SINGAPORE: Anxiety gripped him as the roaring racket of waves echoed throughout the vessel. It was, after all, the first time Kee Jie En was in the closed confines of a submarine diving deep into the sea.
“You don’t normally hear water crashing above you,” said the 23-year-old Military Expert (ME1) in the Singapore navy. “So the sounds that you hear in the beginning can be a little more frightening.”
But his instincts honed through training kicked in and soon he was going about his duties as a platform systems operator. What also helped was valuable advice from close to home: His own father Kee Kian Peng is a 35-year navy veteran who retired from uniformed service in 2023 as a senior lieutenant-colonel.
The 54-year-old is currently deputy director of the crew training wing at the submarine training school; before that, he commanded Singapore’s first- and second-generation submarines.
The father-son duo’s naval journeys mirror Singapore’s growth in the submarine domain, from the pioneer batch trained overseas in the 1990s to the self-sustaining force today.
Still, the submarine community remains somewhat enigmatic, for reasons of operational security. Little is known about the duration of their operations, the areas where they operate and, for that matter, what they actually do.
Public appearances have also been rare. The one time Singaporeans caught a glimpse was during a National Day maritime review in 2000, when RSS Conqueror participated in a sailpast.
It was Singapore’s first submarine, purchased in 1995 from the Royal Swedish Navy. The elder Kee was part of a pioneer crew who trained in Sweden’s Karlskrona city in 1996.
“It snowed on the day that we arrived. So it gave us really a foretaste of what to expect while we're in Sweden – the unforgiving winter, the tough Baltic Sea conditions and the Swedish language that we were unfamiliar with,” he recalled.
“Fortunately, the Swedish instructor could speak some English and of course, we also had to moderate the pace of our Singlish.”
When the RSS Conqueror entered service in 2000, Mr Kee was the communications officer. He rose through the ranks to become commanding officer in 2004. In 2014, he became the commanding officer for the RSS Archer.
His son ME1 Kee was in primary school when he saw a submarine for the first time, at a family day event. It left a lasting impact but signing on as a regular was never on his radar, until a career talk during his basic military training changed his mind. He has been in the navy for three years now.
“When the opportunity came to learn and operate the navy’s newest platform, I jumped at it,” said the crew member of the RSS Invincible, one of two modern and customised submarines commissioned in September last year.
“Added to that as well, I get to learn more about my dad's job. I think the decision is pretty meaningful and special to me.”
Both Kees have not been able to reveal much about their jobs to loved ones, beyond general aspects.
Mr Kee usually points to movies such as Crimson Tide and The Hunt for Red October, which he described as “actually a very good snapshot” of life onboard a submarine. The younger Kee meanwhile tells his peers that he’s simply an engineer ensuring machines keep running smoothly.
What is obvious to all is that submarine life involves being away from home for long spells, and being in a confined and limited space.
To occupy their free time, some submariners bring dumbbells and barbells to work out; others download Netflix shows onto their phones. With no internet connectivity on board, it also means adapting to not being able to contact friends or family.
Each submarine has at least two trained para-counsellors on board, to help with the crew’s psychological welfare if loneliness and other mental challenges set in.
Crew members also become a “second family”, said Mr Kee. “We actually bond very closely with one another, because we are literally eating together, we are working together, and we are sleeping in close proximity with one another. This camaraderie is really what keeps us going.”
The proceedings during the commissioning ceremony of the Republic of Singapore Navy’s first two Invincible-class Submarines, RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable, at Changi Naval Base on Sep 24, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
The Singapore navy’s 7th flotilla – its submarine force – also provides support back home, assisting families if any need arises.
ME1 Kee told CNA he still remembers how his father was out at sea and had to miss his 10th birthday celebration.
“It was definitely a bit sad,” said the older of two brothers – yet he also felt a sense of pride knowing his dad was out there serving and protecting the country.
Mr Kee said it was about making it up by celebrating important family events before or after his absence.
“It’s just a management of your time on how to make sure that when you're ashore, you spend your time well with your family, and not just let it pass by so easily.”
Father and son have also bonded through the elder Kee’s imparting of experience, from simple tips like packing “a bit more” underwear for operations to deeper guidance on handling the stresses involved in submarine life.
