DEFENDING the Lion City

[RafflesCity]

Which means Singapore is too small and any war that is fought cannot be fought on Singapore's territory but on the enemies. Which is why we have a pre-emptive offensive doctrine apparently.

[huaiwei]

I tot that is supposed to be a "strategy" in itself? I dont get it!!! What book is that?!

[drwho]

hm,i dont know much about Singapore defence policy but which is Singapore main rival when it comes to defence?

[RafflesCity]

Originally posted by huaiwei

I tot that is supposed to be a "strategy" in itself? I dont get it!!! What book is that?!

"Singapore Politics Under the PAP" by Diane K Mauzy and RS Milne.

[RafflesCity]

Originally posted by drwho

hm,i dont know much about Singapore defence policy but which is Singapore main rival when it comes to defence?

No rivals as no country has ill-intentions on us but the SAF prepares for any contingencies in its strategic geopolitical environment I guess.

[huaiwei]

President Nathan checks out Brunei jungle survival training

He also meets Singaporeans during day two of his state visit

By M. Nirmala

PRESIDENT S R Nathan got a taste of Bruneian army life yesterday, trekking through a jungle and seeing how servicemen could rely on nature not only for food, but also for cures for many ailments. During a 90-minute visit to the Penanjong Garrison, which provides training for recruits, he went on a tour to see how the men could survive in the jungle.

The soldiers showed Mr Nathan how they built traps to catch chickens and monkeys, and used hollow bamboo stems to make cups after eating the pith. He listened with interest when told the cooked leaves of the pawas tree could cure diabetes and high blood pressure.

The jungle version of Viagra, they also told him, came from the root of the tongkat ali plant. The President's rejoinder on the plant's supposed aphrodisiac qualities had the delegation accompanying him in stitches: 'During jungle training it can be dangerous for them to take this!'

Mr Nathan, who was on the second day of a three-day state visit to Brunei, also observed how servicemen trained in realistic battleground situations, amid gunfire and tanks, to capture 'enemy' positions. The armour live firing range at Penanjong Garrison is also used for training by the Singapore Armed Forces.

Mr Nathan is the first Singaporean head of state to tour the garrison for a close-up view of training. The arrangement was made possible because of the strong and friendly relations between Brunei and Singapore. He was accompanied by Brunei's Deputy Defence Minister Pengiran Haji Ibnu Ba'asith, who said the visit underscored the importance of economic, defence and cultural ties between the two countries.

Later in the day, the President and Mrs Nathan met about 200 Singaporeans living in Brunei at a tea reception at the Singapore High Commission. In an impromptu speech, he said he could see from the many happy faces that Brunei was special to them. Brunei, he said, is special to Singapore too, and Singaporeans should help it develop further: 'When we are among close friends, that is the least we can do.'

Several Singaporeans said they liked the friendly nature of the Bruneians and saw the benefits of operating in a small market. 'It is like a kampung here and the businessmen know each other well. We feel very secure here,' said Mr Lee Chiap Kiang, 55, who came here 18 years ago and runs a wholesale business in the supermarket industry.

Today Mr Nathan travels by helicopter to Lakiun Camp to see how Singapore soldiers train, while Mrs Nathan visits a gallery that houses the Brunei Sultan's private collection of Islamic artefacts. The President and Mrs Nathan will return to Singapore later today.


Mr Nathan raised a laugh with a quip that using "aprodisiac" tongkat ali in the jungle may be dangerous. -- LIANHE ZAOBAO

[huaiwei]

3G SAF? Mind the pitfalls

By David Boey

SO THE Ministry of Defence will spend 1 per cent of its budget, or some $86 million, on 'experimentation' in new ways of combat.

Minister Teo Chee Hean considers this 'so critical' that these experiments will, for the first time, be funded separately from the '4 to 5 per cent' of his ministry's budget spent annually on military research and development.

In his words, the money will be used to transform the Singapore Armed Forces into a 'third-generation' fighting force.

With so much money at stake, it won't be long before cost-conscious civil servants try to measure the success of this drive to build a 3G SAF.

But here's where the difficulty lies: It's next to impossible to measure effectiveness of combat power using management yardsticks like key performance indicators (KPIs).

How does one, for example, gauge the 'value added' that comes with adding one battalion of unmanned vehicles to one's army, as opposed to, say, one battalion of infantry?

In Vietnam, the United States Army learnt the hard way the futility of using body counts as an indicator of wartime success.

It's also fallacious to use the amount of ground won on the battlefield as a crude KPI. For instance, US-led coalition forces can now travel the length and breadth of Iraq at will, but the conflict is far from over. Coalition forces have yet to come to grips with a shadowy enemy intent on evicting them.

Next, a 3G SAF should not gun for wholesale adoption of high-tech weaponry when a simple one will suffice.

During World War II, British scientists found that thin strips of metal foil could reflect radar energy. British bombers carried such strips, codenamed Window, to fool German air defence radars as to the size and direction of bomber attacks. So German radars were overcome not with brute force, but with clouds of metal foil.

