Comments, opinions and an occasional ramble
Can the SAF win when it comes to the crunch?
Some time ago, I remember reading that the Israeli army is having a problem. As Israel becomes more affluent, more of its people have taken up white-collar jobs. This means that many Israelis now work in comfortable offices, as compared to the past, where many of them do manual labour on farms. The Israeli army that struck fear into its Arab neighbours almost half a century ago were mainly made up of tough men, and their toughness no doubt came from the toiling in the farms under the hot sun.
If I don’t remember wrongly, that article said that less than 20% of Israelis now work on farms. The end result is that current-day soldiers are not as tough as their predecessors a few decades ago. Well, maybe full-time soldiers are still tough, but the reserves certainly pale in comparison with yesteryears. And, this is not a good thing for Israel, considering that it is surrounded on all sides by less-than-friendly countries.
As I read the article, I can’t help but think about our very own armed forces. When it comes to the crunch, are our reserves strong enough to defend the country? We are fast becoming, to borrow the words of Cherian George, literally an air-conditioned nation. Can ordinary folks living in the comforts of first world standards actually fight in combat? No doubt the SAF has always publicised its new technologies and how fearsome these technologies are, but technology alone doesn’t win battles. Besides, over-reliance on fancy high-tech equipment leaves us completely defenseless when the technology gets taken out.
If the famed Israeli army is having such a big problem, I don’t think our own armed forces are any better off. I have no solutions to offer because circumstance is as such. As we become more affluent, it is only natural that we become less tough and more sheltered due to increased enjoyment of material comfort. I just hope that our annual National Day parade of military equipment would be enough as a deterrent and that we never will have to get out there on the battlefield.
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about 4 years ago
This is BLASPHEMY! This is MADNESS!
But i do share your views. And given the fact that we the men of Singapore have seen how the SAF goes about doing things…
about 4 years ago
If the Israeli army can end up like that what do you think?
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What we can count on is the same thing (lack of motivation to fight) is happening in all the countries whom we consider assumed potential enemies. Singapore spends twice on defence than all its neighbors combined to defend this small island we definitely have a technology edge.
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If you look at the bigger picture. Does conventional warfare still make sense? Every country is relies on world trade and any country (except the US) that violates the UN resolution to start an unprovoked war will have trade sanctions imposed on them bringing about a collapse of its economy. Given that our neighboring countries are democratising at a much faster rate than Singapore, and are now answerable to the people – one have to ask why we continue to spend more than twice what our neighbors spend…even as 30% of our population sinking into poverty. Our defense budget is $10.7B and Singapore spends $2B on healthcare….and much less on the poor.
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It is best to foster good relations with our neighbors because to bring us to our knees, they don’t need tanks or missiles, they just need to harass us just like Hizbollah did the Israeli…The Israelis spent a large amount on defense, they have no friends among their neighbors. Even when they fight against a small guerilla army in Labanon, they found it tough despite the high tech weaponry which turned out to be useless in urban environment. Look at what is happening to the Americans now in Iraq…$250B spent and they cannot hold down a relatively small country like Iraq….and militants who make rockets in their kitchen.
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I don’t feel safer because we spend $10.7B in defence. I feel safer because Indonesia is now a democracy and Badawi has taken steps to further democracy in Malaysia. I wonder what our neigbors feel about us…?
about 4 years ago
Lucky,
Well said. I couldn’t agree with you more on the part about technology.
about 4 years ago
Agree. BMT these days is a cakewalk compared to 10-20 years ago. I hear they don’t carry their alibaba bags on their shoulders anymore but drag them around on trolleys like air stewardesses! =D
Btw, just added you onto my read list.
about 4 years ago
When is the crunch?
When a non-pap party wins an election?
about 4 years ago
everybody wants to make money, not war these days.
and if an aggressor wants to take over Singapore, its the money that’s sitting in the reserves. and to take that, u need bankers, not soldiers!!
other than that, there is nothing much else. They can build a Jurong island or Bukom, they already have infrastructure, they can build an Orchard Road. they have factories that are cheaper to run. they already have ports. they have satellites and telecom infrastructure. they also have skilled locals.
there’s no Sukarno or Saddam among our neighbours. I dont think Vietnam gives us the communist threat of the 60s-70s (the so-called “domino effect” as perpertrated by the US).
