The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), the armed forces have four service branches: the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Digital and Intelligence Service. An integrated force, it is one of the most capable, robust, technologically sophisticated and powerful militaries in Southeast Asia and the surrounding regions. The SAF is headed by the chief of Defence Force, who holds the rank of a Lieutenant-General or Vice-Admiral, and is appointed by the president of Singapore. The SAF consists of four service branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS). The SAF protects the interests, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Singapore from external threats. In recent years, the SAF has also taken on a more active role in counter-terrorism efforts both domestically and abroad. Since its inception, the SAF has been involved in various operations, both within and outside of Singapore's borders. These include peacekeeping missions in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Nepal and Timor Leste, as well as the humanitarian aid operations in various countries, such as the Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In addition, the SAF has assisted the United Nations (UN) to oversee and supervise the electoral process in countries such as Cambodia, Ethiopia, Namibia and South Africa. It has an approximate active strength of over 71,000 full-time personnel and is capable of mobilising over 352,500 reservists (also known as National Servicemen, or NSmen) in the event of national exigencies or a full-scale war. It also has a large pool of conscripts (also known as Full-time National Servicemen, or NSFs) in the active and reserve forces, with about 50,000 reaching military age annually. History Pre-independence Singapore's military role stems from its strategic geographical location, an asset exploited by both local settlers and foreign colonists alike. Archaeological excavations have discovered remnants of fortresses and other forms of military fortifications in pre-colonial Singapore. Stamford Raffles, founder of modern Singapore, chose Singapore in 1819 to establish a new British colony with the security concerns of the British in the Far East in mind against the Dutch. Thus, Singapore, which attained the Crown colony status, played an active role in British military interests for decades,