Malaysia - the big push

sgdiehard SG

Vietnam war is over, and vietnam remains a communist, but we don't see Thailand guarding their eastern front, but more soldiers are on the west and the south. Time has changed.

All i learned during NS was that we were expected to fight for ourselves alone and wait for the big brothers, neve did I ever learn to fight along anybody. Besides being attacked by whoever, we also know that it is war, when water supplies are cut.

SAF main purpose is a strong deterent force, and I sure hope we do not need to fight at all.

LazerLordz SG

I agree.We have to teach them that our nation has to be prepared for all eventualities, that's why we are also expanding our SAF into a force that can deter in different spheres of combat.Whether if the water is cut, or if our seas are under threat by another power(hypothetically speaking), we have to be prepared that we will have to fight and secure our own ground.Perhaps most of us NSFs see the SAF as a bumbling organization due to our own limited interactions, but I'm quite sure that we are fully capable to live up to the name we have been tagged with should the situation turn ugly and our national interest is violated.

I don't think we spend billions of dollars every year to be labelled a paper army.

Nice observation, and I'm reminded of LKY's speech about SIngapore being the lynchpin of SEA against Communism in the 60s and 70s.Today, the threat is transnational terrorism and not to mention the region can turn unstable with a flip of the coin.

Read up on what LHL said today about ASEAN still being a fragmented place.All of us nations need one another, and security provided by layers is also security appreciated.

storywolf SG

Malaysia got no choice ? Got itself to blame. Not in good relationship with everyone around !!!

People bigger also hate, people same also hate, peope smaller also hate. Think why it so like that because itself is the problem, it hate itself. Haha

Shotgun SG

Well, perhaps it might be a bit, arrogant as a Singaporean to say this. But in the FPDA, Singapore is no doubt the sharpest sword available. Our ability to deploy long distances has already been proven.

Look at all our procurements. KC-135 Tankers, F-15Ts, LST, Frigates, Submarines. The SAF is fast becoming a force that has the entire regional stability in mind than just our borders or neighbours. For all u know, we might be the first country in SEA to acquire an Anti Ballistic Missile system.

After 911, I really have to admit that the SAF has transformed itself very quickly to prosecute the threat of terrorism. High-tec gizmos, dedicated CBRE units and many more. All wayang? Not all.

LazerLordz SG

Yes.It's also shown that we are like the bootstrap that's hauling ASEAN up to the regional groupings, like ARF and EAC.

What we are doing is to let ourselves be a vital part of ASEAN's future and stability.A strong and safe city-state will inspire much more investor confidence and let the flow trickle out to our fellow members too.

ABM, I'm not sure.But that is one potential stumbling block, if past reaction to our weapon procurement is anything to go by though..

Arthas79 SG

Some people really ARE pompous aren't they? Here's a hush-hush secret for you all... Not everything revolves around you. And not everything revolves around Singapore.

A statement more relevant for the policy-makers of the the Malaysian government. Some sense of sanity have since returned lately with Badawi in charge though. But a particular invalid grunts from the sidelines every now and then. But he`s losing his touch or influence.

The Thaksin government may have erred in thier response to the incessant attacks on his southern border. Not to mention a real policy failure there. The Malaysian government would probably not do any better. And a Malaysian government sympathetic to the plight of Malays there makes the job for Thailand all the more difficult.. Plus open-houses on para-military camps to get weapons for free in Malaysia.

Malaysia`s recent purchases are meant to replace old inventories and to increase her over-all capability vis-a-vis developments around the region and the world. But poor coordination, lack of funds, internal corruption and (i feel) confusion as to ways to move forward make thier job difficult. Just look at their NGPV project. It`s abysmal. But that`s them. It`s thier country. They run it the way they want it.

Calling it an `Arm`s race' is to simply generalize the whole matter. On one hand, you have countries modernizing thier inventories to make them more relevant in the world. This would encourage others to do the same. On the other hand, you would need to take into account the status-quo and strategic circumstances in the region.

For our parts, it is only necessary that we remain one step ahead though the gap is certainly large right now. Singapore`s immediate threat is Malaysia and Indonesia. That will be the case for a long time to come.

China is certainly not an immediate threat to Malaysia and Malaysia, like the rest of SEA, is totally incapable of matching her military`s growth pound by pound. All countries in SEA would have to do thier part in balancing the new spheres of influence from India and China. At any rate, Malaysia would be more comfortable with China than the US though they are hardly bed-fellows. I think China certainly cares less and is more interested in ensuring she increases her influence in the region.[/code]

Shotgun SG

I'm sorry but I cannot agree that China is not a threat.

