CUTTING-EDGE HARDWARE, COMMITTED PEOPLE

Against the backdrop of SAF Day on 1 Jul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean gives an update on the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) 3rd Generation transformation.

Since the SAF started on its 3rd Generation transformation journey in 2004, it has been acquiring more advanced capabilities steadily and adopting better training methods for its men to widen its spectrum of operations.

Networked platforms such as the Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle, the Advanced Combat Man System, the naval helicopters and the Formidable-class frigates, as well as the G550 Airborne Early Warning aircraft and F-15SG fighter jets continue to add to the SAF's operational edge.

"What this means is that each soldier, sailor and airman in the SAF is able to deliver more capability, not just because of the equipment he has, but also because of the network and the systems which he can draw upon," said Mr Teo during an interview with the media on 29 Jun.

Training in the SAF, he noted, has become more self-directed, as computers are used to train servicemen who are increasingly better educated and tech-savvy.

"Overall I would say that the transformation is going very well... I expect the developments on the 3rd Generation SAF will continue to unfold over the next five to seven years," he said.

Global reach

With its enhanced capabilities, the 3rd Generation SAF is able to carry out a wider spectrum of operations, such as overseas deployments to deter piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

"We contribute our assets and capabilities to an international operation, so that we help to protect others' ships, and they help to protect our ships."

He also explained that the SAF's purpose of deploying to Afghanistan is "to support the international efforts there, to try and bring stability to Afghanistan, so that Afghanistan will not be a location from which terrorism is exported to other parts of the world, including to our region and to Singapore".

Regional partner

The SAF can also help to shape the security environment in the Asia-Pacific region, through participation in events such as the Shangri-La Dialogue, the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting, and exercises with various armed forces.

"Having a capable SAF allows us to be a useful and significant partner in all these activities, because we can...facilitate interaction between different countries and armed forces...so that the peaceful, cooperative security environment that we want to see can develop.

"Otherwise, we will just be a bystander, and the environment around us will be shaped and determined by other people."

Committed defence

On commitment to defence, Mr Teo said it was important to engage stakeholders of National Service, which include national servicemen, their families and employers.

In its latest initiative to engage them, the Ministry of Defence produced about 160 short video clips about National Service on the YouTube cyberpioneerTV channel - a move which has been well received by the public, attracting about 750,000 views thus far.

Said Mr Teo: "It's not just the national servicemen who contribute to security. There are stakeholder groups that help us to maintain this system, and this includes the families of the national servicemen and their employers, who give our national servicemen the support they need when they are serving the nation."

1. Institutional trainers to be deployed to Afghanistan starting this September

"We will be working with our partners from the Australian Defence Forces...to train people from the Afghan National Security Force in artillery skills, and this will be conducted in an institutional environment."

2. Extension of Weapon Locating Radar's deployment in Oruzgan, Afghanistan, to end of this year

"The reason is because the area around Tarin Kowt has been the target of rocket attacks...and the Weapon Locating Radar provides early warning for the people in the base."

3. Deployment of 52-man Unmanned Aerial Vehicle task group to Oruzgan from August to November

"The purpose of the task group will be to provide surveillance and security and information to the forces operating in the province."

4.Current deployment in Bamiyan province, Afghanistan, to conclude in end-October

"Due to more civilian groups taking over the role of providing medical care in Bamiyan...we'll conclude our deployments in Bamiyan province when the current construction engineering team in Bamiyan completes the construction of the comprehensive clinic at the end of October."

5. New 18-part web mini-series on recruits going through Basic Military Training (BMT) debuts in July on YouTube cyberpioneerTV

"National Servicemen will easily identify with it, and I think it will also help their families understand what it is that our young men do, and what goes through their minds as they do National Service. It's a small tribute to our national servicemen for what they do, which I hope the public will find interesting, and it will help them to understand the importance of National Service."