Singapore Army

The mission of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is to deter armed aggression, and to secure a swift and decisive victory should deterrence fail. The Army is also tasked with conducting peace-time operations to further Singapore's national interests and foreign policy. These range from disaster relief to peacekeeping, hostage rescue and other contingencies.[9]

The Army views technology as a force-multiplier and a means to sustain combat power given Singapore's population constraints. Jointness across four branches of the SAF is integral to the Army's warfighting doctrine. Joint operations undertaken with the Navy and Air Force include amphibious landings and critical disaster relief operations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

The Army has a technically proficient, relatively well-educated draftee pool and officer corps (non-commissioned and commissioned) reflective of the population at large, and has sought to leverage this to ease its transition into a more sophisticated, networked fighting force.[10]

Combat readiness is a linchpin of Army policy, and military exercises up to divisional level are conducted many times yearly, simulating full-spectrum operations, up to and including full-scale war. Divisional war games are a combined arms, tri-service affair involving the Navy and Air Force. Because training space is limited in Singapore—artillery fire would quickly traverse the island—some military exercises are conducted overseas. Reservists periodically[11] train abroad, their units regularly evaluated for combat readiness.[10] The Army also trains bilaterally with some host nations, and military exchanges are frequent. Training is billed as "tough, realistic and safe," with a premium on safety, given the sensitivity of military deaths in a largely conscript army.[9]

Following the revolution in military affairs, and in tandem with modernising its weapons systems, the Army is forging a transition to a more network-centric fighting doctrine that better integrates the Air Force and Navy.[12]

The Singapore Army originated with two infantry battalions, the 1st and 2nd Battalions, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR and 2 SIR), which were respectively formed in 1957 and 1962 when Singapore was still a British colony. After a merger with Malaysia which resulted in separation in 1965, Singapore passed the Singapore Army Bill in Parliament on 23 December 1965 and gained complete control of the two battalions from Malaysia in January 1966.[8][13] At the time, the Singapore Army had only the two infantry battalions and the old Singapore Volunteer Artillery Corps. Months later, the Army had a reserve force, the People's Defence Force, which was formed from an old volunteer unit mobilised for service during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. A third battalion, the 10th Battalion, People's Defence Force (10 PDF), was raised as a volunteer infantry reserve battalion.

In 1967, Parliament passed the National Service (Amendment) Act, introducing National Service (conscription) for all able-bodied young men aged 18 and above. In June 1967, the Singapore Army introduced its first artillery battalion, the 20th Singapore Artillery Battalion (20 SAB). Two new infantry battalions, the 3rd and 4th Battalions, Singapore Infantry Regiment (3 SIR and 4 SIR) were formed in August 1967. In November 1968, the Singapore Army's first armoured battalion, 41st Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment (41 SAR), was formed. This was followed by the creation of the 1st Commando Battalion (1 Cdo Bn) in December 1969.[8]

In 1972, Parliament passed the Singapore Armed Forces Act to reorganise and consolidate the Singapore Armed Forces' disparate commands and administrative functions.[14][15]

The Singapore Army has participated in peacekeeping operations overseas. In the aftermath of the Gulf War, Singapore contributed to the United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) formed in 1991. From May 2007 to June 2013, the Singapore Army deployed about 500 personnel to join the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in maintaining stability and assist in reconstruction in war-torn Afghanistan.[16] Since 2014, the Singapore Army has provided logistical support to the international coalition in the War against the Islamic State.[17]

Singapore Army

Components Organisation History and Traditions Military history of Singapore Equipment Weapons of the Singapore Army Personnel Singapore Armed Forces ranks

3rd and PDF
Divisions

6th and 21st
Divisions

9th and 25th
Divisions

Singapore Army – major combat units

The Army is headed by the Chief of Army,[22] who is assisted by the Chief of Staff – General Staff[23] and the Sergeant Major of the Army. The General Staff consists of six branches from G1 to G6, as well as a National Service Affairs Department handling National Service issues, and an Army Safety Inspectorate. The six branches handle issues relating to personnel (G1), intelligence (G2), operations (G3), logistics (G4), plans (G5) and training (G6). The G1, G2, G3, G5, and G6 branches are each headed by an Assistant Chief of General Staff. Among the General Staff, there is also a Chief Systems Integration Officer and a Head of the Army Information Centre.[7]

The commanders of Training & Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Combat Service Support (CSS), the four main divisions, the two operational reserve divisions, the 15 formations of the Army, and the SAF Volunteer Corps also report to the Chief of Army.[24][25][26][7]

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  Singapore Army's Leopard 2A4 at the Singapore Airshow 2008.
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  AMX-10PAC 90 with the 90mm main gun
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  SM-1 Launched Bridge (SLB)
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  M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV)
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  FV180 Combat Engineer Tractor (CET)
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  The Vehicle Launched Bridge
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  The Bionix Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV)
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  The Bionix Launched Bridge (BLB)
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  The 105mm Giat LG-1 howitzer at the SAF Open House
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  FH-2000 in towing configuration
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  Open breech of FH-2000 as seen from loader position
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  The SLWH Pegasus at the Singapore Airshow 2008
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  The 155mm/39calibre Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer 1 (SSPH 1)
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  SPIKE ATGM complete with mock-up missile
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  The MATADOR (Man-portable Anti-Tank, Anti-DOoR)
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  The new CIS-50 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun

• Singapore Armed Forces
• Republic of Singapore Air Force
• Republic of Singapore Navy
• Singapore Special Operations Force
• Singapore Armed Forces ranks

Notes

Bibliography

Further reading

• 'Singapore's Army: boosting capabilities,' Jane's Intelligence Review, April 1996

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Singapore Army.

• Official website
• Singapore Army Official Ranks Website
• Ranks and Paramilitary Ranks of Singapore, accessed 23 October 2006.
• Singapore Infantry Regiment pictures and info