There's another pitfall strategists have to grapple with when working with cutting-edge technology: Such technology may be so advanced, strategists may be unwilling to exploit its benefits for fear of alerting the enemy to its existence.

During World War II, for instance, Allied scientists developed a fuse that could detonate anti-aircraft shells near an aircraft without actually hitting it. These 'proximity fuses' were ready for combat use in late 1942, but they were fired only at sea to prevent enemy forces picking up unexploded shells and studying their secret. The ban on using them on land was lifted only in mid-1944. So for almost two years the benefits of these fuses were not exploited to the full - all in the name of secrecy.

Today, the challenge facing the SAF in going 3G is compounded by the fact that it is relatively new at the war game and has limited historical experience to draw upon.

It is also unbloodied in combat. Apart from a brief terrorist incident in 1991, the SAF has never fired in anger.

Bureaucratic mindsets are hard to change. This applies more to military organisations where standard operating procedures, rigid discipline and esprit de corps built over the years can stifle the capacity for change.

In the 1920s, a US Army officer called Billy Mitchell tried to prove the vulnerability of US Navy battleships. He used bombers from the US Army Air Service to sink several retired navy battleships. But the US military remained unconvinced. Mitchell was court-martialled for his outspoken views in 1925, and when he died in 1936, this maverick officer was almost forgotten.

The US learnt the hard way when, on Dec 7, 1941, Japanese planes pummelled the fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor.

The SAF, a relatively young organisation compared to other military forces, should suffer less from such inertia. However, policymakers should recognise that SAF officers may not be prepared to stick their necks out too far lest their careers are jeopardised.

On the flip side, there may be officers who, thinking 3G is the flavour of the day, craft ideas and proposals not because they truly believe in them, but simply because they think this will fastforward their career prospects.

These very human failings are the enemy within, which SAF planners need to guard against as the quest for a 3G SAF evolves.

[huaiwei]

Why NS means fewer babies in Singapore

I REFER to the parliamentary report on the proposal for women to do national service ('It's the people who count in national defence'; ST, March 16).

I think it's a good idea to balance the 'human ecology' in Singapore.

Currently, women are 2 1/2 years ahead of men in their careers, they earn more money and hold more senior positions. A lot of women do not want a partner who earns less than them.

To make matters worse, some companies hire only women or male permanent residents in important Cannot distribute vertically positions because they can't afford to have their managers or engineers on long reservist training which could last up to a month.

So young Singaporean men find it harder to get a job and earn less than women. And most women are unwilling to marry men who earn less than Cannot distribute vertically hey do.

We'll end up with fewer babies in Singapore. That's what I mean by 'ecological balance'.

I think reservist training should be less than a week to make Singaporean men more acceptable for employment.

LIM CHANG SIAH

[drwho]

Singapore ends military presence in Iraq

AFP[ MONDAY, APRIL 05, 2004 01:05:39 PM ]


SINGAPORE : Singapore no longer has a military presence in Iraq after the last of its troop returned home on Monday from a two-month stint in the war-torn country, the government said.



Thirty-one Singaporean Armed Forces personnel and a C-130 transport plane were deployed on February 4 to help the US-led forces in Iraq conduct supply and humanitarian aid delivery missions.



With the expiry of the scheduled two-month deployment, a first batch of troop returned to Singapore with the C-130 on Sunday while a second group arrived home aboard commercial flights on Monday.



"With the return of the troop today, we have no more personnel in the Gulf," defence ministry spokeswoman Felicia Tang said in an e-mailed response to questions.



The crew, which previously had never experienced a hostile environment, came under fire on about one quarter of the sorties flown in Iraq , the Straits Times newspaper said on Monday.



"This was by far the riskiest exercise we undertook and the first time we were operating in a non-benign area," contingent leader Major Francis Ngooi, who returned on Sunday, said.



Singapore has consistently shown a strong commitment to the US in its campaign in Iraq , giving strong political and limited military support.



Aside from the C-130 crew, 160 personnel on a landing ship tank returned to Singapore in February after two months in the Gulf.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/a...how/600786.cms

[huaiwei]

Thank God......I do not support their invovlement in the Iraq situation, and thankfully, we didnt pay anything in terms of life and limbs for it!

[drwho]

yeap...specially now with the civilian uprising..it is a scary thing to be a soldier in Faluja.

[huaiwei]

Sigh.....I wonder just how long before they realise popular opinion needs to be respected. These iraqis are hardly ever going to consider the Americans their friends, and its about time they do something about it.

Meanwhile, if casaulties are sustained by any other supporting member of other nationalities, I wonder how their governments are supposed to explain it to their citizens back home...

[drwho]

yeah,just look at the Al-quedia threats against Spain and the Madrid-bombing

Now Spain wants to take their troops home.

I still wonder what the U:S administration was thinking on "democratization" of Iraq.

[huaiwei]

Well..it is all coming closer to home like an unstoppable plague. I do not want to be a selfish global citizen, but sometimes, one need to use our heads to analysis the costs and benefits at stake more intensely for matters as serious as this?