“Some of the perspectives that he has as a senior commander can only be accrued over decades of service, and so this is the kind of practical knowledge he willingly passes down to everybody,” said ME1 Kee.
Mr Kee said he has taken care to ensure there are no conflicts of interest in his interactions with his son.
In the submarine training school, he does not have oversight of ME1 Kee’s progress, as his focus is on training command-level sailors. He is also not in charge of the qualification course and had no influence over his son’s assessments.
Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong at the commissioning ceremony of the Republic of Singapore Navy’s first two Invincible-class Submarines, RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable, at Changi Naval Base on Sep 24, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
Practically speaking, much has changed as well in terms of the vessels which they operate.
The first-generation Challenger-class submarine was akin to a manual car, where everything was mechanical and had to be operated by hand, said Mr Kee, while today’s Invincible-class submarine is like an electric vehicle.
“Everything is more connected and everything is touch panel.”
Training now also involves new and modern simulators in which trainees learn to deal with emergencies in a safe and controlled environment. It has contributed to training periods being shortened significantly, in parallel with the development of more local expertise and capabilities.
Where Mr Kee’s four-year training took place overseas, ME1 Kee’s year-long stint was divided into a nine-month qualification course in Singapore and three months abroad.
Some things haven’t changed, though, including the tradition of submariners drinking a sip of seawater after their first dive, and the high standards demanded of being part of Singapore’s submarine force.
Asked if he feels any pressure to continue his father’s legacy, ME1 Kee said he was grateful his batch could benefit from the lessons and struggles of those before them.
“I wouldn't say it’s stressful, but I think there's a little burden to shoulder so that we're able to continue to keep this submarine capability functioning and working as intended,” he said.
Mr Kee said decades of knowledge have been passed down through batches of submariners and captured and incorporated in today’s Invincible-class submarines.
“I'm actually quite envious of them (the current batch), because they are really operating a boat that has more technology and more well-equipped, and has better living conditions compared to our time,” he said.
“I'm also quite proud that Jie En has continued to choose this path, and I really hope that he knows what to do; how to carry on the baton going forward; and be able to bring the submarine capability to new heights.”
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“You don’t normally hear water crashing above you,” said the 23-year-old Military Expert (ME1) in the Singapore navy. “So the sounds that you hear in the beginning can be a little more frightening.”
But his instincts honed through training kicked in and soon he was going about his duties as a platform systems operator. What also helped was valuable advice from close to home: His own father Kee Kian Peng is a 35-year navy veteran who retired from uniformed service in 2023 as a senior lieutenant-colonel.
The 54-year-old is currently deputy director of the crew training wing at the submarine training school; before that, he commanded Singapore’s first- and second-generation submarines.
The father-son duo’s naval journeys mirror Singapore’s growth in the submarine domain, from the pioneer batch trained overseas in the 1990s to the self-sustaining force today.
Still, the submarine community remains somewhat enigmatic, for reasons of operational security. Little is known about the duration of their operations, the areas where they operate and, for that matter, what they actually do.
Public appearances have also been rare. The one time Singaporeans caught a glimpse was during a National Day maritime review in 2000, when RSS Conqueror participated in a sailpast.
It was Singapore’s first submarine, purchased in 1995 from the Royal Swedish Navy. The elder Kee was part of a pioneer crew who trained in Sweden’s Karlskrona city in 1996.
“It snowed on the day that we arrived. So it gave us really a foretaste of what to expect while we're in Sweden – the unforgiving winter, the tough Baltic Sea conditions and the Swedish language that we were unfamiliar with,” he recalled.
“Fortunately, the Swedish instructor could speak some English and of course, we also had to moderate the pace of our Singlish.”
When the RSS Conqueror entered service in 2000, Mr Kee was the communications officer. He rose through the ranks to become commanding officer in 2004. In 2014, he became the commanding officer for the RSS Archer.
His son ME1 Kee was in primary school when he saw a submarine for the first time, at a family day event. It left a lasting impact but signing on as a regular was never on his radar, until a career talk during his basic military training changed his mind. He has been in the navy for three years now.
“When the opportunity came to learn and operate the navy’s newest platform, I jumped at it,” said the crew member of the RSS Invincible, one of two modern and customised submarines commissioned in September last year.
