I could only find this AFP article from Defense Talk..
Singapore Shows Off Its Arsenal, But Secret Weapons Under
Wraps
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Wed, 9 Aug 2006, 01:44
Singapore will mount a major display of its military arsenal when
it celebrates the 41st anniversary of its independence on Aug. 9,
but defense officials say not all its lethal firepower is
visible.
The rich city-state has for decades spent billions of dollars on
hardware and imposed mandatory military training for all
able-bodied young men to make its armed forces the most modern and
well-equipped in Southeast Asia.
While much of the technology and hardware comes from overseas
including fighters, frigates and attack helicopters Singapore
also has its own secret conventional weapons under development,
according to a senior defense ministry official.
This is really the sharp end of our technology edge. This is
important because Singapore is a very small country, Quek Tong
Boon, deputy secretary for technology and transformation at the
ministry of defense, tells AFP in an exclusive interview.
While the defense ministry has publicized some of its locally-made
armaments such as drone surveillance aircraft, artillery and robots
designed for urban warfare, it is the fruits of confidential
homegrown research that will keep potential enemies guessing.
We lack strategic depth. We also lack natural resources. We can
never take our defense and security for granted, Quek says.
We not only want to use technology as a force multiplier in terms
of being able to do things more efficiently and more effectively,
but we also want to build some secret system to offset our
disadvantage.
Technologys value in ensuring battlefield superiority was
displayed convincingly during the two Gulf Wars in which U.S.
forces showcased a range of precision-guided weapons.
With just 697 square kilometers (279 square miles) of land area and
a population of 3.6 million citizens and permanent residents,
Singapore was once dismissed by the former Indonesian president
B.J. Habibie as a little red dot on the map, although ties with
Jakarta have since improved.
Southeast Asias most economically advanced nation has not disputed
the moniker, but made it clear that any aggressor will pay a heavy
price.
Quek declines to discuss the undisclosed homegrown weapons in
detail, saying it has to remain a secret, and will not say how
powerful they are.
These are things we think we cant even get from the open market.
Nobody would want to sell to U.S. ... Weve been undertaking
defense research and development for more than 30 years already.
Its something that takes a long, long time, Quek says.
Singapore has adopted a pragmatic approach in meeting its defense
needs.
In addition to regular purchases from the international market, it
upgrades existing equipment and uses local talent, through a
network of autonomous research laboratories and industry partners,
to develop what it cannot buy.
We are too small to be self-sufficient, Quek says. So we look at
the market. If nobody else could sell U.S. what we want, we dont
have a choice but do local development.
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