預算辯論 · 2019-03-01 · 屆國會 13
國防預算與區域安全合作
議員質詢國防預算及安全部署，政府回應強調新加坡在國際重大活動中加強安保，部署大量軍力保障安全，並推動區域反恐合作。核心爭議點在於國防開支的合理性及應對新興安全威脅的能力。
關鍵要點
- • 國防預算獲跨黨派支援
- • 重大國際活動強化安保
- • 推動區域反恐資訊共享
支援加強國防與區域安全合作
建議適度調整國防預算
強化國防與區域反恐合作
“It is particularly gratifying and reassuring for our future, for Singapore's future, that despite Defence, Security, Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs accounting for one-third of our expenditure, that we have got support across the aisle.”
參與人員 (8)
- Heng Chee How
- Minister for Defence
- Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman
- Ng Eng Hen
- Pritam Singh
- Senior Minister of State for Defence
- Tan Chuan-Jin
- Vikram Nair
完整譯文（中文）
Hansard 原始記錄 · 2026-05-02
J項（續）–
【（程式文本）恢復對問題的辯論【2019年2月28日】，（程式文本）】
【（程式文本）“將預算中J項的總撥款減少100元。”−【維克拉姆·奈爾議員】。（程式文本）】
【（程式文本）再次提出問題。（程式文本）】
主席：國防部長黃永宏。
國防部長（黃永宏博士）：主席先生，首先感謝各位議員持續致力於新加坡的強大防務。
我注意到許多議員在預算辯論期間發表的講話。令人特別欣慰和放心的是，儘管國防、安全、內政和外交事務佔我們開支的三分之一，但我們獲得了跨黨派的支援。我認為這是一個強烈訊號，預示著新加坡的未來前景良好。
去年對新加坡來說是忙碌的一年。我們在國際舞臺上舉辦了多項重要活動。回應維克拉姆·奈爾議員和林秀霞議員的提問，新加坡的形象和地位因我們擔任東道主而得到提升，但這也要求我們採取額外且嚴格的安全措施。六月，議員們還記得，新加坡武裝部隊（SAF）在短時間內部署——是的，反覆部署——在兩週內，我們被要求主辦美朝峰會。由於此類高調活動可能成為恐怖分子的目標，武裝部隊進行了大規模部署，動員了2000名人員，數十架飛機、艦船和車輛，提供覆蓋聖淘沙和烏節路部分割槽域的空中、陸地和海上安全防護。我們的努力連同內務部隊的配合，有效威懾了潛在的挑釁者。新加坡武裝部隊在11月主辦東盟峰會時也進行了類似的行動，屆時所有東盟政府首腦及眾多外國貴賓齊聚一堂。
去年十月，國防部主持了第12屆東盟國防部長會議（ADMM）及第5屆18成員的ADMM-Plus會議，這些國家總人口達40億，佔全球軍力的90%。在會議中，我們推動ADMM及ADMM-Plus國家共同應對包括反恐和化學、生物及放射防禦威脅等安全關切，並促成東盟採納印度尼西亞的“我們的眼睛”倡議。該倡議旨在加強區域反恐資訊共享，新加坡將協助印度尼西亞建立和運營該設施。此舉對於應對從伊拉克和敘利亞返回的戰鬥人員浪潮尤為重要，儘管伊斯蘭國（ISIS）在該地區勢力正在減弱。
我也很高興報告，在我們的主持下，ADMM通過了東盟空軍軍事遭遇準則（GAME），這是全球首套此類多邊準則，並獲得ADMM-Plus國家支援。GAME可防止軍事飛機在空中非計劃遭遇導致的災難性後果。我們還推動了海上非計劃遭遇行為準則（CUES）的實施——有議員提及此事——該準則已在所有ADMM-Plus海軍中實踐，包括去年十月首次舉行的東盟-中國海上聯合演習。今年晚些時候，我們將使用CUES進行ADMM-Plus海上安全演習，屆時將包括美國和中國。總體而言，新加坡為提升區域安全與穩定做出了應有貢獻。這是富有成效且成果豐碩的一年。
然而，過去幾個月我們與馬來西亞遇到了一些挑戰。謝健鵬議員對此有所詢問。自去年十一月以來，馬來西亞政府船隻多次進入新加坡在大士附近的領海，該區域由新加坡海事及港務局（MPA）、警察海岸警衛隊（PCG）及新加坡共和國海軍（RSN）行使管轄權和執法權，過去二十多年馬來西亞未曾抗議或侵入。即便現在，仍有兩艘馬來西亞政府船隻停泊在大士附近的新加坡領海。新加坡民眾和議員們對這些事態發展已十分熟悉，我無需贅述。我們已嚴正警告馬來西亞撤回其船隻。事實上，外交部（MFA）去年十二月的新聞宣告指出，我引用：“馬來西亞在該區域的部署不會加強其法律主張，只會加劇緊張局勢。馬來西亞將對其船隻持續部署在該區域所引發的任何不良事件負責。”正如我們所警告的，上個月希臘散貨船“比雷埃夫斯”號與馬來西亞政府船“北極星”號發生碰撞。幸運的是無人受傷，但後果本可更嚴重。
新加坡人還記得2017年8月美國“麥凱恩”號驅逐艦與油輪“阿爾尼克”號在白礁附近相撞，造成10名船員喪生。儘管如此，馬來西亞部分人士仍指責新加坡策劃了與“北極星”號的碰撞。如果最近的碰撞中有人喪生，這些虛假指控勢必更加激烈，甚至可能推動對新加坡及新加坡人的報復。
外交部和交通部官員正在進行會談和談判，而馬來西亞政府船隻的存在不僅無助於談判，反而使其自身處於危險之中並阻礙了建設性對話。海事及港務局、警察海岸警衛隊和新加坡共和國海軍全天候密切監控大士附近的新加坡領海活動，始終保持高度警惕，捍衛我們的主權和國際法下的權利。
國防部將繼續推動防務外交。議員們，包括林秀霞和維克拉姆·奈爾，都提出了相關建議。我們希望促進區域和平與穩定。我們與願意合作的國家交朋友，與利益一致、共享包容、和平解決爭端及尊重法治理念的國家建立夥伴關係。
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但同時，我們必須確保武裝部隊強大且足以在外交失敗、他人選擇傷害我們或無視我們權利時捍衛我們的權益。正如法蒂瑪·拉蒂夫教授所言，“強大的武裝部隊保護新加坡和新加坡人。”我們持續投資和努力建設下一代武裝部隊，以更好應對未來一代的安全威脅。這些發展進展順利，我願詳細說明，因為許多議員詢問我們如何應對本代將面臨的不同威脅場景。我們必須為未來做好準備，因為建設這樣的武裝部隊需要時間。
首先是國土安全。2008年孟買襲擊事件向我們展示了來自海上的毀滅性破壞，而我們四面環海。為威懾和減輕針對新加坡的外部攻擊，我們將加強整個海岸線的安全。武裝部隊將增設更多光學感測器和海岸雷達，以威懾和偵測潛在威脅。我們將建造更多無人值守的瞭望塔，以更好覆蓋新加坡海峽繁忙的交通。明年起，我們還將增加無人水面艦艇巡邏我們的水域。
議員們詢問了關於下一代武裝部隊現代化的更多細節——維克拉姆·奈爾議員、普里坦·辛格議員、法蒂瑪·拉蒂夫教授、莊基雄議員和張志賢議員——讓我詳細說明。我們建設下一代武裝部隊以更好應對安全威脅的計劃在三軍中均進展順利。主席先生，若獲允許，我想在LED螢幕上展示一些幻燈片，並請求分發講義。
主席：請便。[向尊敬的議員們分發了講義。]
黃永宏博士：讓我先從空軍說起。郭振輝議員詢問了F-35戰機。我們已宣佈計劃用F-35替換2030年後將面臨淘汰的F-16戰機。屆時，新加坡共和國空軍（RSAF）的戰鬥機機隊將由F-35和F-15SG組成，如果計劃十年後得以實現。
如前所述，國防部將向美國提交採購F-35的請求函（LOR）。根據美國對外軍售法律，美國國會必須批准F-35的銷售。我們的請求函將初步申請採購四架F-35，並保留後續採購八架的選項。新加坡已獲得美國政府和國防部對採購F-35的支援，但仍需國會批准。事實上，特朗普總統上月致信李總理，歡迎新加坡採購F-35的計劃。兩週前我在慕尼黑安全會議上會見代理國防部長帕特里克·沙納漢時，他也表示美國非常讚賞新加坡的決定，其部門支援此舉。
