NETWORKED FOR SUCCESS

Moving from experimentation to implementation of IKC2 (integrated knowledge-based command and control) capabilities across an entire Army Division, the SAF third-generation fighting force is now capable of networking individual soldiers and platforms to command posts to systems. This means the men on the ground can see further, react faster and most importantly, never fight alone.

As the platoon commander with a forward observing team, imagine yourself approaching hostile territory and spotting enemy forces through footage captured by a mini-UAV circling overhead.
You are calm and confident because you know that, with just a touch on your ruggedised PDA, you can call for fire after relaying the exact location of the adversary back to your superiors at the mobile command post.

This is made possible today with a fully-networked Army Division which is equipped with enhanced data-transmission capabilities.

"Our soldiers out there don't just fight with what they have," said 3 Div Commander BG Tan Yih San during a systems integration exercise on 9 Oct, demonstrating the prowess of a networked division.

"They fight with the entire capabilities of the SAF."

The BMS installed in the BIONIX II vehicle provides the soldiers with an overall view of the combat area and even allows them to send text messages to each other.

Increased connectivity for all

Through system technologies like the Battlefield Management System (BMS), soldiers and vehicles like the BIONIX II are connected to the HQ as well as to platforms such as the UAVs.

This translates into ground forces having greater situational awareness, heightened survivability and rapid mobility.

Data updates from various sources come through almost instantly whenever the situation changes, a vast improvement from times when individual soldiers were called one by one via the telephony system in order to piece together the battlefield picture.

"You get more richness in the form of data and it is easier for people to see it visually and understand the intent of the commander, compared to voice that can be misleading and interpreted wrongly," explained CPT Liew Wee Teck, Officer Commanding of Command System Company, 3 Sig Bn.

With this enhanced data-transmission capability, commanders can also make better-informed decisions in a shorter time, since they are working on battlefield information that is almost near real-time, compared to a few years ago when the information they received could be up to six hours old.

Fighting as One SAF

In addition, different software and hardware systems across the arms and Services can now be integrated, enabling the Army to deploy the precision fires of the attack helicopters and fighter jets much closer to the troops on the ground.

"The SAF fights as an integrated whole, leveraging on each Service's specialisation," said BG Tan. "Through networking, we are able to do this at any point, tapping into the best that we have and bringing it to the fore.

This will make the difference in tomorrow's warfare."

He added that the pursuit of One SAF would be relentless as other armed forces would be looking to achieving similar integration. But he believed that the SAF has an edge because of its size and the proximity of its units to one another.

"We think we will be able to achieve this a lot faster than what others are trying to do," he said.

"Before I came to the Army, my impression was that they just 'chiong sua' (literally translated as 'dashing up the mountain') a lot and used radio sets for communications. Coming into this company, I realise that the technology used is very advanced and my impression has improved a lot. I am confident in the capabilities that we have and that we can do well!"

CPL Phang Peow Wai, System Administrator with 3 Sig Bn

With a click on his PDA, the platoon commander can pinpoint locations, make contact reports, send SMS-like messages and call for strikes.

Capability cascade with men in mind

Tasked with operationalising IKC2 capabilities at the Division level, 3 Div started out by first consolidating and profiling existing technologies across the Army.

Further testing and experimentation were conducted during Exercise Wallaby last year, where the Army fielded networking capabilities and tried out new integrated knowledge-based command and control operational concepts and processes.

The mini-UAV captures vital images and footages of possibly hostile territory, allowing soldiers to observe all this from a safe distance.

Now, with the successful delivery of tangible IKC2 capabilities, 3 Div will ensure more comprehensive and seamless integration of capabilities at different levels, and keep the systems updated and relevant.

BG Tan was quick to add that, amidst all these technological advancements and integration, the soldiers were still the "core fighting capabilities of the Army and the SAF".

"We will still want to retain the human touch," he said. "The individual soldier's motivations cannot be just transmitted through an email or a situational picture delivered from 20km away."

"Attention to the individual's specific needs out in the battlefield is something that we want to continue to ensure and it is something that we do not want to forget."


"Previously, we had to track all the troops on the ground by calling them up constantly and checking on their location. With the new system, I can see the troops on the ground in real-time and it makes my job so much easier. No need to second-guess whether the information they have given me is right or wrong and I am able to plan my combat net radio patching down to the ground in the fastest possible time.
MSG Charlie Lim, CSM Command Communications Company 3 Sig Bn, who is in charge of communication interface planning during the exercise.