Building the Army of tomorrow: How this force planner is preparing for future warfare

Lieutenant-Colonel Brandon Tan’s work is, in many ways, laying the foundations for the Army of the future.

As Deputy Assistant Chief of General Staff for Plans and Head Force Plans, Tan helps shape the Army’s long-term development – from its technology, budget, manpower and land-use needs to how it prepares for evolving forms of warfare.

His role requires him to look beyond the Army’s immediate needs and consider what it will take to ensure that the force remains ready and relevant for the challenges ahead.

The plans he works on may not bear fruit for another five, 10 or even 15 years. Yet decisions made today could determine whether the Army is ready for a future in which autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and new defence doctrines change how wars are fought – or whether it can respond to unforeseen disruptions.

For Tan, preparing the Army for the future is not only about anticipating new technologies, policies or threats. It also means developing soldiers and leaders who can adapt, make decisions and lead through change.

The heartbeat of the future Army

For all the emphasis on capability development, technology and long-term planning, Tan believes the Army’s most important asset has not changed through the years: its soldiers.

That conviction shapes the decisions he makes. However advanced the Army becomes, it must still equip its soldiers with the ability to think critically, the agility to adapt and the courage to act when circumstances change.

From the tank battles and infantry assaults of World War II to future battlefields shaped by autonomous drones and unmanned systems, warfare has changed dramatically. Yet as Tan puts it, war is fundamentally about pitting will against will.

Drawing on military theorist Carl von Clausewitz’s ideas, Tan says: “Technology is a means to an end. It will never fully replace the visceral element of warfare, which requires strong leadership.”

Tan first saw what such leadership looked like during his own time at Officer Cadet School (OCS), where his wing commander’s dedication to those under his charge left a lasting impression on him.

Inspired to serve

What stood out was how his wing commander led from the front. He never asked the cadets to do anything he would not do himself. Rain or shine, night or day, he was right beside them, coaching, guiding and showing the way.

Despite OCS’s gruelling training schedule, his wing commander also met the cadets regularly to find out how he could best support them, offering advice on career paths and scholarship options, as well as life advice between training sessions.

“Because of him, everybody came to realise that the Army is not looking for a specific archetype of leader,” Tan recalls. “You don’t necessarily have to be the strongest or the fastest person. But you need to have the heart for your people, be willing to put your best foot forward and lead by example.”

His wing commander helped to shape the kind of leader Tan wanted to become. He was later awarded the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Merit Scholarship to study biomedical sciences at the University of Cambridge, where his professors further impressed upon him the importance of nurturing and developing people.

Their questions were never about grades or academic achievement. His professors wanted to know two things: What interests you? How can I support you in pursuing it?

What stayed with him most was his professors’ approach to mentorship. He came to believe that every soldier should be asked the same questions he had encountered in Cambridge’s seminar rooms.

“Forcing people down a path where they’re not given any autonomy or latitude is ultimately detrimental to the organisation,” he says.

If the first thing you tell new soldiers is what you need from them, they will question your sincerity, which can dampen their motivation to do more, Tan continues.

“But if we can understand each soldier’s interests and strengths, deploy him meaningfully, and show him how his contribution matters to the team, he is more likely to find purpose in his two years and give his best.”

This matters because national service continues beyond the two years spent as a full-time national serviceman (NSF). How soldiers experience those two years can shape the attitude and sense of responsibility they bring to their subsequent years of Operationally Ready National Service.

“So, we always have to make sure that the last man or woman on the ground is not left behind,” he adds.

Putting people-first leadership into practice

As commanding officer of the 30th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers (30 SCE), Tan put those lessons into practice. After noticing that many of his men were deeply interested in coding and AI, he gave them the latitude to use those skills to improve their NS experience.

He encouraged them to innovate with easily accessible tools. This gave rise to simple but effective initiatives using tools such as Microsoft 365 and Telegram dashboards to automate routine administrative work, including attendance-taking, fitness tracking and training scheduling, with the necessary security safeguards in place.

Just as importantly, Tan encouraged his soldiers to find ground-up ways to make training safer. A team of NSFs and regulars developed LED markers that could be quickly attached to and removed from combat vehicles to demarcate danger zones. The unit subsequently received the Chief of Army Safety Excellence Award.

The unit also won the Best Combat Support Unit Award in 2024 – an accolade many units strive to achieve.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” says Tan, laughing as he recalls the moment. “It was not part of our plan. We were simply focused on enabling every individual soldier to contribute their best and building our unit into a place we were all proud to call home.”

And this focus, Tan believes, is key to the continued readiness of the Army.

“Our Army’s true strength lies in our people,” he says. “We can invest in the best equipment, but it is our well-trained, confident and committed soldiers who make the difference. Developing our regulars, NSFs and NSmen means building the foundations of an Army that will safeguard Singapore for generations to come.”

Find out how the SAF Merit Scholarship can kick start your career in the Army.