關於價格，F-35價格因美國及包括英國、義大利、澳大利亞、日本和韓國在內的10個國家的穩定訂單而持續下降。國防科技局（DSTA）評估認為，現在是提交採購請求的良機。F-35當前單價約為9000萬至1.15億美元，接近我們為F-15SG支付的價格。F-35機隊的全生命週期總擁有成本（含維護）也將與F-15SG相當。儘管如此，國防部將繼續與美國國防部合作，最佳化運營和維護成本。
RSAF還將從2020年起接收新直升機。H225M中型運輸機和我們的CH-47重型運輸機將替換現有的超級美洲獅和CH-47D機隊。這些新直升機將提升容量，更有效執行搜救及人道援助和災難救援任務。
以上是空軍部分。接下來談談海軍。
對於新加坡共和國海軍（RSN），現役潛艇已服役逾二十年。我們將以四艘新型“無敵”級潛艇替換它們。首艇最近在德國下水，另外三艘正在建造中。“無敵”級潛艇續航能力更強，配備最新本地研發的感測器和自動化系統，專為我們周邊水域最佳化。我們最近在基爾北海下水潛艇，之前的潛艇是在波羅的海下水，那裡的水溫更低，因此我們必須針對溫暖水域進行最佳化。我們計劃於2025年前完成四艘“無敵”級潛艇的全艦隊建設。
對於水面艦艇，我們服役自1989年的導彈護衛艦已服役多年，屬於“先鋒一代”，即將退役，將由新型多用途作戰艦（MRCV）替代。首艦預計於2025年左右交付，2030年前完成全部交付。新艦不僅提升能力，還融入多項新理念。首先，人員需求更少。多位議員指出我們如何應對三分之一的人力減少。MRCV設計之初即為精簡人力，採用自動化技術，包括維護自動化，船員人數約為現代護衛艦的一半，成就顯著。
因此，運營成本也可節省約10%，相較於其他同級護衛艦。MRCV還將配備更多無人空中和水面無人機，不僅是有人艦艇，還將搭載無人機和模組化裝備，提升對威脅的覆蓋範圍和靈活性。許多議員熟悉我們的登陸艦（LST），相信不少議員曾乘坐過，它們在多次演習中表現出色，是我們人道援助和災難救援（HADR）任務的主力。LST也已老化，未來十年內將由更大更靈活的聯合多工艦替代。
接下來談陸軍。
陸軍方面，下一代裝甲戰鬥車輛將從今年起替換M113超型裝甲車，成為武裝部隊機械化部隊的主力。新加坡人將在今年國慶閱兵中見到它們。這些裝甲戰鬥車輛具備更好的裝甲防護和城市環境機動能力。陸軍還將引進下一代榴彈炮，射程更遠，打擊精度更高，優於現有裝備。
我已談及空中、陸地和海上有人平臺，但2030年及以後武裝部隊的標誌性變化是轉向混合力量。我們將使用更多無人平臺。RSAF的部分無人機已服役逾十年，未來幾年將被更先進的無人機替代。我提到過MRCV和無人水面艦艇。陸軍士兵也將首次配備微型無人機，特別適用於城市和建築密集環境。這些無人平臺將補充傳統有人裝備，提升應對各種作戰場景的能力。
總體而言，2030年及以後下一代武裝部隊，憑藉空、陸、海全方位裝備，將能守護新加坡一代又一代。這支武裝部隊將護衛我們的未來，是我們投資所購得的裝備。下一代新加坡人將在新加坡75週年慶典上為這支空陸海武裝部隊喝彩。
屆時，我們將擁有先進的海岸監視網路和防空系統，形成保護新加坡免受威脅的盾牌。RSAF將駕駛F-35和F-15SG戰機巡航天空，配備A330多用途加油運輸機、G550預警機、新型直升機及多種無人機。RSN將擁有MRCV、“無敵”級潛艇、新型無人水面艦艇和更大型聯合多工艦，輔以現有護衛艦和近岸任務艦。陸軍將更具防護性和機動性，士兵乘坐下一代裝甲戰鬥車輛和Terrex輪式裝甲車。豹式坦克、高機動火箭炮系統（HIMARS）和下一代榴彈炮將為其提供火力支援，配合全套工兵、通訊、後勤和維護平臺。
但僅有硬體不足以打造強大軍隊。我們還需在本地和海外建設新訓練設施，確保國民服役者和現役軍人能打造現代化且具備能力的武裝部隊，捍衛新加坡及其利益。我知道議員們對此有所關切，包括賽納爾·薩帕裡議員。
2030年及以後武裝部隊設計為以更精簡的人力運營。貝業炎慶議員、莊基雄議員、賽納爾·薩帕裡議員和普里坦·辛格議員對此提出了問題。換言之，我們設計2030年及以後武裝部隊時，考慮到2030年後人力供應將減少三分之一。我已提及海軍的MRCV需要更少船員。
我之前提到的下一代榴彈炮操作人員僅需三人，而現有榴彈炮需九人，顯著減少人力需求，且射速和精度更高。自主和自動化系統將減少勞動密集型任務，例如對空軍基地和跑道的損傷評估。現代化裝備和平臺也可由非體能等級A或B的國民服役者操作，從而有效提升人力資源利用率。與裝備採購同步，我們還將加大對武裝部隊士兵訓練設施的投資。
我上次在2017年向本院介紹武裝部隊訓練學院（SAFTI）城。先鋒和獨立一代對舊SAFTI非常熟悉——你們會記得FOFO山、彭康山、巴西立巴艇棚和大象山。我們曾在這些地方衝鋒，有時也衝下山坡。SAFTI城將補充這些傳統地形，增設城市環境，以更好地準備士兵應對21世紀多樣化作戰。SAFTI城將是一個智慧化城市。我們談論過智慧城市，希望SAFTI城成為智慧訓練場。
我們將更多使用模擬和詳細監控，幫助士兵更好學習。這將與我們服役時衝山、對抗敵軍營時喊“砰，砰，砰，砰！”而敵人回應“砰，砰，砰，砰！”的日子大不相同。
這種方法並不新鮮。例如，我們的戰鬥機飛行員幾十年來一直使用這種方法訓練高速機動。每次機動後，他們都會坐下來互相說：“好，你說說你做了什麼，他說說他做了什麼。”這就是目標。他們展示了軌跡，指出了你的弱點。他們之所以能做到這一點，是因為飛機昂貴，飛行員更是如此。但直到現在，現代技術才允許我們將同樣的流程推廣到陸軍的個別士兵身上。
所以，多年來我們一直在這樣做，你不能再假設你擊中了目標，實際上士兵和平臺上都有電子感測器，消耗率是真實存在的。我很高興地報告，SAFTI城正在成形，進度正常。我們將建設更多道路和橋樑，以便陸軍的機動和機械化部隊今年開始訓練。SAFTI城將逐步建設，完工時將擁有200多座不同高度和型別的建築，全部接入網路。
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但有了這種面向2030年及以後的新型武裝部隊，我們可以長距離機動。我們的Terrex裝甲車時速可達70公里，豹式坦克接近這個速度，可能在更復雜地形上速度較慢。但如果我們只能在新加坡訓練，你可以在不到一小時內從一端到另一端。因此，我們需要更大的訓練場地。特別是Shoalwater Bay的訓練區將被擴充套件。澳大利亞東北部Townsville地區也將有新發展。根據新加坡-澳大利亞全面戰略伙伴關係，諸如儀器化聯合兵種陸空射擊場和城市作戰實彈射擊設施等新設施正在按計劃建設。我說得很快，但陸空射擊場價值無價。我們現在只能在極少數地方做到——美國有些地方因為有土地。它允許陸空平臺協調打擊。因此，當這些設施在未來幾年完工後，我們將能夠每年訓練大規模部隊長達18周，較目前的六至七週大幅增加，約為三倍。
許多議員談到了數字防禦。我完全同意。這是一個我們不能選擇忽視的戰線，忽視它將自食其果。Charles Chong先生、Desmond Choo先生、Fatimah Lateef教授和Tan Wu Meng博士都談到了這一點。我之前在議會中談過混合戰爭的威脅及其對現實世界的影響。我們已經看到這種情況在波羅的海國家和烏克蘭等地上演。作為一個文化和種族多元的國家，我們也容易受到此類混合攻擊，包括針對我們的資訊科技（IT）網路以破壞服務和能力。
議員們問我們在保護這一戰線和建設防護力量方面的進展。兩年前，我宣佈成立國防網路組織（DCO）。DCO已成立國防網路安全中心。換句話說，我們在國防部和武裝部隊內部設立了國防網路安全中心，負責日常應對針對國防部和武裝部隊IT系統的網路威脅，尤其是我們的指揮控制計算機網路。現有事件響應團隊也可部署支援其他國家機構應對關鍵系統的網路攻擊。
為滿足這些需求，武裝部隊必須擴大網路領域的現役軍人隊伍，他們將是軍事領域專家計劃（MDES）人員，以及非制服的國防網路專家。我們最近宣佈，第一階段將招聘300多人。
