Singapore Armed Forces Parachute Team
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The Singapore Armed Forces Parachute Team (SAFPT), also known as the Red Lions is best known for its free-fall displays at the annual National Day Parade held in Singapore since its first appearance in 1989 as a formalised team, although members of the Singapore Commandos Formation had put on sporadic displays since the 1970s. Primarily responsible for organising display jumps and representing the Singapore Armed Forces in competitions, the team adopted the name "Red Lions" in 1996 as part of its identity.
In 2014, Third Warrant Officer Shirley Ng became the first female Red Lion parachutist to jump at the National Day Parade in Singapore.[1][2]
The Red Lions also saw action in the opening ceremony of the 1993 Southeast Asian Games.
The SAFPT comprises two entities: the display jumpers themselves, and the "central nucleus". The basic qualification for a display jumper is a minimum of 500 jumps, with its members drawn only from amongst the Commandos and the Naval Diving Unit as they are the only formations which are operationally trained in military free-fall. Training is usually conducted on weekends to avoid affecting operational responsibilities during the workweek, as all free-fallers are also full-time servicemen.
The central nucleus supports the display team's logistical and administrative needs, and plan and coordinate their training program. As such, most of them are Parachute Jump Instructors from the Parachute Training Wing.