DEFENDING OUR FUTURE

PIONEER reviews the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) achievements in the past year and what it has done to put Singapore in good stead to continue thriving.

At the dinner marking 45 years of National Service (NS) last October, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his speech: "Our commitment to protecting Singapore has won us 45 years of peace and stability. Fortunately, we have not had to fight a war. But this is not a matter of luck.

"The SAF, by its very existence and capabilities, has contributed to the stable and peaceful security environment in this region, and helped us to maintain friendly relations with our neighbours."

While Singapore has experienced peace so far, the security environment in the Asia-Pacific region is continually evolving. Potential flashpoints such as territorial disputes in the South China Sea and the perennial threats of terrorism, piracy and pandemics are constant challenges to regional peace and stability.

Amid such uncertainty, a strong armed forces is needed not just to physically defend Singapore, but also to provide the space and freedom for the country to act in the best interests of its people. Stressing that the present stability is not to be taken for granted, Mr Lee added: "We must continue to build and maintain a committed, competent and vigilant SAF and Home Team."

The SAF task group patrolling the Gulf of Aden. The 145-strong task group was the fourth deployed by the SAF to support ongoing multinational efforts against piracy in the Gulf. Operating from the Republic of Singapore Navy s frigate RSS Intrepid, servicemen conducted aerial surveillance and responded to calls for assistance from merchant ships.

Hardware build-up

The SAF has been investing steadily in its 3rd Generation transformation by upgrading existing hardware, building indigenous ones and acquiring new equipment, where appropriate, to build capabilities that sharpen the SAF s fighting edge.

To stretch the defence dollar, the Navy started upgrading its Victory-class missile corvettes last year to equip them with an advanced combat suite and improved sensors such as the Scan Eagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

The SAF also acquired new platforms such as the Heron 1 UAV. Inaugurated last May, the Heron 1 UAV replaces the Searcher-class UAV that has been in service since 1994. Of its capabilities, then-Officer Commanding of 119 Squadron Major (MAJ) Low Jun Horng said: "(It) has better detection capability and three times the flight endurance of the Searcher UAV... It also gives us the ability to see things in colour as compared to the monochrome video system of the Searcher UAV."

Sharper fighting edge

The SAF's information edge was enhanced with the launch of a community that integrates the Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) capabilities last April.

At the launch, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen commented on the multiplier effect of networking the land, maritime and air forces: "The result is a potent SAF that is more flexible, adaptable and responsive to the demands of the modern battlefield."

The Air Force saw sharper eyes in the sky when the Gulfstream 550 Airborne Early Warning (G550-AEW) aircraft - the fourth of which was delivered in late 2011 - achieved Full Operational Capability status in April last year. This aircraft can fly faster and longer, as well as see further than the E-2C Hawkeye which it replaced.

Levelling up

Hardware aside, SAF servicemen have been improving their combat proficiencies through exercises. For example, a motorised infantry battalion participated in Exercise Wallaby in Australia for the first time last October, as it went through an Army Training Evaluation Centre (ATEC) assessment as part of the exercise.

Exercise Frame 1 Commander and Commander 3rd Singapore Infantry Brigade, Colonel (COL) Seet Uei Lim said: "The battalion's involvement in the exercise tests the combat proficiency of the soldiers at both the individual and battalion levels. It raises the unit's proficiency and readiness."

Deployments also helped to hone servicemen s capabilities through actual operational experiences.

During a three-month stint, the fourth task group that the SAF deployed to the Gulf of Aden last September launched more than 110 helicopter flights to provide aerial surveillance and deter suspicious vessels. It also responded to three calls for assistance.

For Weapons Systems Specialist Military Expert (ME) 2 Ebenezer s/o Moses, the overseas mission was a great learning opportunity: "On deployment, we had to adjust to taking on more roles. This meant learning how to make better use of our time and work with each other."

Advanced, safer training

To boost training efforts, the Medical Simulation Training Centre (MSTC) was set up last year for medical personnel to hone their skills in handling emergency situations.

Soldiers can also look forward to realistic, scenario-based training in day, night and urban conditions with the opening of the Multi-Mission Range Complex, a high-tech indoor shooting range, this year.

While the SAF emphasises realistic training, safety will not be compromised.

Following the findings of last year's Committees of Inquiry (COIs), the SAF's safety and medical systems have also been undergoing tweaks to ensure safer training.

Army units are in the process of being reinforced with full-time safety officers, and an Army Safety Review Board was convened to review the Army's safety processes.

With the introduction of security zoning, servicemen can carry camera phones in non-sensitive areas known as green zones, which include areas such as bunks, gyms and canteens. However, they are required to keep their camera-enabled phones in lockers before entering classified areas that are called red zones.

Backbone of defence

The heart of Singapore's defence is really NS, as Dr Ng articulated at last year's Committee of Supply Debate in March: "Our NSmen (Operationally-ready National Servicemen) are not the second line of defence. When there's a need, they are the first responders to protect Singapore when our survival is threatened."

To test the readiness of NSmen, mobilisation exercises are conducted throughout the year. At one such exercise held in January, 3rd Sergeant (3SG) (NS) Harjit Singh, a lecturer at APMI Kaplan and an operations specialist in 680th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (680 SIR), said: "It's a good drill for us to see how fast we can gather our forces, so that we are ready in any emergency."

Support to serve

NS may be key to Singapore's defence, but as Mr Lee noted at last year's NS45 Commemoration Dinner, NSmen can only serve wholeheartedly with support from their families and employers.

In line with this, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) rolled out some measures to help NSmen balance NS and their other commitments. These include the implementation of a pilot security zoning programme last September to allow camera-enabled mobile phones to be used in the parts of 14 camps that do not carry sensitive or classified information.

3SG (NS) Lavin Achudan, a platoon sergeant of 731 SIR, thought it was a good move. The marketing manager with Johnson & Johnson used to borrow his brother's basic Nokia mobile phone for his In-Camp Training. He said: "Allowing me to bring my iPhone to camp lets me communicate with my customers efficiently, and that is very important to me."

A mobile app known as MyIPPT was also launched last May to enable NSmen to book their Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT), Remedial Training (RT) and IPPT Preparatory Training (IPT) sessions, as well as monitor their fitness training progress.

Reaching out to all

The responsibility to defend Singapore does not lie solely on the shoulders of those who don combat fatigues; it lies with every Singaporean.

To engage Singaporeans on the importance of defence, MINDEF came up with initiatives such as meeting grassroots leaders to listen to the concerns of the public regarding NS, and organising visits to units for employers. MINDEF also partners schools under the SAF-School Partnership Programme (SSPP), where SAF units organise activities to help students understand defence issues better.

On the social media front, MINDEF has been using various platforms such as its cyberpioneerTV YouTube channel and Facebook to reach out to the public. Following the success of Web reality series Every Singaporean Son (ESS), MINDEF produced a second season (ESS II) that documented a group of cadets' journey to becoming officers.

Standing as one

With a capable SAF, committed NSmen and supportive citizens, it is clear that when it comes to the defence of Singapore, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Mr Lee described it best when he said this at the NS45 Commemoration Dinner: "This unity of purpose is a tremendous strength. It is critical to the SAF's deterrence... Any potential aggressor knows that if it takes on Singapore, it takes on not just the SAF and Home Team but the whole population."