Budget 2026: Singapore expects security-related expenditure to rise in coming years
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Singapore will also strengthen its collective cyberdefence capabilities by deepening partnerships with industry.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
- Singapore anticipates increased security spending due to a more dangerous world, maintaining defence at 3% of GDP but prepared to spend more on security efforts.
- The world faces escalating conflicts, with 61 in 2024, highest since WWII. Singapore must adapt to new threats like sophisticated drone warfare.
- Singapore will strengthen its cybersecurity posture against advanced attacks, deepening capabilities and partnering critical infrastructure owners for collective defence.
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SINGAPORE – Singapore expects its security-related expenditures to rise in the coming years, as it strives to keep itself safe and secure in a more dangerous world.
The city-state will also strengthen its collective cyberdefence capabilities by deepening partnerships with industry, at a time when the digital domain has become an increasingly contested arena, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Feb 12.
In his Budget speech
While the world has never been free of conflict, there were 61 state-based armed conflicts in 2024 – the highest number recorded since World War II, he noted.
Recent conflicts included one of the most serious clashes involving Asean member states in years, when a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia
These developments are deeply troubling, said PM Wong. “They reflect a shrinking space for negotiation, a greater willingness to use force and a higher risk of miscalculation – with consequences that can easily spill across borders.”
Recent conflicts have also underscored the changing nature of warfare, he added. Unmanned aerial systems are now a common feature, used not only for surveillance but also for precision strikes, electronic warfare and coordinated operations.
“Drones are cheaper, more accessible and increasingly sophisticated, allowing even smaller actors to project force in new ways,” he said.
PM Wong said Singapore will study these developments carefully, and invest decisively in capabilities that are essential to its defence.
“That includes strengthening our ability to deploy, counter and operate alongside unmanned systems across all domains,” he added.
On the digital front, PM Wong said Singapore has seen a sharp rise in cyberattacks by both state-sponsored and non-state actors.
These range from scams targeting individuals to highly sophisticated attacks on critical information systems.
“Singapore is an attractive target. We have faced attacks from malicious cyber actors, including hostile information campaigns and deliberate attempts to undermine our national security,” said PM Wong.
On Feb 9, the authorities revealed that Singapore’s four major telecommunications companies had come under attack UNC3886
PM Wong said on Feb 12 that the Republic has strengthened its digital defences over the years. These moves include the establishment of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore and the Digital and Intelligence Service in the SAF, as well as the building of expertise within the Home Team Science and Technology Agency.
“These efforts have enabled us to detect, disrupt and fend off many attacks. But the threat landscape continues to evolve – with attacks becoming more frequent, more coordinated and more sophisticated,” he said.
Singapore will therefore continue to strengthen its cybersecurity posture by deepening capabilities, improving coordination across agencies and better safeguarding its most critical systems.
With attackers often exploiting smaller or less-protected companies as weak links to gain access to larger systems and cause widespread disruption, the Government will also work more closely with industry, especially owners of critical information systems.
“All this underscores the importance of sustained investment in our security,” he said.
PM Wong said history has taught the city-state a hard lesson – that it alone is responsible for its defence and survival.
That is why, since independence, the country has invested steadily to safeguard its peace and security, allowing it to build credible and strong capabilities in both the Singapore Armed Forces and the Home Team.
“Importantly, our security effort goes beyond MINDEF alone – it also includes investments in the security of our critical infrastructure and in the Home Team,” he said.
“Taken together, we expect overall security-related expenditures to rise in the coming years – to keep Singapore safe and secure in a far more complex threat environment.”
Read next: 10 highlights from PM Wong’s speech