“Added to that as well, I get to learn more about my dad's job. I think the decision is pretty meaningful and special to me.”
SECRETIVE EVEN TO LOVED ONES
Both Kees have not been able to reveal much about their jobs to loved ones, beyond general aspects.
Mr Kee usually points to movies such as Crimson Tide and The Hunt for Red October, which he described as “actually a very good snapshot” of life onboard a submarine. The younger Kee meanwhile tells his peers that he’s simply an engineer ensuring machines keep running smoothly.
What is obvious to all is that submarine life involves being away from home for long spells, and being in a confined and limited space.
To occupy their free time, some submariners bring dumbbells and barbells to work out; others download Netflix shows onto their phones. With no internet connectivity on board, it also means adapting to not being able to contact friends or family.
Each submarine has at least two trained para-counsellors on board, to help with the crew’s psychological welfare if loneliness and other mental challenges set in.
Crew members also become a “second family”, said Mr Kee. “We actually bond very closely with one another, because we are literally eating together, we are working together, and we are sleeping in close proximity with one another. This camaraderie is really what keeps us going.”
The proceedings during the commissioning ceremony of the Republic of Singapore Navy’s first two Invincible-class Submarines, RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable, at Changi Naval Base on Sep 24, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
The Singapore navy’s 7th flotilla – its submarine force – also provides support back home, assisting families if any need arises.
ME1 Kee told CNA he still remembers how his father was out at sea and had to miss his 10th birthday celebration.
“It was definitely a bit sad,” said the older of two brothers – yet he also felt a sense of pride knowing his dad was out there serving and protecting the country.
Mr Kee said it was about making it up by celebrating important family events before or after his absence.
“It’s just a management of your time on how to make sure that when you're ashore, you spend your time well with your family, and not just let it pass by so easily.”
PASSING THE BATON
Father and son have also bonded through the elder Kee’s imparting of experience, from simple tips like packing “a bit more” underwear for operations to deeper guidance on handling the stresses involved in submarine life.
“Some of the perspectives that he has as a senior commander can only be accrued over decades of service, and so this is the kind of practical knowledge he willingly passes down to everybody,” said ME1 Kee.
Mr Kee said he has taken care to ensure there are no conflicts of interest in his interactions with his son.
In the submarine training school, he does not have oversight of ME1 Kee’s progress, as his focus is on training command-level sailors. He is also not in charge of the qualification course and had no influence over his son’s assessments.
Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong at the commissioning ceremony of the Republic of Singapore Navy’s first two Invincible-class Submarines, RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable, at Changi Naval Base on Sep 24, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
Practically speaking, much has changed as well in terms of the vessels which they operate.
The first-generation Challenger-class submarine was akin to a manual car, where everything was mechanical and had to be operated by hand, said Mr Kee, while today’s Invincible-class submarine is like an electric vehicle.
“Everything is more connected and everything is touch panel.”
Training now also involves new and modern simulators in which trainees learn to deal with emergencies in a safe and controlled environment. It has contributed to training periods being shortened significantly, in parallel with the development of more local expertise and capabilities.
Where Mr Kee’s four-year training took place overseas, ME1 Kee’s year-long stint was divided into a nine-month qualification course in Singapore and three months abroad.
Some things haven’t changed, though, including the tradition of submariners drinking a sip of seawater after their first dive, and the high standards demanded of being part of Singapore’s submarine force.
Asked if he feels any pressure to continue his father’s legacy, ME1 Kee said he was grateful his batch could benefit from the lessons and struggles of those before them.
“I wouldn't say it’s stressful, but I think there's a little burden to shoulder so that we're able to continue to keep this submarine capability functioning and working as intended,” he said.
Mr Kee said decades of knowledge have been passed down through batches of submariners and captured and incorporated in today’s Invincible-class submarines.
“I'm actually quite envious of them (the current batch), because they are really operating a boat that has more technology and more well-equipped, and has better living conditions compared to our time,” he said.
“I'm also quite proud that Jie En has continued to choose this path, and I really hope that he knows what to do; how to carry on the baton going forward; and be able to bring the submarine capability to new heights.”
Continue reading...