但全職國民服役兵（NSF）同樣可以在數字防禦中發揮重要作用，就像他們在動能作戰中所做的那樣。我認為這是Zainal Sapari先生和Vikram Nair先生的觀點。首批59名網路NSF於2018年底入伍，經過兩輪嚴格測試。他們正在與新加坡理工學院合作，接受為期八個月的網路專家學員課程，將於今年八月畢業。今年我們預計再招收80至90名網路專家，以加強我們的網路部隊。
正如我們為動能作戰所做的——許多人熟悉我們的武裝部隊射擊場，許多人在那裡射擊過——我們也有網路射擊場——網路防禦測試與評估中心。在這個網路射擊場，我們的網路士兵接受逼真的訓練。我們建立了一個模擬武裝部隊網路和線上流量的模型，使用真實的惡意軟體和攻擊針對這些節點。就像實彈射擊場要求射擊準確一樣，武裝部隊旨在訓練士兵能夠在真實且具有挑戰性的環境中應對這些攻擊。
武裝部隊還將利用因其平民職業或培訓而具備IT專長的國民服役兵。例如現有的國民服役專業轉換計劃，允許具有行業專長的非軍官國民服役兵成為網路職業的MDES軍官。國防部和武裝部隊正在探索更好地匹配國民服役兵與其平民IT職業的方法。
我們每個人都在全民防衛的數字防禦中扮演角色。在新加坡的數字堡壘中，我們的強度取決於最薄弱的環節，高階國務部長Mohamed Maliki將分享更多內容。
這些硬體和設施的採購，加上構成武裝部隊主體的國民服役兵和國民服役兵的意志和技能，將使我們在未來一代應對安全挑戰時處於有利位置。如果所有這些計劃得以實現——我補充說這將花費我們10至15年時間——武裝部隊將成為該地區較有能力的軍隊之一。
我們的國民服役兵和國民服役兵將能夠良好訓練，最重要的是必須安全訓練。安全監察長最近已任命，辦公室擴充了更多安全官員。多位議員談到了安全——Charles Chong先生、Chong Kee Hiong先生、Zainal Sapari先生。各單位指揮官也被賦予安全標準和結果的責任和問責。作為常規，指揮官每天會識別對其官兵構成較高安全風險的活動，並確保安全應對計劃和緩解措施充分。安全比以往任何時候都更是指揮責任，但每個士兵也必須發揮作用。我們這樣做是為了實現現實訓練，因為如果不能安全訓練，將會受到挫折。高階國務部長Heng Chee How將更詳細介紹武裝部隊為實現零訓練死亡所採取的措施。
國防部還決定建設一箇中央設施，更好地響應國民服役社群的需求。將建設新的國民服役中心。它將整合目前分散在新加坡各地的不同服務。例如，今天，預備役人員在大巴窯體育場參加個人體能測試（IPPT），然後去Depot Road中央人力基地，再到Kent Ridge的軍事醫學研究所（MMI）進行體檢。新的國民服役中心將把這些分散在島上的服務集中到一箇中心位置。這個神奇的中心位置在哪裡？它將位於Cashew地鐵站對面，交通便利。國民服役中心將建成一個智慧綜合體，採用現代技術，提供無縫、使用者友好的體驗。位於Cashew地鐵站對面，屬於國防部土地。別擔心，我們不會佔用任何人的土地。建設將於今年開始，國民服役兵可望於2023年使用國民服役中心。
高階國務部長Heng Chee How將詳細說明其他提升國民服役體驗的措施。
主席先生，請允許我總結。要發展我剛才描述的這樣一支有能力的武裝部隊，能夠保護新加坡利益並保障新加坡人安全一代人，將需要大量且穩定的投資。我毫不掩飾。這需要資源和我們的承諾。我感謝本院議員和新加坡人對強大武裝部隊的堅定支援。
正如我之前向本院承諾的，我們預計未來十年名義國防開支每年增長3%至4%，至少跟上通脹。今年的預算比去年增長了4.8%。我提出的未來十年3%至4%的承諾不受今年增長的影響。只是某些專案或採購已成熟，因此必須增加支出。然而，整體國防開支將在後續年份趨於平穩。
國防，尤其對於像新加坡這樣的小島國家，至關重要，如果我們要維護利益和威懾侵略。新加坡正按計劃建設現代化的三軍武裝部隊——甚至可能是包括網路部隊的四軍——能夠應對21世紀現實和虛擬世界的安全挑戰。如果我們繼續穩定投資國防，國民服役兵保持捍衛新加坡的承諾和決心，那麼我們的未來將再安全一代人。我們可以期待慶祝新加坡75週年，確信我們擁有強大的防禦力量。
主席：高階國務部長Heng Chee How。
國防高階國務部長（Heng Chee How先生）：主席先生，國防部長Ng Eng Hen博士剛才談到了國民服役兵需要良好且安全訓練。確實，國民服役的力量取決於國民服役兵的戰鬥精神。我們的官兵必須接受艱苦且現實的軍事訓練，武裝部隊才能成為有效的戰鬥力量，保障新加坡主權。同時，能夠保衛新加坡的強大武裝部隊必須在不犧牲服役人員安全的前提下建設。
Charles Chong先生問及如何平衡作戰準備和安全。我們理解士兵及其家屬因近期訓練相關事件產生的焦慮。國防部和武裝部隊非常重視新加坡人對國民服役體系的信任、信心和期望。
武裝部隊的安全協議由武裝部隊外部的獨立專業人士審計和評估。這是持續進行的。請允許我分享兩個例子。武裝部隊安全外部審查小組是一個常設小組，負責評估武裝部隊的安全管理體系，確保武裝部隊的標準和流程健全且符合行業最佳實踐。最近，2018年成立了防止熱傷害的外部審查小組和戰鬥車輛安全外部審查小組，評估防止熱傷害的安全程式和車輛的操作安全。發現不足之處時，武裝部隊已並將繼續加強安全措施，進一步降低風險，防止類似事件再次發生。
此外，陸軍將加強訓練監督，提升安全裝備，以改善戰鬥車輛安全。我們在本院分享的這些及其他具體措施將盡快實施，有些已開始實施。這體現了我們對安全的堅定承諾。
我們不僅會處理個別事件，還將尋求在武裝部隊各級提升訓練安全文化。國會高階秘書Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim問及武裝部隊如何在各級加強安全文化。正如國防部長早前強調的，已成立安全監察長辦公室，負責檢查和審計武裝部隊的安全實踐。該辦公室由聯合參謀長辦公室主任領導，向國防軍總長和國防常秘彙報，執行安全程式，強化從最高層面起的安全意識和文化，確保安全指揮重點得到持續貫徹。
在基層，武裝部隊重新聚焦指揮官對安全的重視。指揮官全面審查安全管理計劃和整體訓練節奏。他們知道必須以身作則，將安全作為首要任務。陸軍還將確保對所有高風險和野外訓練進行100%檢查。我們希望通過具體行動，向新加坡人保證訓練安全是國防部和武裝部隊的首要任務。
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歸根結底，安全涉及我提到的一切，但也不僅限於健全的體系和自上而下的措施。安全必須成為我們的組織文化，每個士兵在每個層級都應承擔、建設和培養這一文化。
武裝部隊鼓勵開放報告。Charles Chong先生問及這是什麼意思。開放報告意味著任何官兵隨時可以報告風險行為、險情和安全違規，且他們知道可以無懼處罰地這樣做。他們可以撥打陸軍、海軍和空軍的24小時安全熱線，來電者身份保密。還有其他渠道可反饋意見。開放報告旨在培養和確保文化的開放性，鼓勵大家提出問題。
入伍當天，新兵由指揮官簡報如何報告安全違規。訓練前，士兵可使用風險評估清單識別安全風險，並在小組中向上級提出關切。這鼓勵他們關注自身及戰友安全。
自去年起，武裝部隊開發了一款名為“SafeGuardian”的應用，允許官兵用手機報告工作場所危險，並即時與其他官兵共享。例如，官兵在營區發現可能導致傷害的鋒利鐵絲配件，可用“SafeGuardian”拍照並通知相關安全官員，立即採取措施消除危險。附近戰友也會通過手機安全警報獲悉。
“SafeGuardian”還可隨時提供安全檢查清單，相較於過去只能在營區內的實體終端使用表格更為便捷。
該應用將於今年3月起在海軍基地試行，並將分階段推廣至全武裝部隊。
此舉將提升安全意識，強化“人人為安全，安全為人人”的理念。
Cheng Li Hui小姐問是否能紀念陣亡官兵，包括建立紀念碑。武裝部隊尊重為國捐軀的官兵。每年武裝部隊日閱兵時，都會在總統或總理作為檢閱官的見證下默哀一分鐘，緬懷陣亡官兵。各單位或部隊也會舉行紀念活動，紀念在行動或訓練中犧牲的官兵。我們永遠不會忘記他們為保衛新加坡免受傷害所作的犧牲。