Its economic bullying that we need to be wary of.
oh – and i guess – these days – the threat is apparently more likely to come from Al-Qaeda, JI, etc etc etc…
about 4 years ago
Yh,
Exactly. What’s the crunch that is leading us to invest 10 billion a year on defense? Why not $5 billion? Or $7 billion? I think we need more accountability as to why so much is being spent on defense when our air-conditioned soldiers are not very likely to win a ground war. With the savings, we all won’t have to pay 7 percent GST.
about 4 years ago
jdtoh,
Yeah. I just attended a BMT briefing some months back because my fiancee’s brother enlisted. The sergeant was proudly telling us about the trolley bag, lighter combat boots, lighter helmets and gourmet combat rations.
Thanks for adding me to the read list.
about 4 years ago
Lucky Tan,
I am always of the opinion that Singapore doesn’t need an army of its own. All it needs is to ensure a sizable number of its population is filled with foreigners from all over the world who are holding non-Singaporean passports. No neighbour will have the balls to drop a couple of bombs on Singapore, unless they want the entire G8 countries to send their aircraft carriers down.
That being said, why $10 billion on defense again?
about 4 years ago
Aaron,
We have indonesians or filipino maids in many households, malaysians come here by the thousands toi work. Americans, Europeans and Japanese invest here. Singaporeans are leaking by the thousands. Singapore is now Singapore Inc a corporation…..we ALREADY filled with people of other nationalities 800,000 are non-singaporeans. We’re already ‘INVADED’ in some sense!!!!!!
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Our wealth is not in natural resources but mostly capital assets, people and infrastructure. There has been one instance of a sovereign country invading another to takeover in the last 60 years…that was Iraq entering into Kuwait to take their oil…the punishment is harsh and fast for Iraq.
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$10B? This is because it is pegged to 3% of our GDP…defence is now 30% of our budget. How much is enough for deterrent purposes, given the current global environment?
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The real threat to Singaporeans’ way of life is high cost of living, poverty, mosquitos, availability of affordable healthcare, low intensity terrorist acts, income gap and profiteering. The real threat to our freedom, democracy, power and rights as citizens is something that starts and ends with the letter ‘P’
about 4 years ago
With nothing to gain from a victory, only the greatest fool will have a war with Singapore!
about 4 years ago
scb,
Sometimes, it’s not about gaining anything tangible. That’s why there’s the saying “cutting off the nose to spite the face”.
about 4 years ago
One reason why the SAF should be reorganised more rapidly into a force that can shore up non-traditional forms of security through rapid deployment of peacekeeping and HADR forces.
Security is not just about men, missiles and planes, it is also showing that you have the ability to secure the regions around you should disaster strikes, and also to build good lasting coalitions abroad through peacekeeping and development aid/assistance.
about 4 years ago
If that’s the reason to go for war, it can only be the idea of a bloody fool!
about 4 years ago
Let me add that it is just as foolish for one to flaunt and taunt at ones’ neighbours!
about 4 years ago
…deleted
about 4 years ago
If there is a bet whether there would be a war involving Singapore and other countries, I would take the position that there would be no war.
about 4 years ago
Can SAF win? Actually right, I believe our strategy is not so much about winning. The question is can SAF tahan until we get help. And I think we can.
about 4 years ago
The whole idea and existence of the SAF is more to do with consolidating the special family’s grip on this island. A professional army will be more motivated to do what it is supposed to do compared with conscripts and slaves.
about 4 years ago
SAF can fight on paper. Just look at how well SAF generals do in wargames.
In reality, there is nothing to defend in Singapore. If a foreign country wants a piece of Singapore Inc, just take the express lane opened up by EDB for whatever sector, education, property, casinoes, petroleum.
You just need some money, EBD will cough up the rest.
Why invade Singapore when as a foreign investor you are given tax incentives and even outright grants to own a piece of Singapore Inc?
SAF is used more to control the population and as our MM mentioned, to prevent “freak result” if “something” happens.
ROD lor. MR.
2.5 years + 10 years wasted.
