DR NG: SAF AND NS WELL POISED TO TACKLE FUTURE CHALLENGES

Come 1 Jul, Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) will no longer have to notify their units when they travel overseas for short periods. The ministry is also looking to make the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) simpler to train for and administer, while maintaining fitness standards.

These are just some of the forward-looking measures which the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will be announcing soon. It is studying the current IPPT System and will announce the revised, simpler IPPT format in the coming months.

Continued support for NS

Speaking to the local media on 24 Jun, ahead of SAF Day which falls on 1 Jul, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen said: "Very few countries are in the position that we are (in), where there is mass and strong support for defence."

In an independent study conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) last year, 98 percent of respondents said that they supported NS.

"We have to keep it that way, and make sure that we continue that support in the way we manage NS (National Service), the way we respond to NS needs, the way we respond to NSmen, and the way we respond to recognising NSmen."

NS as a duty to the country will not change, said Dr Ng. "It is a collective responsibility for a collective aspiration - to protect what we love."

During the interview, Dr Ng also highlighted other areas where the SAF could do more to remain prepared for the future. As the SAF continually looks into the horizon to identify future challenges, it is not only the NS system which will improve; the SAF is also beefing up its hardware and capabilities.

Borderless threats

Ongoing conflicts on the international stage - such as the turmoil in Syria and Iraq - have the potential to impact Singapore, said Dr Ng.

Closer to our region, tensions are rising over competing territorial claims in the South and East China seas. "Underlying those disputes is a more important question of how countries resolve disputes," noted Dr Ng. This was one area which defence ministers spoke about during the recently concluded Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in May this year.

Several countries lay claim to islands and swathes of water within the South China Sea. Last year, tensions over competing claims in the East China Sea reached an all-time high as China declared an Air-Defence Identification Zone, effectively enlarging its airspace.

One of the desired outcomes would be to achieve consensus on the rules and international norms to resolve conflict, without having to resort to armed conflict, said Dr Ng.

These events, though geographically removed from Singapore, could impact the nation's security, he added. "The overall message is that a number of these threats are increasingly transnational."

"That obviously impacts our defence planning and our defence challenges, specifically for the SAF."

Boosting cyber defence

The importance of electronic networks was also something that Dr Ng touched on during the interview. "We recognise that it is a new frontier that can have an impact - sometimes equivalent, and sometimes even more than physical terrain.

"If your networks are knocked out, for example, it can have security implications and that is something we take very seriously."

He said that the Cyber Defence Ops Hub, which was announced last year, is now ramping up its training and deployment, and hiring more officers to meet cyber-security demands.

Expanded range of operations

While the SAF's role remains as the ultimate guardian of Singapore's sovereignty, there are increasing demands for militaries to do more in other areas.

"The SAF is expected to do more and we recognise that," acknowledged Dr Ng.

Military forces worldwide are being called upon for non-traditional operations, and the SAF is no exception. The SAF has committed to multinational counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, sending assets to aid the counter-piracy efforts since 2009.

The SAF also deployed forces in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. It has also helped in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts such as the ones in the wake of the Boxing Day Tsunami, and Typhoon Haiyan.

For example, the SAF deployed its Landing Ships Tank (LSTs), utility helicopters and transport aircraft as well as ground troops such as Combat Engineers and medical personnel to assist Indonesia and Thailand.

Similarly, the SAF was also involved in evacuating civilians with its transport aircraft, and ferrying much needed supplies into Christchurch, New Zealand, in the aftermath of the devastating Feb 2011 earthquake that severely damaged the city.

On the ground, Guardsmen who were already in New Zealand for an exercise when the quake struck were deployed to assist the authorities in setting up a cordon around the city centre. They also helped local residents remove structures in danger of collapse.

HADR coordination

Singapore has also offered the Changi Command and Control Centre as a regional HADR coordination centre. This idea was first floated by Dr Ng at the ASEAN-US Informal Defence Ministers' meeting held in Hawaii, United States on 4 Apr this year.

"A number of countries have supported us and said it was a good idea," said Dr Ng.

At the recent Shangri-La Dialogue, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel also voiced his support for the idea, saying that it would boost HADR efforts in the region.

A regional HADR complex, modelled after the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) in the Changi C2 Centre, would allow the region's forces to come together more effectively to respond quickly to any disaster.

The IFC is a regional maritime security information-sharing centre which facilitates sharing and collaboration among partners to enhance maritime security.

New ship

Learning from its previous HADR missions, the SAF realised the value of having larger naval vessels which could act as springboards for extended helicopter operations, said Dr Ng.

"We have to address our challenges, not only in the way that we train but in the way that we forward position...(to) prepare for a different environment," Dr Ng explained. When something hits, you need to have the scale (to respond adequately).

"While the Landing Ships Tank have served us (well), we are seriously considering a larger Joint Multi-Mission Ship (JMMS) that would have greater capacity and greater range to respond."

He explained: "When we responded to Typhoon Haiyan...the typhoon was so devastating that communications were knocked out."

"There was no centralised ability for command and control of the airspace. In that context, a ship like the JMMS would have been very useful."

He added that the SAF was in the final evaluation stages to decide on the JMMS's configuration to meet operational requirements.

But amid all the changes afoot in the SAF, its mission remains the same. "We recognise that our primary mission and our responsibility is to keep Singapore secure."

IPPT to be simpler, not easier

Building on feedback from NSmen and SAF commanders, the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) is the subject of serious study. The aim? Simplify the IPPT without eroding fitness standards.

"We want a fit SAF and we want fit NSmen," said Dr Ng. The question is how to move from a mindset that fitness is a test, to a lifestyle that embraces fitness. The IPPT should become a way to incentivise NSmen to keep fit, said Dr Ng.

Dr Ng added that the Army will be looking into measures to ease the transition when the changes are announced later this year.

"We will also tie up with the NAPFA to explore some kind of alignment. So that there is some consistency across the system, even before they are enlisted, to during enlistment and after enlistment," said Dr Ng.

NAPFA stands for National Physical Fitness Award. School-going children in the national primary and secondary schools are required to participate in the NAPFA programme.

Collaboration with other agencies to provide more spaces within the community for NSmen to maintain an active lifestyle is also on the cards.

CSNS updates

The 30 recommendations put forward by the Committee to Strengthen National Service are being translated into concrete changes in the NS system.

• Easing of overseas notification requirements. Starting from 1 Jul this year, NSmen no longer have to notify their units of overseas travel of less than 14 days. NSmen are still required to apply for exit permits if they are staying overseas for more than six months.
• More opportunities to contribute. The Expertise Conversion Scheme (ECS) will allow NSmen who have completed their cycles to volunteer their skills and expertise. They will be converted to the Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES). Upon completion of their training, ECS personnel will hold the rank of Military Expert 4. They will serve till 50 years of age and are liable for call-up of up to 40 days a year.
• Changes to the fitness system. The SAF is also looking to simplify the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) by having fewer stations.
• NS HOME Awards. Starting from September this year, the NS HOusing, Medical and Education (HOME) Awards will be disbursed to eligible NSmen across three NS milestones: completion of full-time NS, at the mid-point of their NS cycle, and completion of the NS training cycle. Over the three milestones, this will amount to $15,000. Commanders will receive $500 more at each milestone and will receive a total of $16,500.
• More engagement. The Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) has been restructured, and now comprises three councils looking into separate areas: Employer and Business, Educational Institutions, and Family & Community. The new ACCORD and its councils will convene their first meetings within the next few months.