在此，我們也感謝所有國民服役兵的承諾和奉獻。現在請允許我談談如何提升國民服役兵的體驗。
Zainal Sapari先生問國民服役對新加坡的重要性。保障新加坡自由是國民服役兵肩負的神聖職責。我們理應不斷思考支援他們的方法。
我們的國民服役兵必須平衡個人和國民服役的承諾，我們必須努力通過減少行政負擔來提高便利性，幫助他們專注訓練。我們還將最大化潛力，挖掘越來越多受過良好教育的官兵的能力，使他們能更有意義地貢獻。Baey Yam Keng先生曾詢問相關進展。
我們的作戰準備國民服役兵（ORNS）需通知國防部通知中心和內政部海外通知中心其少於六個月的海外旅行，目前可通過國民服役門戶或簡訊完成。從3月1日起，我們將取消此通知要求。官兵只需在國民服役門戶更新聯絡方式，包括臨時聯絡方式。
取消此要求不會影響作戰準備，因為其他出境管控措施仍然適用，例如出境六個月或更長時間需申請出境許可證。如有需要，管控措施可收緊。
Pritam Singh先生和Chong Kee Hiong先生問如何在出生人數下降的情況下最大化人力資源。我們如何以更少做更多？
除了更好的技術、裝備、流程和崗位重設計及國民服役兵培訓外，許多國民服役兵還擁有與民用和軍用領域相關的重要專業技能，例如護理或資訊通訊。具備此類專長的國民服役兵現在可以在其ORNS訓練週期更早階段利用其民用專長為國防做貢獻。此前，他們必須完成完整的10年訓練週期後才能轉換到利用民用專長的崗位。現在，如果適合，他們可在完成兩次高強度營內訓練並服役五年ORNS後，部署到護理軍官和網路通訊軍官等崗位。
另一個例子是：預徵兵人員在入伍前會在新加坡武裝部隊醫療分類中心接受篩查。隨後，他們會被分配適當的體能評估等級（PES），以便每個人都能根據自身的能力和條件為國家服務，這也包括有殘疾的國民服役兵（NSF）。例如，聽力障礙或肌肉骨骼殘疾計程車兵，在被評估為適合服役後，會被分配到支援或行政崗位，在那裡他們能夠安全地服役，並在服役期間做出有意義的貢獻。
我們當然也非常重視女性對國家防務的貢獻。自2014年以來，女性已在新加坡武裝部隊志願軍團（SAF Volunteer Corps）服役，支援武裝部隊的作戰和訓練需求。我們的志願軍團成員男女比例良好，約有一半是女性。
阿拉蘇·杜賴薩米先生詢問了我們支援技能提升的合作伙伴關係。來自武裝部隊和內務部隊的國民服役兵（NSF）會專注於為期兩年的全職訓練。如今，某些士兵技能、消防和救援能力已獲得勞動力技能資格（WSQ）標準認證。
為了跟上國家對技能精通的關注，我們致力於支援國民服役兵向高等教育或職場的過渡。今年將與公共和私營部門合作伙伴推出一系列名為“SkillsFuture@NS”的舉措。
那麼，我們的國民服役兵在這些合作中可以期待什麼？
首先是全職國民服役後更多的技能提升資源。目前，國民服役兵可獲得價值350新元的電子積分，用於訂閱約200門線上課程，這些課程由本地大學和理工學院提供。這些電子積分在完成全職國民服役後的一年內有效。
我們將把這些電子積分的使用範圍擴大到約3,000門精選課程，遠超目前的200門。其中將包括大量聚焦新興領域的SkillsFuture系列課程，如資料分析和網路安全。我們也正與高等院校合作，提供定製課程。國民服役兵完成全職服役後，可通過這些課程獲得相關文憑或學位課程的學分豁免。電子積分也可用於支付這些課程費用。
例如，國民服役兵可以使用電子積分參加由淡馬錫理工學院（Temasek Polytechnic，簡稱TP）提供的“雲架構導論”課程。被錄取參加TP的兼職雲資料中心技術與管理專科文憑課程的學員，完成這些線上課程後，將獲得部分模組的豁免。這將有助於支援國民服役兵的學習旅程。
第二是職業探索和體驗。本月，國防部/武裝部隊將與SkillsFuture Singapore聯合舉辦職業導向體驗活動。該活動得到五個社群發展理事會和全國工會聯合會就業與就業能力研究所（e2i）的支援。SkillsFuture諮詢工作坊將在為國民服役兵舉辦的季度職業與教育博覽會上定製開展。
我們在裕廊營區進行了職業導向工作坊的試點。一位21歲的戰鬥工程兵下士Ritesh Kumar表示，該工作坊幫助他了解完成全職國民服役後的多種發展路徑。他認為這為他和戰友們提供了更有用的指導，幫助他們規劃人生下一階段。我們將採納服役人員的反饋和建議，持續完善SkillsFuture@NS計劃。
接下來，加強對國民服役的支援。郭振輝先生詢問我們如何與社群就國民服役問題展開互動。首先，我要感謝國防社群關係諮詢委員會（ACCORD）成員為與教育機構、企業和社群團體合作，加強社群和全民對國防及國民服役的支援所做的寶貴貢獻。
2018年ACCORD的亮點之一是首屆女性訓練營。共有1,000名女性申請，最終選出103名參加為期兩天一夜的訓練營。參加者年齡範圍廣泛，從13歲到64歲不等，包括服役人員的女兒、母親、姐妹、妻子、女友和朋友。她們通過訓練營體驗了軍旅生活，認識到國民服役雖艱苦但必要。
其中一位是50歲的許薇敏女士，她是國民服役兵的母親。談及體驗時，許女士表示，通過參與標準障礙課程等標誌性國民服役活動，她對軍旅生活有了初步瞭解。她說：“我現在能在情感和心理上支援我的兒子。看到訓練安全被高度重視，也緩解了我對訓練安全的擔憂。知道服役人員在面對更具挑戰性的任務前會接受漸進式訓練，這讓我感到安心。”
今年，我們將舉辦另一期訓練營，繼續與社群及這一重要群體——女性——互動，共同加強對國民服役和國家防務的支援。
我們的服役人員告訴我們，分享他們在營區的國民服役照片，有助於增強歸屬感。國防部和武裝部隊一直在探索允許服役人員線上分享個人國民服役記憶和經歷的方式，同時保障敏感資訊的安全。
我們正在開發一個名為“NS Memories”的數字資料庫，供國民服役人員訪問官方拍攝的自己和戰友的照片。隨著時間推移，該資料庫將記錄整個國民服役旅程的經歷。服役人員可將這些照片分享到社交媒體。今年，我們將與一個現役步兵單位試行“NS Memories”。若試點成功，將推廣該計劃。
主席先生，國民服役的成功體現在每天、年復一年的和平得以維護。新加坡享有的每一天和平，都是我們威懾力、外交和防務有效性的證明。擁有一個強大且具韌性的國民服役體系，並獲得廣泛而深厚的公眾支援，我們可以繼續對新加坡的未來充滿信心。
國防高階國務部長（莫哈末·馬利基·奧斯曼博士）：主席先生，國防部長黃永宏博士已談及我們面臨的不確定且動盪的地緣政治環境，以及強大武裝部隊對新加坡應對這一局勢的重要性。
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歷史告訴我們，擁有強大防禦力量至關重要。這就是為何我們對武裝部隊和全民防衛的長期持續投資，對新加坡的安全與繁榮至關重要。
全民防衛於1984年首次提出，當時的威脅環境主要是傳統戰爭。然而，即使在那時，也認識到潛在侵略者不僅會針對軍隊，還會針對整個民眾。
隨著威脅演變，全民防衛變得更加關鍵。以恐怖主義為例。恐怖主義的面貌已發生變化，從2000年代初基地組織和伊斯蘭祈禱團（Jemaah Islamiah）主導的動能攻擊，到伊拉克和敘利亞伊斯蘭國（ISIS）通過技術和社交媒體進行更隱蔽的激進化和招募，深化社群間的不信任，煽動對當局的不滿。他們甚至資助並指示成員和同情者在本國發動自殺式爆炸等恐怖襲擊。儘管ISIS在中東失地，但與我們地區的聯絡依然存在。外國戰鬥人員的迴歸加劇了這一威脅。
在網際網路和社交媒體時代，新加坡人的韌性將面臨數字領域的攻擊考驗。這將成為新的戰場，因為我們高度互聯，且依賴數字技術進行溝通和資訊消費。新加坡的網際網路普及率居世界前列。根據2018年媒體公司“We Are Social”的研究，新加坡人平均每天在社交媒體上花費兩小時，WhatsApp、YouTube和Facebook是使用最多的三大平臺。主席先生，我們的互聯性使我們暴露於數字領域的威脅，這將影響並定義這一代人。新加坡及海外的許多案例都顯示了這些威脅可能造成的毀滅性影響。
