Recent conflicts show how warfare is evolving; important for S’pore to build capabilities: PM Wong

SINGAPORE - The Republic has to learn from recent conflicts, such as in Ukraine and Iran, to better harness new technologies like unmanned systems, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on April 9.

Warfare is evolving with new threats, and it is important for Singapore to build up its own capabilities, he said during a visit to the army’s 6th Singapore Division/Headquarters Sense & Strike in Mandai Hill Camp.

While Singapore has already been doing so, recent experiences have provided it with “a lot of food for thought”, he told the media after observing a demonstration of surveillance drones working together with platforms like an AH-64D Apache attack helicopter.

While the trend towards more unmanned systems and different ways of fighting was first seen during the Ukraine conflict, the current conflict involving Iran has shown that it was not an anomaly.

Said PM Wong: “This trend towards more unmanned systems, using new technologies and different ways of fighting – this will be with us. And we have to learn from this experience how to better harness new technologies and unmanned systems in our concept of operations.

“There will be new challenges because, as you can see in recent conflicts with unmanned systems, you can have the most advanced interceptors, but when your aggressor is deploying cheap swarms of drones, it’s very challenging for your interceptors to defend.”

It is highly expensive and also takes time to replace these assets, he added.

PM Wong said this is an example of new threats that Singapore has to think about, which is why it is important for the country to build up its own capabilities.

He said that in a world where the global order is coming apart, Singapore must be prepared for more disorder, more conflicts and more fighting around the world in the years ahead.

While much focus in recent times has been on energy, given the conflict in the Middle East, “defence is of utmost importance too”, he added.

During his visit, PM Wong interacted with soldiers undergoing the division’s advanced competency training.

The training involves more than 1,200 operationally ready and full-time national servicemen and regulars, and hones the division’s ability to integrate manoeuvre forces with sense-strike concepts, which refer to the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) ability to detect threats quickly, decide on a response and take precise action.

PM Wong was accompanied by Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing; the Chief of Defence Force, Vice-Admiral Aaron Beng; and the Chief of Army, Major-General Cai Dexian, as they observed a static display of the formation’s capabilities, including the Veloce 15 and Orbiter 4 close-range unmanned aerial vehicles, and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.

PM Wong said Singapore is learning from the experiences of conflicts abroad as it harnesses new technologies, and adapts and transforms the SAF, but noted that it was not just about buying new platforms.

“What’s of more importance is how we integrate these new capabilities well, across different domains, between the operations and the technology team, and across different services in the SAF, so that we can have a more effective SAF, and it can also be a more effective deterrent against any potential aggressors.”

PM Wong said Singapore has always been vigilant about defence.

“In a time where we come under threat, no one is going to come to our rescue, and we have to depend on ourselves,” he said.

That is why Singapore has built up the SAF and invested consistently in it from the very beginning, and that overall stance remains consistent now, he added.

“But I would say it’s even more important than in the past, considering the external environment that we are in… because if the global order starts to come apart and more and more, if it does move in that direction, there will be a vacuum, and a vacuum means disorder, it means messiness, it means unpredictability.”

It also means a world where countries may resort more to using force and coercion to get what they want, and small countries like Singapore will come under pressure, he said.

While there are conversations about security in areas where resilience needs to be built up, like energy, food and other areas of supply chains, there is also a need to pay particular attention to defence, PM Wong said.

“In today’s world, it’s more than just about equipping and transforming the SAF, it’s also thinking hard about technology and thinking hard about defence supply chains and how we can be more resilient as a country,” he said.

“That’s what we will continue to do to make sure Singapore remains safe and secure.”

Colonel Philip Khoo Kok Hong, Chief of Staff of 6th Singapore Division/Headquarters Sense & Strike, said the division is learning from the recent conflicts and adapting the lessons to its own context.

“We have also looked out for cheaper, asymmetric and also low-cost and innovative options to continually upgrade our systems,” he added.

COL Khoo, who is also a pilot, said one of the division’s latest developments is the capacity to conduct “one-to-many” drone operations. These allow an individual to operate up to 200 drones at a time, with the assistance of artificial intelligence.

Mr Alex Lee, director of land systems at the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), said the agency also keeps a close eye on recent conflicts and puts to use some of its observations in the solutions that it provides to the SAF.

He said that apart from the proliferation of drones for the use of surveillance as well as other missions, there is also the capacity to counter and take out drones, which may involve capabilities that include the altering of signals.

These are areas DSTA is drawing lessons from, Mr Lee said.

He said: “For technology cycles that are evolving this fast, (our system engineering capability) is a very strong point for us, and we definitely want to leverage that to deliver these capabilities to the SAF.”