The Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group (abbreviation

Abbreviation

An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...

: CBRE; Chinese: 生化武器、辐射性物质及爆炸物防御团) is a group formed by various Singapore Armed Forces

Singapore Armed Forces

The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...

 (SAF) units to enhance counter-terrorism

Counter-terrorism

Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...

 capabilities and provide an immediate response in the event of chemical and biological incidents.

The CBRE Group also works closely with the Singapore Civil Defence Force

Singapore Civil Defence Force

The Singapore Civil Defence Force is the main agency in charge of the provision of emergency services in Singapore during peacetime and emergency.A uniformed organisation under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the main role of SCDF is to provide...

, Singapore Police Force

Singapore Police Force

The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...

, Ministry of Health

Ministry of Health (Singapore)

The Ministry of Health is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for providing information, raising health awareness and education, ensuring the accessibility of health services, and monitoring the quality of health services provided to citizens and visitors in the Republic of...

, Ministry of the Environment, as well as the Defence Science and Technology Agency and DSO National Laboratories.

Organization

The group consists of two battalions from the Singapore Combat Engineers

Singapore Combat Engineers

The Singapore Combat Engineers is one of the combat arms of the Singapore Army. Combat Engineers provide mobility by bridging gaps and clearing minefields to facilitate speedy advance of troops into enemy territory, and counter-mobility by constructing obstacles such as anti-tank ditches to impede...

 — the 36th and the 39th, specializing in Explosive Ordnance Disposal and chemical

Chemical warfare

Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...

, biological

Biological warfare

Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...

 and radiological defence respectively.

The Medical Response Force serves as the elite medical arm of the CBRE. It is tasked with managing and treating casualties from a chemical or biological attack. Apart from CBRE as a whole, it too, works closely with the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

Notable exercises

In 17 January 2003, CBRE Defence Group conducted an exercise code-named Exercise Diamond Shield to demonstrate its capability in counter-terrorism. Another exercise was conducted on 20 January 2006, with simulated multiple CBRE incidents.

In September 2005, CBRE Defence Group took part in a bilateral exercise with Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 code-named Star Lion in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, to enhance its preventive and responsive capabilities.

They also featured prominently in Exercise Northstar V, held on 8 January 2006 and involving an enactment of bombing and chemical attacks at four Mass Rapid Transit

Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang Station and Toa Payoh Station, opened in 1987 establishing itself as the second-oldest metro...

stations and a bus interchange.