數字威脅與強大數字防禦的必要性。主席先生，例如，愛沙尼亞是全球最早經歷此類事件的國家之一。2007年4月，一次網路攻擊導致其銀行、媒體和政府的線上服務癱瘓。公民無法使用自動取款機和網上銀行服務，新聞無法印刷或播出。十多年後，各種形式的網路攻擊仍是危害我們的工具。
另一個例子是2018年7月，阿拉斯加的馬塔努斯卡-蘇西特納區（Mat-Su）遭遇惡意軟體攻擊，導致其網路癱瘓。英國廣播公司報道，該區被“送回過去”，部分工作人員不得不使用老式打字機維持服務。
另一個挑戰是資訊和虛假資訊在數字領域傳播的速度。最近馬來西亞梳邦再也一座印度教寺廟爆發騷亂，顯示謠言和假新聞通過社交媒體一夜之間傳播，激化種族緊張，煽動社會動盪。正如Joan Pereira女士所指出，我們必須保持社會防衛的強大，團結一致抵禦任何分裂企圖。所有社群和信仰都努力建設了我們今天的多元文化和多宗教社會。我們絕不能讓虛假資訊挑撥不同社會群體。
許多數字威脅表明，個人的自滿、無知或疏忽可能為災難性攻擊鋪平道路。北大西洋公約組織（NATO）戰略傳播卓越中心2019年1月釋出報告，指出研究人員利用主要來自社交媒體的開源資料，追蹤並欺騙北約部隊。研究人員輕易識別士兵、定位營區，誘使他們離崗並洩露軍事行動敏感資訊。這顯示人們對線上生活的輕視，以及對自己釋出的看似無害資訊可能被用於危害自身及社會的無知。
新加坡也未能倖免。我們知道駭客竊取了150萬名SingHealth患者的資訊。我們也見證了關於塑膠米、清真豬肉等多種假新聞的傳播，更隱蔽的是關於事件的虛假報道，可能激發仇外、宗派主義，破壞社會和諧。
這就是為何我們加強了全民防衛，新增數字防衛支柱。Joan Pereira女士和張浩斌博士詢問了我們的數字防衛工作。我們希望傳達的資訊是，每個人都是數字防衛的前線戰士，這絕非陳詞濫調。正如《海峽時報》社論所言，“每個公民都是數字戰爭中的戰士”。只有政府、企業、社群和個人共同參與，才能使數字防衛成為新加坡DNA的一部分，確保我們的防衛全面。
作為全民努力的一部分，國防部與多政府機構合作，加強新加坡及新加坡人抵禦數字威脅的能力。通訊及資訊部及其機構——網路安全域性、資訊通訊媒體發展局和國家圖書館局（NLB）——實施多項計劃，賦能個人、企業和社群，使其在網路空間保持安全、警覺和負責任。內政部下屬的新加坡警察部隊進一步提升打擊網路犯罪的能力，並教育公眾網路安全知識。正如黃永宏部長早前所述，我們通過設立國防網路組織，確保擁有具備相關技能和專業知識的核心及後備人才，強化防務領域網路安全。
我們還將確保服役人員為數字領域威脅做好準備。我們正與國家圖書館局合作，要求所有接受基礎軍事訓練的新兵參加資訊素養工作坊，提升識別和應對假新聞及網路謠言的能力。對於其他人員，國防部和武裝部隊將通過加強現有課程和學習路徑，增強他們對敵對資訊戰和假新聞的免疫力及網路安全意識。我們希望這些努力能幫助服役人員更好理解假新聞在現代戰爭中的作用、應對措施，並整體提升網路衛生水平。
對於學生，數字防衛相關內容已納入教育部課程，並通過數字素養和網路健康專案加以強化。Joan Pereira女士詢問我們如何接觸青年群體。今年我們更新了“城市守護者”遊戲卡，納入數字領域威脅。參與遊戲的學生表示，這幫助他們更好理解這些威脅及自身角色。例如，東工藝學院（ITE College East）學生Deshaun Lau分享說：“玩這個遊戲讓我意識到面對數字威脅時，我們必須作為社群團結一致，互相提醒採取防範措施。”
企業也在踐行數字防衛。一家辦公設計公司Space Matrix不僅投資網路安全系統，還培訓員工防範威脅。曾有人冒充其執行長通過電子郵件要求轉賬，幸虧員工警覺識別了假郵件，避免了損失。公司隨後最佳化系統，更好保護未來安全。
攜手共築堅強新加坡。我們在加強數字防衛的同時，面對當今多元威脅，要保持新加坡強大，需要全民共同努力，在全民防衛六大支柱上各盡其責。主席先生，請允許我用馬來語說幾句話。
（馬來語）：[請參閱方言發言。] 主席先生，新加坡與馬來西亞近期的海域和空域爭議，強化了全民防衛的重要性。我們的安全機構時刻準備並保持警惕，維護主權。新加坡人也需團結一致，堅定原則，保護國家利益。因此，看到許多新加坡人在社交媒體上反駁虛假說法，支援新加坡立場，令人欣慰。舉例來說，John Lam先生在新加坡與馬來西亞海域爭議緊張時，鼓勵同胞保持冷靜和文明。他引用新加坡過去的例子，展示我們作為一個民族如何克服限制，變得更強。例如，當面臨斷水威脅時，我們投資水過濾和海水淡化技術，開發了自己的新生水（NEWater）處理廠。面對砂石進口禁令，我們開發了創新且環保的少砂填海方法。
Lam先生和許多人的行動體現了心理防衛的核心——人民團結一致，決心為新加坡挺身而出。議員們，如鄭麗慧女士，也認可這一點。新加坡與馬來西亞近期的雙邊緊張局勢，幫助新加坡人更好理解我們的立場，以及為何維護領土主權和基於規則的國際秩序如此重要。我們的國土面積小，地區局勢動盪，顯示新加坡人必須堅定致力於自身防衛，擁有強大的新加坡武裝部隊。
（英語）：我早前提到恐怖主義威脅將長期存在。安全機構將盡全力防止襲擊，但即使發生襲擊，每個新加坡人都應知道如何應對，以便社會團結一致，迅速恢復。
我們讚賞自發的全民防衛行動，例如年輕新加坡人聯合開發的武吉班讓應急準備指南，得到了武吉班讓社群應急與參與委員會的支援，正如張浩斌博士所分享。
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為了建立緊急應變能力，我們設立了社群響應模組，培訓國防部和武裝部隊人員成為積極的社群響應者，教授他們技能，以便在恐怖襲擊發生時更好地保護自己並幫助周圍的人。這項措施補充了內政部的“新加坡安全”計劃，該計劃持續增強社群的警覺性、凝聚力和韌性，以應對恐怖襲擊。國防部與新加坡紅十字會和淡馬錫基金會關懷等組織的全面防衛合作，也為民眾提供了可在危機中應用的知識和技能。例如，淡馬錫基金會關懷“保持準備”計劃中的企業心理韌性專案，培訓企業員工掌握心理急救等技能。
國防部也積極向青年和更廣泛的社群推廣全面防衛，令人欣慰的是他們積極響應全面防衛。一個例子是來自淡馬錫理工學院的五名學生——Benedict、Gabriel、Jed、Martin 和 Shing Hao。他們開發了一個名為“獅城”的全面防衛手機應用遊戲原型。該遊戲強調日常簡單行動如何有助於建設一個強大且團結的國家。遊戲開發者希望通過此舉激勵同齡青年發揮作用，將全面防衛付諸行動。
主席先生，最後，新加坡因擁有強大的武裝部隊、強健的國民服役體系以及公眾對國防和安全的堅定支援而享有和平與繁榮。全面防衛推行三十五年後，我們必須繼續讓所有社群和信仰群體發揮作用。今年我們紀念新加坡建國兩百年，讓我們加強決心，守護新加坡和新加坡人的未來。
主席：有需要澄清的問題嗎？Pritam Singh 先生。
Pritam Singh 先生（阿裕尼）：主席先生，我的問題是問國防部長。國防部是否可以透露將採購的聯合攻擊戰鬥機的型號，是常規起降版本還是短距起飛垂直降落版本？
黃永宏博士：Pritam Singh 先生應該知道有航母版本，我可以向議員確認，我們不會購買那個版本。
主席：還有其他澄清問題嗎？Vikram Nair 先生。
Vikram Nair 先生（森巴旺）：感謝部長更新我們關於許多裝備全面更新的情況。我想了解這些改裝有多少以及在多大程度上會通過我們本地的國防工業在新加坡開發。
黃永宏博士：主席先生，我們的採購政策沒有改變，我們依然採購最適合需求的頂級產品。價格是重要考慮因素。但當我說“適合需求”，顯然一個關鍵限制是人力。例如我們的艦艇，最初我們與法國DCN合作建造護衛艦，後來我們自行建造。即使如此，我們從設計到運營都自主完成。因為很少有國家能擁有像我們武裝部隊那樣，能夠以較少人員防衛一個小島的能力。艦艇方面我們採取了這種方式，我認為這很有成效。