[Jai]

Wasn't sure where else to post. This is a tremendous milestone in the Indo-Singaporese, and Indo-ASEAN relationship.


India to Singapore: you can hold military exercises on our soil

City state gets Delhi invite since it has no space for firepower training

BHAVNA VIJ-AURORA

NEW DELHI, APRIL 1: It’s a privilege that India has never extended. Not even to its closest neighbours. Come October, fighter arcraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force will be allowed to conduct exercises over Indian airspace while its army has also been given permission to train on Indian soil.

The unusual arrangement was finalised last week when India’s Defence Secretary Ajay Prasad met his Singapore counterpart Peter Ho.

Apart from signalling the growing closeness between the two countries, the decision to allow a foreign country to use Indian airspace and land was intended to address a unique problem facing the city state.

According to Defence Mnistry sources, Singapore told New Delhi that it did not have enough space to carry out training exercises for its small but highly-sophisticated army and air force. Singapore has a total area of just 647.5 square kilometres.

‘‘So they asked India if they could conduct their training exercises here. They have been allowed. The first exercises — for Singapore air force — will be in October,’’ disclosed a senior Defence official. The two sides have also agreed to conduct joint exercises of air force, army and navy.

Diplomatic sources told The Indian Express that a fleet of five fighter aircraft from Singapore might be allowed to train in Gwalior while its armed forces would be allowed to fire live field ammuniton in Pokhran.

Singapore has been on the lookout for new training partners. On account of occasionally prickly relations, it is nervous about holding joint exercises with its neighbour Malaysia and it also does not want to depend too much on Taiwan to avoid hurting the sensitivities of the Chinese.

The partnership with India has been growing on other fronts, too. A major economic accord is in the works as Singapore has offered to serve as a bridge between India and China.

Also, alarmed by the threat of the extremist outfit Jemaah Islamiyah in its neighbourhood, the city-state wants to draw on India’s long experience in fighting terrorism.

The Indian Express has also learnt that the navies of the two countries have decided to work together to exchange information on gun-running, piracy and narco-trafficking in real time.

[huaiwei]

Wow! Anyway this can go to the "Defending the Lion City" thread....let Raffie do the magic.

[CW8]

Originally Posted by huaiwei

Hahaa...well.......actually BMT is the most fun aspect of NS for most people.

That includes me. It's dreadful to book in to Tekong on Sundays, but overall, it's still the most fun aspect of NS. Don't get me wrong though, I dislike the SAF.

[huaiwei]

Originally Posted by CW8

That includes me. It's dreadful to book in to Tekong on Sundays, but overall, it's still the most fun aspect of NS. Don't get me wrong though, I dislike the SAF.

Haha....there is nothing "wrong" with disliking or liking the SAF. I would still think, that my NS days were very important in moulding me as a person, but no, I wont ever want to do is all again.

And I would still thank the SAF for making me realise that I could actually thrive in a regimental lifestyle, and that it can be a career option, but no, I wont ever want to sign up into the SAF!



Anyone wanna share your NS experiences? I certainly wont mind (but make sure we keep to our oath of secrecy!!)

[CW8]

Originally Posted by huaiwei

Haha....there is nothing "wrong" with disliking or liking the SAF. I would still think, that my NS days were very important in moulding me as a person, but no, I wont ever want to do is all again.

And I would still thank the SAF for making me realise that I could actually thrive in a regimental lifestyle, and that it can be a career option, but no, I wont ever want to sign up into the SAF!



Anyone wanna share your NS experiences? I certainly wont mind (but make sure we keep to our oath of secrecy!!)

In a few ways yes, before NS I never imagined myself to even survive through B.M.T. but I did, something which I can be proud for a long time. And myself is a geek who can face the computer for 15 hours a day continously if not out of the house.

But I dislike NS, first of because I dislike the government(controversy brewing..) and also some of the people inside. I've seen good examples of officers, leaders and soldiers those who I'll be glad to salute. But as a common NS man, I've seen more likes of Cpt Sobel than Cpt Winters, those who seen Band Of Brothers will know what I'm talking about. I've seen lots of people only trying to make their way up the ranking ladder if they're regulars instead of trying to be a good example of a soldier. I've seen plently of unfairness and stuff like that.

[huaiwei]

Haha...I never expected myself to be surviving through NS either. I was a real nerd who hates the outdoors and sports, and dont quite believe I am of the "killing" calibre.

Today, I dont remember anyone calling me a nerd ever since I left NS!

Well, I am a common foot soldier too myself, and I too, saw many things that left more to be desired. I wont expect things to get better, frankly, and I feel it is a common thing amongst many organisations, be it the army or otherwise. In a sense, it kinda taught me the realities of the life out there, although I dont quite approve of it.

Still, I would agree..that I do not wish to be part of an organisation which is saddled with too many people who arent worth tax-payers' money. It pains me to think of excellent individuals having to carry their extra weight on their shoulders.