China's south sea fleet is still capable of projecting to SEA. Though it may not be advanced as its Eastern fleet, its 6 Ming SSKs can still be a threat to maritime activities in SEA.

The PRC has deployed its South Sea Fleet in anger before. I have no reasons to doubt that it will not do so again.

Fatum SG

we seems to have forgotten about the spratly islands totally ...

remember that Brunei, China, the Philipines, Vietnam, Malaysia are all claimants to that little piece of real estate, (China also claims most of the south china sea as hers btw ... the only country among these countries to do that ), all you have to do is to google up a chinese map of that region, and see the markings, It'll make you cringe ..

while I think i'll probably be accused of scare mongering by some, I have to say that looking at the recent arms purchases trend of south east asia, especially in naval and airforces, we can see many countries looking actively at force projection (malaysia, Su-30 fighters, with a range that is certainly an overkill to reach from kuantan AFB to our little red dot, but pretty good for a round trip to the spratlys, together with a new fleet of OPVs, ) ourselves, nuff said, vietnam, already operates flankers, and getting as many copies of new ones as their budget allows ...

perhaps the people of some countries in the region don't feel that way ... but i see that many goverments aren't feeling quite feeling the same ... Confused Of course one may argue that when push comes to shove, even the collective strength of all the nations in the region won't be able to withstand the middle kingdom's might, but if you don't even make a pretence that you're serious about your own defence, then you've already lost (case in point the Philipines, the Chinese don't even bother about the noises the Philipines make about Chinese incursions into Mischief reef anymore ... because she know the Philipines cannot do anything about it ... )

YI SG

is that the real reason why SEA countries are developing their ASW capabilities and procuring bigger warship?

YI SG

you don't own territories you can't defend. hmm.. when will ASEAN becomes a military entity where neighbours watch after each other back?

Delta 5 SG

Are their 5 Han class SSNs and sole Xia class SSBN part of the Southern fleet as well? Their unlimited endurance could enable them to lurk around SEA waters and pose a threat to commercial shipping and regional navies.

YI SG

don't have. the southern fleet only consists of 6 conventional submarines.

SMAPLionHeart SG

Singapore does have it's vulnearabilities .
It can't survive a pre-emptive assault on it's main island.

Shotgun SG

Their SSBNs are part of their northern fleet. Southern fleet only consists of 6 Ming class.

However, it is noted that China just recently took delivery of some Kilo class. No idea which fleet they'd be under, but heck, if they got it, we just have to prepare for it.

Shotgun SG

NEW DELHI: China's growing naval ambitions have for long been worrying India. But for the first time, there is evidence of how much effort the Indian agencies have put in to monitor the neighbour's growing military prowess. The evidence available with DNA is also a rare peak into India's growing snooping abilities beyond its immediate borders.

Sources say that Indian surveillance capabilities have been pressed into full steam to monitor the latest acquisition of Chinese military: two Russian submarines acquired in October. DNA is in possession of a photograph, taken from a Tupalov-142 long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft that was pressed into service to monitor the two Chinese submarines while they were somewhere near the Cape of Good Hope.

The new Kilo class submarines are on their way to China.

The entire surveillance exercise started sometime in last week of October when Peoples Liberation Army Navy took possession of the two submarines that were part of an order placed with Russia in 1996 for four of them. Two were taken possession of by 1998. The submarines, mounted on a massive Merchant Vessel Tai an Kou, left St Petersburg, passed to Atlantic Ocean and reached the Cape of Good Hope, when the Indian surveillance capabilities picked it up.

Ever since the merchant vessel has been under surveillance, believed to be primarily by Navy's Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft based in Chennai. The Russian planes are capable of flying non-stop for some 16 hours, and have highly advanced abilities to pick up low-noise nuclear submarines and also take extremely powerful images like the one with DNA.

The Navy rarely speaks about the exact role of the aircraft and seldom has the public been told about its abilities and the role it plays. The Chinese submarines rounded the Cape of Good Hope sometime around November 20 and are now believed to be somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

Though India has been concerned about China's growing naval capabilities, there is very little that it can do to stop the massive military sales between China and Russia. In fact China and India are Russia's biggest military buyers.

Source : http://dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1000163

YI SG

they are in the eastern fleet. true.. the eastern fleet did supported the southern fleet in their ao against the vietnamese navy. so better prepared than not.

Shotgun SG

Haha, yeah, well yes that is true too. Its best to anticipate that the a potential enemy would be fluid in their war planning.

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