空軍方面則較少。維護方面，我們通過將任務外包給一些戰略合作伙伴的私營公司來解決。陸軍方面，我們在某些領域已能自主開發本地能力以滿足需求。因此，我認為我們的採購依然注重價格，選擇最優產品，但必須符合我們的需求。我們也認識到必須發展本地工業以應對需求，因為即使是私營企業發展能力也需要時間和努力。我們不會完全依賴市場，這不現實。這也是多年來許多公司能夠與國防部和武裝部隊合作滿足國防需求的原因。
主席：Vikram Nair 先生，您是否願意撤回您的修正案？
Vikram Nair 先生：我要感謝黃永宏部長、高志豪資政和莫哈末馬利基資政在多個領域的回應，包括給予我們未來25年安全的保證。國民服役安全仍是重點，我們也在投資應對網路威脅和恐怖主義。這些都是重要考量，感謝國防部的努力。主席，我請求撤回修正案。
[(程式文本) 修正案，經許可，撤回。 (程式文本)]
[(程式文本) 頭J項下的149億8120萬6800元被批准列入主要預算。 (程式文本)]
[(程式文本) 頭J項下的7億6180萬元被批准列入發展預算。 (程式文本)]
英文原文
SPRS Hansard · Fetched: 2026-05-02
Head J (cont) –
[(proc text) Resumption of Debate on Question [28 February 2019], (proc text)]
[(proc text) "That the total sum to be allocated for Head J of the Estimates to be reduced by $100." − [Mr Vikram Nair]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Question again proposed. (proc text)]
The Chairman : Minister Ng Eng Hen.
The Minister for Defence (Dr Ng Eng Hen) : Mr Chairman, let me thank Members for their continued commitment to a strong defence for Singapore.
I note the speeches that many Members in this House have given during the Budget Debate. It is particularly gratifying and reassuring for our future, for Singapore's future, that despite Defence, Security, Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs accounting for one-third of our expenditure, that we have got support across the aisle, across parties. I think that is a strong signal that the future for Singapore bodes well.
Last year was a busy year for Singapore. We staged a number of key events on international efforts on the world stage, and in response to Mr Vikram Nair and Ms Sylvia Lim, Singapore's image and standing, because we played host, were enhanced, but it also called for extra and stringent security measures here. In June, Members would remember that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) deployed at short notice – it was yes, on-off, on-off – and in two weeks, we were asked to host the United States (US)-Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Summit. Because such high-profile events can be attractive targets for terrorists, the SAF mounted a large-scale deployment involving 2,000 personnel, with dozens of aircraft, ships and vehicles, to provide air, land and sea security domes that covered Sentosa and parts of Orchard Road. Our efforts, together with those of the Home Team, proved a deterrent to would-be provocateurs. The SAF mounted a similar operation when Singapore hosted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in November where all the ASEAN Heads of Government and many other foreign dignitaries gathered.
In October last year, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) chaired the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the 5th 18-member ADMM-Plus, which collectively represents four billion people and accounts for 90% of the world’s military. That meeting, we galvanised the ADMM and ADMM-Plus countries to address common security concerns, including counterterrorism and Chemical, Biological and Radiological Defence threats, and we facilitated ASEAN’s adoption of Indonesia’s “Our Eyes” Initiative. It is an initiative which can enhance regional counterterrorism information-sharing. And Singapore will assist Indonesia to set up and operate this facility. This is an important initiative as we prepare to deal with the wave of returning fighters coming back from Iraq and Syria, even as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) loses ground there.