P.S. They can have the watch and fake gold medals back anytime.
about 4 years ago
I seriously doubt our paper generals can do a proper job during wartime. But with the amount of discontent running amongst the SAF I bet most of the men won’t hesitate to shoot their officers in the back. Those of them who are willing to be on the frontline that is.
about 4 years ago
Lucky Tan,
I feel safer now that Indonesia and Malaysia are democracies too. If only Singapore’s leaders would take steps to make Singapore into a democracy too, then it would make more sense though.
about 4 years ago
We got a recently retired ex-chief of army working in a newly created post in one of the government-linked corporations. I guess that his “valuable past experiences in the top post of the $10B army” is still valid in similar type of organisatons. How come he did not try to get senior position employment in larger (>$10B) private organisations? Surely, he has a $10B organisation under him. Tons and tons of MNCs would be queuing for his “expertise”.
Well, it seems that there is one answer – he was a “SAF GENERAL“. As I said before, SAF spent money and do not earn profits.
about 4 years ago
Actually I think that if we were to go to war, it would mean a complete and utter failure of everything else. But the thing is, how sissy would a country without an army look? Even a miniscule one of four million? International politics is to me, nothing but a game of bluff. The army is part of that game. Our foreign policy, for all the “arrogance” our neighbours like to frame us with, is in fact, utterly deferential as it can get outside of the rhetorical chest puffing. In international diplomacy, only the weak and insecure must act arrogant in front, but deferential behind the scenes. The strong and powerful need not. Our neighbours like to frame us for “arrogance” because of their own problems at home, and face it, most people like having someone else to hate…
about 4 years ago
Before i am asked to take up arms, i shd be paid a salary close to 2/3 professional soldier’s/mercenary’s pay. From there, then we can talk abt doing my “job”, pls do not expect me to draw a measly pay to sacrifice my life, do u know it it not easy to recruit professional soldiers for a 2 yr stint followed by 10 yrs call up anytime. To think that i servede 2 1/2 plus 13 yrs reservist to hv foreigners assess me on my work performance, insulting my time spent fulfilling national service obligations. It is not abt taking up arms, do we feel cheated after all these yrs.
about 4 years ago
What a bunch of whimpers…
all you guys grouch about is how crap SAF is really like, and I bet all of you went through NS.
OK, if you look in history, its not the toughest army thats wins, but the smartest, most cohesive and techically advance once that do.
The Romans traditionally beat the shit out of the Barbarians tribes not because the were physically tougher, but because they developed strategies, tactics and equipment that gave them a superior edge in close combat fighting.
The british army beat the shit out of the manchu banners man, and kungfu (boxer) fighters, even though these guys were certainly tougher, trained harder, and lived in more spartan conditions than the the british rifleman, and this despite the fact that the british guys had to travel over 6000km by sea to china.
During world war II, the Japanese beat the shit out of the British in Malay, this is despite the fact that the Japanese guys were actually physically weaker, were out numbered and even had less artillery than the british. No one can deny that man to man, an aussy solider coming from the outback would beat the crap out of an average japanese soldier (and most of them were city folks like ourselves).
The Japs also had to fight against an Indian division, which consisted of full-time professional indian soldiers (these are your tough warrior caste / punjabi sikh sort of guys). Yet they beat the shit out of them.
The main reason the Japs won was they train for it, and were more cohesive (they went through jungle training in taiwan before attacking Malaya), they also had a plan, and an operational doctorine which they followed closely (it was an offensive doctorine of constant attack and outflanking movements designed to imbalance the enemy, and not give them time to “dig-in” into a defence), and it worked brilliantly.
The main reason the British lost was……. they were lost, didn’t know what they were doing. ie. poor training and leadership.
One of the ironies of the Malayan campaign was that the australian division was trained for desert warfare (they were suppose to go to egypt to fight), but were diverted to Singapore, with no jungle training.
Compare this with a few years later when the british beat the shit out the japanese in Burma, and mind you, the english lads were also mostly city folks like us.
Will SAF win or loose? it will boil down to training, tactics, equipment and leadership.
In conclusion, I always believe there will be screw-ups in EVERY army , but its the army that screws up the least that will win.
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