a mini AC dont cost us US$4-6b.
dont u know we can claim special military budget..like what we do
for buying new fighter.
we already have the equipment and formation..just need the
mothership.
Like I said, show me the money.
I didn't even mention the millions of dollars constantly needed to
buy fuel, as well as provide maintainence, for the AC.
SE Asia doesn't need it; even Australia hasn't commissioned another
since its last one delisted in the '80s. The reality is no regional
country has extended overseas interests to finance a AC; the
various countries' existing airbases & naval bases are
operationally appropriate enough, augmented by the ASEAN & FDPA
arrangements.
Like other posters on this board, I can foresee
strengthening/upgrading of the purer maritime forces (both
individually & collectively) though. But, in Singapore's case,
my feeling is we'll choose to bolster the naval bases more instead,
if only to faciliate better the American & Commonwealth
taskforces that occasionally visit our shores (& indirectly act
as a deterrent).
That's basically been our historical load to carry, even as we
sought to protect ourselves militarily post-independence. The whole
pre-WWII "Singapore Strategy" - i.e. the building & upkeep of
the British Naval Base at Sembawang - was that it's ill-affording
to station a permanent fleet within the region to protect colonial
interests, but a local facility can be established from which
operations can be launched.
The new Changi Naval Base - cost between $33m-$35m - should thus be
viewed from this perspective, vis-a-vis the regular FDPA exercises
that partly launched from the facility.