I am also glad to report that under our Chairmanship, ADMM adopted the ASEAN Guidelines for Air Military Encounters (GAME), the first such set of multilateral guidelines in the world, with the support of the ADMM-Plus countries. GAME can prevent disastrous consequences that can result from unplanned encounters between military aircraft in the air. We have also worked on putting the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) – some Members asked about this – it has been put into practice across all ADMM-Plus navies, including during the inaugural ASEAN-China Maritime Exercise in October last year. Later this year, we will use CUES for the ADMM-Plus Maritime Security Exercise, which will include both the US and China. All in all, Singapore did its fair share to enhance regional security and stability. On that score, it was a productive and fruitful year.
In the last few months though, we have had our challenges with Malaysia. Mr Seah Kian Peng had asked about this. Since last November, Malaysian government vessels have repeatedly entered Singapore’s territorial waters off Tuas, over which the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Police Coast Guard (PCG) and Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) vessels have exercised jurisdiction and enforcement without any protest or intrusions from Malaysia for more than two decades. Even now, two Malaysian government vessels continue to be anchored in our territorial waters off Tuas. Singaporeans and Members are familiar with these developments and I need not elaborate. Suffice to say, we have strongly cautioned Malaysia to withdraw their vessels. In fact, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA’s) press statement in December last year pointed out that, I quote, “Malaysia’s deployments in this area will not strengthen its legal claim and can only heighten tensions. Malaysia will be responsible for any untoward situations on the ground that arise from continued deployment of its vessels into this area.” And indeed, just as we warned could happen, last month, the Greek bulk carrier Pireas collided with the Malaysian government vessel Polaris. Mercifully, no bodily harm ensued, but it could have been much worse.
Singaporeans will remember the collision between the USS McCain and the oil tanker Alnic off Pedra Branca in August 2017, where 10 crewmen perished. Even so, some in Malaysia have accused Singapore of orchestrating the collision with the Polaris. These false accusations would have been much louder and strident to push for retaliation against Singapore and Singaporeans, if lives had been lost in the recent collision.
Our MFA and the Ministry of Transport (MOT) officials are meeting for discussions and negotiations and the presence of these Malaysian government vessels does not help in any way and, in fact, exposes them to danger and obstructs productive talks. MPA, PCG and RSN are closely monitoring activities in Singapore’s territorial waters off Tuas 24/7 and will remain ever vigilant to guard our sovereignty and rights under international law.
MINDEF will continue its efforts in defence diplomacy. Members have asked that, including Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Vikram Nair. We want to promote regional peace and stability. We make friends with those who are willing, and partner those countries whose interests are aligned with ours and who share our desire for inclusiveness, peaceful resolution of disputes and respect for the law.
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But at the same time, we must ensure that the SAF is strong and adequate to defend our rights when diplomacy fails and when others choose to do us harm or ignore our rights. As Prof Fatimah Lateef said, "A strong SAF protects Singapore and Singaporeans." And it has been our persistent investments and efforts to build the Next-Generation SAF that can better respond to the security threats for another generation. These developments are progressing well and I would like to elaborate on that because many Members of Parliament have asked how do we respond to different scenarios of threats that will come upon us in this generation. And we have to prepare for the future because it takes that period of time to build up that kind of SAF.
First, homeland security. The Mumbai attack in 2008 showed us the devastating destruction that can come from the sea, and we are surrounded by seas. To deter and mitigate external attacks against Singapore, we will beef up security for our entire coastline. SAF will add more optical sensors and coastal radars to deter and detect potential threats. We will build more unmanned watch towers for better coverage of the busy traffic across the Singapore Strait. We will also add unmanned surface vessels to patrol our waters, beginning next year.
Members have asked for more details on our modernisation of the Next-Generation SAF – Mr Vikram Nair, Mr Pritam Singh, Prof Fatimah Lateef, Mr Chong Kee Hiong and Mr Charles Chong – so, let me elaborate. Our plans to build the Next-Generation SAF to better respond to security threats are progressing well for all three services. With your permission, Mr Chairman, I would like to display some slides on the LED screens and also ask for the handout to be distributed.
The Chairman : Please do. [ A handout was distributed to hon Members. ]
Dr Ng Eng Hen : Let me begin with the air. Mr Henry Kwek has asked about the F-35s. We have announced our plans to replace the F-16s, which will face obsolescence post-2030, with the F-35s. This will mean that the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) fighter fleet will consist of F-35s and F-15SGs, if plans come to fruition a decade or so from now.
As stated previously, MINDEF will issue a Letter of Request (LOR) to the US to acquire F-35s. As required by US law for foreign military sales, the US Congress must approve the sale of F-35s. Our LOR will request an initial acquisition of four F-35s, with the option of a subsequent eight if we decide to proceed. Singapore has the endorsement of both the US Administration and the Department of Defense for our proposed purchase of F-35s. But the Congress must still approve it. In fact, President Trump wrote to Prime Minister Lee last month welcoming Singapore's plans to acquire the F-35s. During my meeting with Acting Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan at the Munich Security Conference two weeks ago, he also said that the US was greatly appreciative of Singapore's decision and his department supported it.
A word on price. The price of F-35s has been steadily falling due to healthy orders from the US and 10 other countries, including the United Kingdom (UK), Italy, Australia, Japan and South Korea. The Defence Science and Technology Agency's (DSTA's) assessment is that now is an opportune time to put in Singapore's request. The current unit price of the F-35 ranges from US$90 million to US$115 million per aircraft, comparable to what we have paid for our F-15SGs. The Total Cost of Ownership of a fleet of F-35s, including maintenance across its lifespan, will also be similar to our F-15SGs. Nonetheless, MINDEF will continue to work with the US Department of Defense to optimise operating and maintenance costs.
RSAF will also take delivery of new helicopters from 2020 onwards. The H225M medium-lift and our Chinook heavy-lift helicopters will replace our existing Super Puma and CH-47D fleets. These new helicopters will add capacity and be more effective in Search and Rescue or Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations.
That is for the Air Force. Let me move on to the Navy.
For RSN, our submarines in operation are over two decades old. We will replace them with four new Invincible-class submarines. The first was launched recently in Germany, with the other three being built. The Invincible-class submarines will have longer endurance, and also the latest locally-developed sensors and automated systems designed for optimal use in our surrounding waters. We have launched our submarines lately in Kiel, facing the North Sea. We launched our previous class of submarines in the Baltic Sea. Those waters there are much colder. So, we have to optimise them for our warm waters here. We aim to have a full fleet of four Invincible-class submarines by 2025.
For surface ships, our ageing missile corvettes have served with distinction since 1989. They are also "Pioneer Generation" that will have to be retired soon, and they will be replaced by the new Multi-Role Combat Vessels (MRCVs). The first of these will be delivered around 2025, with full delivery expected by 2030. More than just improving capabilities, the new MRCVs will incorporate many new ideas. First of all, they will use less manpower. Many Members of Parliament have pointed out how we will deal with the one-third reduction in manpower. The MRCVs will use less manpower, about half the size of that found in modern frigates. This is quite an achievement. This is possible because we designed it from the onset, custom-built for lean manning, using technologies which automate many functions, including maintenance.
As a result, there is also a cost saving of up to 10% in operating them, compared to other similar-sized frigates. The MRCVs will also have more unmanned air and sea drones. So, it would not be just a manned ship, it will have air and sea drones and modular packages to extend their reach and flexibility against threats. Many Members are familiar with our Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs). I think many Members have sailed on them and they proved their worth time and again. Each time we deploy them in exercises, we say we are so grateful that we have this platform. So versatile and able to meet mission objectives. It has been the workhorse in our humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) efforts and other missions. The LSTs are ageing, too, and will need to be replaced in the next decade by larger and more flexible Joint Multi-Mission Ships.
Let me move on to the Army.
For the Army, the Next-Generation Armoured Fighting Vehicle will replace our M113 Ultras as the mainstay of the SAF's mechanised forces from this year onwards. Singaporeans will see them soon on our roads at this year's National Day Parade. These Armoured Fighting Vehicles have better armour protection and mobility through urban environments. Another addition to the Army will be the Next-Generation Howitzers with extended range and greater precision strikes compared to our current platforms.
