Captain (CPT) Vijeykannen Ng Hui Yan S/O Vijayaratnam is one of the many committed individuals making a contribution to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and its operations. The 2016 SAF Merit Scholarship recipient embarked on a fulfilling career with the Army in 2020 and has never regretted a moment since.

For the 25-year old, joining Our Army has given him the ideal opportunity to marry his passion for computers with the calling to serve the nation.

From Individual Interests to Playing a Part in National Defence

Since his teens, CPT Vijeykannen always had a keen interest in how things work. His interest evolved from playing video games to programming software and applications before progressing to computer security. So, it was no surprise that he wanted to pursue Computer Science as a major.

What was also certain was his choice to join Our Army. CPT Vijeykannen had attended an engagement session where he got to know more about SAF Scholarships and the important work done by the organisation. The speakers who exuded a sense of camaraderie and pride deeply impressed him and left him feeling motivated to play his part in the defence of Singapore.

CPT Vijeykannen went on to apply for the SAF Merit Scholarship and was successful in his application. Through the support of the scholarship, CPT Vijeykannen pursued a Master of Engineering in Computer Science at University College London.

"While there would be many places I can go with my degree, Our Army is the place where I can best contribute to Singapore," asserted CPT Vijeykannen. "Singapore's security cannot be taken for granted and contributing to Singapore's security is one of the ways I can best give back to my country."

Building Battlefield Networks

Currently, CPT Vijeykannen is serving as the Battalion Signal Officer (BSO) of the 2nd Battalion Singapore Infantry Regiment.

"As the BSO, I am in charge of all Command, Control, Computer, Communication, or C4, equipment in the battalion," he explained. In other words, he takes on the important task of ensuring that vital intelligence and instructions can be transmitted securely between the command centre and the battlefield.

"During operations, I plan for the employment of the battalion's C4 assets to allow us to communicate seamlessly across the entire area of operations," CPT Vijeykannen shared.

With multiple responsibilities come multiple challenges, but he enjoys taking them head-on and emerging stronger for it.

"It gets tough mentally and physically, but it is very fulfilling especially when you overcome challenges together, such as completing exercises successfully as a team with my platoon," said CPT Vijeykannen.

Beyond the battlefield, CPT Vijeykannen sees to the welfare and operational readiness of the soldiers under his command. He takes a hands-on approach when training his soldiers, ensuring that they are conversant with their roles and equipment, while also making sure that they are physically fit and mentally prepared for long and gruelling missions.

Contributor to the Security of Singapore

CPT Vijeykannen understands that a career with the SAF is not for everyone, but if you have the passion to serve the nation and contribute to Singapore, there are few organisations more fulfilling than Our Army.

"The Army is a huge organisation and there are many different fields and roles that cater to a wide array of interests. One of the unique features of an Army career is that our roles get rotated every few years so we have the opportunity to work on something new and bring new perspectives," he said, when asked about the career opportunities available.

"The most important thing is that [you] must know very clearly what [you] want to achieve in the Army and why [you] chose to sign on in the first place," he advised. "With a vision in mind, the tough days get easier."