The new SAF soldier: Tech savvy and resourceful

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In the aftermath of the RSS Courageous verdict, Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean discusses morale in the SAF, terrorism and the shape of the army in the future, in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times

By Tracy Quek

THINK of the army and some people think of soldiers who obey orders - sometimes blindly - and who are not comfortable with taking the initiative.

But this stereotypical image is set to disappear once the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is done with training a new breed of soldiers.

These are soldiers armed with the latest technological know-how and equipped with smart weapons. These are uniformed men with initiative, able to make decisions that could turn a battle at a critical moment and secure victory.

Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said the Safti Military Institute has been reviewing how it trains its officers and wants to break free of old mindsets.

He elaborated on what he told Parliament last month during the Budget debate about the new type of soldier needed by the 'third-generation SAF' which will use defence technology to deliver a deadly punch.

But first, the SAF must build up a culture of trust and openness so that individual units and soldiers will be confident exercising initiative on the battlefield.

With a mindset change, 'even small units' on the front lines can make a major impact on the outcome of a battle, 'if they act with speed and initiative', he said.

'If they see a situation developing and have the capability to call in resources very rapidly to take advantage of the developing situation, the armed forces will have operational flexibility on the battlefield,' he said.

The way wars are waged is evolving and has become centred on technology. In future, warfare will involve more unmanned systems, long-range weapons, stand-off sensors and stand-off strikes, he said.

Rear-Adm (NS) Teo, once Chief of Navy, gave this example to show how naval warfare has changed. In the past, he said, warships sailed close together for protection and so that they could combine their firepower on an enemy vessel.

These days, they sail 15km to 25km apart. With advanced communication systems, they can coordinate their weapons to strike the enemy without even sighting the target.

Asked if this slant towards technology bodes well for Singapore, he said: 'If warfare today were still fought on the basis of swords and shields and bows and arrows, we would be in deep trouble because we don't have as many arms to carry swords and shields as other people.'

Fortunately, Singapore has a well-educated population that takes to technology readily. 'We have a whole generation of kids who grew up playing multi-player games on the Internet. Their comfort and ease with technology is what we can leverage on,' he said.

In its push to develop defence technology, Mindef is setting aside an additional 1 per cent of its $8.62 billion budget, for the first time, to break new ground and explore the weapons, tactics and capabilities it will need for wars of the future.

This extra $86 million is on top of the 4 to 5 per cent regularly budgeted for research and development, which this time will come to about $430 million.

Of Mindef's 3,000 scientists, engineers and IT specialists, 2,500 are in organisations such as the Defence Science and Technology Agency and the Defence Science Organisation which are involved in research and development, said the minister.

Asked what they will be working on, Rear-Adm Teo said they are the brains entrusted to invent solutions that will give the SAF an edge in battle.

Its Future Systems Directorate, set up last February for example, has some of Mindef's best officers who will be free to think outside of 'current boxes, constraints and parameters, to look at concepts, operations and solutions that go beyond the scope of what we currently have'.

Singapore is the only country in the region which has such an investment in engineering, scientific and technological personnel in defence, he added.

Much of the work is classified, but he disclosed that the scientists are looking into such areas as sensor technology, communications, networking and developing precision weapons.

No matter how vital a part technology will play as the SAF transforms itself into a third-generation fighting force, the human element is still important, said the minister.

He said: 'Warfare is still quintessentially a human enterprise. It's a battle of wills that ultimately determines the outcome of battle.'
--ST
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The Minister on

Public's perception of SAF

SINGAPOREANS are still supportive despite tough times for the SAF.

The RSS Courageous collision and the death of a 19-year-old soldier on a combat survival course turned an unwanted spotlight on the SAF in the past year. Singaporeans' responses to these incidents have been mature and thoughtful, said Rear-Adm Teo.

'Singaporeans understand why we must have tough training, and why, from time to time when the need arises, the SAF and soldiers have to go into harm's way to do their job.

'I met a mother who has a son in national service. She said to me: 'We understand why he has to be in national service, but of course we are still worried.'

'I think that's a very natural reaction from a mother. But they do expect - and this is a completely justified expectation - that we conduct our training safely and that, where incidents and accidents can be avoided, they must be avoided. I've spoken to the SAF and they intend to live up to the expectation.'

Morale in the armed forces

THE navy and commandos have come out stronger after the two tragic incidents which claimed seven lives, said the minister.

'Morale is affected. It's to be expected when incidents like this occur. But the real strength of the organisation is in how you respond to adversity.

'I have looked at the way the navy has responded, rallied around, buckled down to address the issues and supported each other, including families of those who died. I think the navy has drawn strength from it and come out stronger. The commandos have also gone through introspection, looked carefully at their values and what they do, and I have confidence that the commandos will come out stronger and better for it.'

Resolving terrorism

'TERRORISTS and those who support them, the sympathisers, have to realise that terrorism is not going to make a better world. Their tactics are not going to work and what they're doing will bring more misery to the people they are trying to work for.

'And it's only with that realisation that we will be able to finally overcome. But it will take many years. This current terrorist tide has been on the rise for the last 2 1/2 decades and it's not clear whether the tide has crested. It may take many more years for the ideological struggle to be resolved.'

SAF overseas missions

SINGAPORE has sent some 1,200 personnel to Timor Leste to help with the United Nations peacekeeping mission over the last four years. It also sent a C-130 aircraft and a landing ship tank to Iraq to help in its reconstruction. 'These countries, though far away, still have an effect on Singapore and the SAF will continue to make contributions to such missions,' said the minister.

'We live in an interconnected world now and what happens in other parts of the world, of the region, will impact upon our security. If there's instability in Timor Leste, that can have an impact on the security of the region and will have an impact on us.

'It may not be a direct impact in security terms, but it will be an impact upon how investors perceive the stability and security in our region. What happens in Iraq will have an impact upon stability in the Middle East, the Gulf region, and it has an impact on us too.

'The Jemaah Islamiah members in Singapore were trained in places like Afghanistan. So instability, a lack of security in other parts of the world, even places far away, can eventually cause problems which find their way to our shores and affect us domestically. So we have to take an interest in what happens in other parts of the world.'
--ST

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