Even foreign warships will be participating in this year's NOH. Look out for Australia's patrol boat (the HMAS Bathurst), India's Frigate and Corvette (the INS Satpura and INS Kirch), Indonesia's Corvette and Fast Missile Boat (the KRI Fran Kaisepo and KRI Kujang) and the United States' Littoral Combat Ship (the USS Freedom).

To ensure smooth flow of traffic, more than 90 buses have been catered to ply the route between the Singapore Expo and the CNB fairground, an increase of about 20 buses from the last NOH. For the first time this year, auxiliary police will also be deployed at key junctions to manage traffic and shorten the travelling time to CNB.

Entry to CNB is strictly through the free shuttle buses departing from the Singapore Expo Hall 3 at the following times.

Grab the chance to sail on an RSN ship

Visitors who wish to go on a sea cruise on the Missile Corvette, Patrol Vessel or Mine Counter-measure Vessel can place their coupons (found on the event brochure) into dedicated boxes at the Information Booth located behind the 1.000-seat spectator stand.

The lucky ones will be notified via SMS 45 minutes before the start of each cruise, which will take place at 11.30am, 1pm, 3.30pm, 4.30pm and 5.30pm on both days. The cruise will last for an hour.

Missed out on tickets? Don't despair. There are also rides on board the Fast Craft Utility (FCU) and the LARC V. Queue at the lower deck of the Landing Ship Tank (LST) docked at the West Wharf for the FCU ride, or head towards the area between the West Wharf and the West Pier for the LARC V ride.

Safety tips for a safe and enjoyable NOH 2013!

• While visiting ships, please wear covered shoes and flats. As there will be some stair-climbing involved, ladies are advised not to wear skirts and dresses.

• For their safety, children below 0.9m, pregnant ladies and those with mobility problems will not be allowed for the sea cruises and rides.

• As the weather is expected to be very warm, visitors are advised to bring along sun block and umbrellas and to don caps. A raincoat is also recommended in case of rain.

• In the event of inclement weather, all outdoor activities, including ship visits will be temporarily stopped.