Compre3

COMPREHENSION PRACTICE 3

The new SAF soldier: Tech savvy and resourceful 
By Tracy Quek

THINK of the army and some people think of soldiers who obey orders - sometimes blindly - and who are not comfortable with taking the initiative.

But this stereotypical image is set to disappear once the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is done with training a new breed of soldiers.

These are soldiers armed with the latest technological know-how and equipped with smart weapons. These are uniformed men with initiative, able to make decisions that could turn a battle at a critical moment and secure victory.

Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said the Safti Military Institute has been reviewing how it trains its officers and wants to break free of old mindsets.

He elaborated on what he told Parliament last month during the Budget debate about the new type of soldier needed by the 'third-generation SAF' which will use defence technology to deliver a deadly punch.

But first, the SAF must build up a culture of trust and openness so that individual units and soldiers will be confident exercising initiative on the battlefield.

With a mindset change, 'even small units' on the front lines can make a major impact on the outcome of a battle, 'if they act with speed and initiative', he said.

'If they see a situation developing and have the capability to call in resources very rapidly to take advantage of the developing situation, the armed forces will have operational flexibility on the battlefield,' he said.

The way wars are waged is evolving and has become centred on technology. In future, warfare will involve more unmanned systems, long-range weapons, stand-off sensors and stand-off strikes, he said.

Rear-Adm (NS) Teo, once Chief of Navy, gave this example to show how naval warfare has changed. In the past, he said, warships sailed close together for protection and so that they could combine their firepower on an enemy vessel.

These days, they sail 15km to 25km apart. With advanced communication systems, they can coordinate their weapons to strike the enemy without even sighting the target.

Asked if this slant towards technology bodes well for Singapore, he said: 'If warfare today were still fought on the basis of swords and shields and bows and arrows, we would be in deep trouble because we don't have as many arms to carry swords and shields as other people.'

Fortunately, Singapore has a well-educated population that takes to technology readily. 'We have a whole generation of kids who grew up playing multi-player games on the Internet. Their comfort and ease with technology is what we can leverage on,' he said.

In its push to develop defence technology, Mindef is setting aside an additional 1 per cent of its $8.62 billion budget, for the first time, to break new ground and explore the weapons, tactics and capabilities it will need for wars of the future.

This extra $86 million is on top of the 4 to 5 per cent regularly budgeted for research and development, which this time will come to about $430 million.

Of Mindef's 3,000 scientists, engineers and IT specialists, 2,500 are in organisations such as the Defence Science and Technology Agency and the Defence Science Organisation which are involved in research and development, said the minister.

Asked what they will be working on, Rear-Adm Teo said they are the brains entrusted to invent solutions that will give the SAF an edge in battle.

Its Future Systems Directorate, set up last February for example, has some of Mindef's best officers who will be free to think outside of 'current boxes, constraints and parameters, to look at concepts, operations and solutions that go beyond the scope of what we currently have'.

Singapore is the only country in the region which has such an investment in engineering, scientific and technological personnel in defence, he added.

Much of the work is classified, but he disclosed that the scientists are looking into such areas as sensor technology, communications, networking and developing precision weapons.

No matter how vital a part technology will play as the SAF transforms itself into a third-generation fighting force, the human element is still important, said the minister.

He said: 'Warfare is still quintessentially a human enterprise. It's a battle of wills that ultimately determines the outcome of battle.'

1. What are two misconceptions people have of the SAF soliders? (2 marks)

2. Why is it important that soldiers don't exhibit the characteristics mentioned in Question 1?

3. What is different about the 3rd generation soldiers?

4. Currently, what is missing from the SAF training programme?

5. How are wars predicted to be staged in future?

6. How do we know that the Defence Ministry is serious in building Singapoe's defence?

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