(From:
ST Interactive, 1 July 2004?)
3G warrior
Third Generation combat soldier in SAF will have
More firepower
Bird's-eye view
Air strikes on call
THE next-generation combat soldier will be able to see more clearly, not just in the dark but also behind a hill.
Transformed, the modern infantry trooper and his fighting unit will connect with the rest of a high-tech system.
He will have more firepower at his disposal and, if he needs it, will even be able to call in an air strike involving precision-guided weapons.
It's not just the infantry trooper and his fighting unit that will evolve as the military is transformed into the Third Generation (3G) Singapore Armed Forces, said Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean, describing the major mid-life overhaul that the SAF is undergoing.
'The important thing is not just what the soldier or his team can do, but how he and his team connect with the rest of the system.'
He will get direct access to information from high-tech sensors, like unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, which relay real-time images while hovering over the battlefield, explained Rear-Admiral (NS) Teo.
The changes will go far beyond the individual soldier and his unit.
The army will have to look at how it organises itself to see if troops, weapons and sensor systems, for example, need to be re-allocated to make the most efficient use of resources, he added.
The 3G SAF, a phrase which Rear-Adm Teo first described in detail in his speech in Parliament during the Budget Debate this year, is set to soon become as commonplace in military lingo here as BMT or basic military training.
At the heart of this SAF is the use of defence technology to 'ensure that the armed forces will be able to meet any future challenge and, in fact, stay one step ahead of it'.
One of the most visible symbols of the transformation, in the form of two sleek swing-wing Eurofighter Typhoons, may be spotted over Singapore skies shortly.
The aircraft are making the 13,000km journey here from Britain, with four stopovers en route, to be put through their paces in the final stages of evaluations for a new fighter aircraft to replace the ageing A4 Super Skyhawks.
The Typhoon is up against Boeing's F-15 Strike Eagle and France's Dassault Rafale in the $2 billion deal for 20 new aircraft. A decision is expected early next year.
Rear-Adm Teo said that other major programmes are on track as well, with Apache helicopters, Primus artillery guns and the navy's submarines brought into service.
The first of the navy's six new frigates with radar-deflecting features was launched in France in January. The second ship, built locally, will be launched on Saturday.
The other four are in various stages of construction, which are on schedule.
Hardware aside, new units have also been set up to meet more complex threats posed by chemical and biological agents, as well as 'dirty bombs' which combine the explosive power of conventional bombs with the threat of radiation.
Some of the new capabilities, however, are far less visible but no less important in giving the SAF an edge.
Using jargon more commonly associated with the back-room operations of commercial organisations, Rear-Adm Teo said that new capabilities in 'networking, communications, command and control systems' have been added as well.
What they do is allow for speedy and accurate information to be collected, relayed and analysed, but to show someone this would basically mean displaying a computer.
He added: 'It's not as exciting as taking out a helicopter, a tank or a gun, but these are real capabilities nevertheless.'
Making much of this possible is another not-so-visible secret weapon in the Defence Ministry's arsenal - its pool of several thousand defence scientists.
They work on key areas like building better sensors and precision weapons as well as how best to combine these capabilities to give the troops an edge, said the minister.
Mindef is also working with the Home Affairs Ministry to use technology to deal with some of the emerging threats, he said.
For example, the data from night vision and intrusion detection systems protecting key installations can be relayed to a command centre, where computers can analyse and compare it against previous intrusions to determine if it is a false alarm or a real threat.
To fund some of this research and development, an additional 1 per cent of Mindef's budget, or an extra $86 million, has been set aside this year.
This is on top of the regular 4 to 5 per cent it budgets annually for research and development, which this time can amount to about $430 million.
Said the minister: 'We are reaping the returns of these investments and some of these systems are maturing, and I expect that over the next five to 10 years, we will be seeing more of this transformation.'