I have talked about air, land and sea manned platforms, but the signature change for the SAF 2030 and beyond is that the SAF will become more of a hybrid force. We will use many more unmanned platforms. Some of the RSAF's unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been operating for more than a decade. They will be replaced by newer UAVs with better capabilities over the next few years. I mentioned the MRCVs and unmanned surface vessels, too. But in the Army, soldiers within the Army will soon use micro-UAVs, your own UAV or the UAV for your unit, for the first time, which will be particularly useful in built-up and urban environments. These unmanned platforms will complement traditional manned equipment, to enhance responses across a full range of operational scenarios.
In all, the Next-Generation SAF of 2030 and beyond, with this full complement of assets in air, land and sea, will be able to defend Singapore for another generation. This is the SAF that will take us into and guard our future. This is the SAF that our investments have bought or will buy. This is the SAF on air, land and sea with which the next generation of Singaporeans will celebrate for SG75.
By then, we will have a state-of-the-art coastal surveillance network and air defence systems to form a shield around Singapore against incoming threats. RSAF will fly F-35s and F-15SGs over our skies, supported by A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft, G550 Airborne Early Warning Aircraft, new helicopters and a host of new UAVs. RSN will have MRCVs, Invincible-class submarines, new unmanned surface vessels and larger Joint Multi-Mission Ships, in addition to existing frigates and Littoral Mission Vessels. The Army will be more protected and mobile, with soldiers mounted in Next-Generation Armoured Fighting Vehicles and Terrex Motorised Vehicles. Leopard tanks, HIMARS and Next-Generation Howitzers will support them, complemented by a full suite of combat engineers, signals, logistics and maintenance platforms.
But hardware alone would not build you a strong army and a strong military. We will have to have new training facilities both here and overseas which will ensure that our National Servicemen (NSmen) and Regulars can build a modern and capable SAF that can defend Singapore and our interests. I know Members here have asked that, Mr Zainal Sapari, amongst others.
The SAF of 2030 and beyond has been designed to be operated with a leaner manpower pool. Mr Baey Yam Keng, Mr Chong Kee Hiong, Mr Zainal Sapari and Mr Pritam Singh asked about this. In other words, we design the SAF of 2030 and beyond to work with a reduction of manpower supply by a third after 2030. I have already mentioned the MRCVs for the Navy which need a smaller crew.
The Next-Generation Howitzer which I mentioned earlier will only need three men to operate, compared to nine now. So, it is a significant reduction, and yet the Next-Generation Howitzer will fire more rounds accurately per minute. Autonomous and automated systems will reduce labour-intensive tasks, for example, runway damage assessment of our air bases and air strips. The modern systems and platforms of the SAF can also be operated by NSmen who are not Physical Employment Standard (PES) A or B and, therefore, effectively increase our utilisation of manpower pool. Pari passu with the acquisition of hardware, we will also invest more into training facilities for SAF soldiers.
I last spoke to this House about the SAF Training Institute (SAFTI) City in 2017. The Pioneer and Merdeka Generations are all too familiar with the old SAFTI – you would remember FOFO Hill, Peng Kang Hill, the Pasir Laba Boat Shed and Elephant Hill. We charged up them and sometimes charged down them. SAFTI City will complement these traditional terrains with urban settings to better prepare our soldiers for a wide variety of operations in the 21st century. SAFTI City will be a wired city. We talked about our SMART City; we are hoping that SAFTI City will be a smart training ground.
We will use more simulation and detailed monitoring to help our soldiers to learn better. It will be a far cry from the days that we did our NS and charged up hills or against enemy battalions shouting, "Bang, bang, bang, bang!", and they shouted, "Bang, bang, bang, bang!" back.
This method is not new. For instance, our fighter pilots have been using this for decades to train for high-speed manoeuvres. After every manoeuvre, they sit down and say, "All right, you say what you did, he says what he did." This is the objective. They showed the tracks, they showed where your weaknesses are. And they have been able to do that because planes are expensive and pilots even more so. But it is only now that modern technology allows us to scale this up for the same processes for individual soldiers within the Army.
So, we have been doing this over the years where you can no longer assume that you have hit the target, and you actually have electric sensors on soldiers, on platforms, and the attrition rate is real. And I am glad to report that SAFTI City is taking shape and is on schedule. We will build more roads and bridges so that motorised and mechanised troops in the Army vehicles can start training this year. SAFTI City will be progressively built and will have more than 200 buildings of varying heights and types when completed, all wired up.
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But with this kind of SAF for 2030 and beyond we can move great distances. Our Terrexes can move 70 kilometres per hour (km/h), and our Leopards close to that, slower perhaps across more difficult terrain. But if we only had space to train in Singapore, you could reach one end to the other within less than an hour. So, we will need larger training spaces. In particular, the training areas at Shoalwater Bay will be expanded. There will be new developments in the Townsville Region in Northeast Australia. Under the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, new facilities, such as Instrumented Combined Arms Air Land Ranges and Urban Operations Live-Firing Facilities, are on track to being built. I said that very quickly, but an air-land range is priceless. We can only do this in very few places now – some in the US because they have the land. It allows for coordinated strikes between land and air platforms. So, when these facilities are completed over the coming years, we will be able to train large groups of troops for up to 18 weeks annually, a significant increase from the current six to seven weeks, or about a three-fold increase.
Many Members have talked about digital defence. I completely agree. It is a battlefront that we cannot choose to ignore or we ignore it at our peril. Mr Charles Chong, Mr Desmond Choo, Prof Fatimah Lateef and Dr Tan Wu Meng have spoken about this. I spoke to this House about the threat of hybrid warfare and its effect on the real world previously. We have seen this played out against the Baltic States and Ukraine, to name some. And as a culturally and ethnically diverse nation, we, too, are vulnerable to such hybrid attacks, including targeting of our information technology (IT) networks to disrupt services and capabilities.
Members have asked what is our progress of protecting this front and building up a force to protect this front. Two years ago, I announced the set-up of the Defence Cyber Organisation (DCO). DCO has stood up the Defence Cyber Security Centre. In other words, we have this Defence Cybersecurity Centre within MINDEF and SAF for daily operations against cyber threats against MINDEF and SAF IT systems, especially our command-and-control computer networks. In place are incident response teams which can also be deployed to support other national agencies during cyberattacks on critical systems.
To meet these needs, SAF has to expand the pool of regulars for the cyber domain, and they will be Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES) personnel, as well as the non-uniformed Defence Cyber Experts. We have recently announced that more than 300 will be hired in the first phase.
But full-time NSmen (NSFs), too, can play an important part in digital defence, just as they do for kinetic operations. I think that was the point by Mr Zainal Sapari and Mr Vikram Nair. The 59-strong pioneer batch of the Cyber NSF Scheme enlisted in late 2018 after passing two rounds of rigorous tests. They are now undergoing an eight-month-long Cyber Specialist Cadet Course, in partnership with the Singapore Institute of Technology, and will graduate this August. We expect to take in another 80 to 90 Cyber Specialists this year to beef up our cyber units.
Just as we have done for kinetic operations – many of you are familiar with our SAF firing ranges, many of you have fired there – well, we have a cyber range as well – the Cyber Defence Test and Evaluation Centre. In this cyber range, our cyber soldiers are exposed to realistic training. We have created a mock-up, a simulation of the SAF’s networks and online traffic, and we use actual malware and attacks against these nodes. Like in live firing ranges, you are supposed to shoot straight, the SAF aims to train soldiers that can respond to these attacks in a realistic and challenging environment.
SAF will also tap on NSmen with IT expertise as a result of their civilian jobs or training. One example is the existing NS Expertise Conversion Scheme. It allows non-officer NSmen with industry expertise to become MDES officers for cyber vocations. MINDEF and SAF are exploring better matching of NSmen with their civilian IT vocations.
All of us have a part to play in Digital Defence for Total Defence. In Singapore’s digital fortress, we are only as strong as the weakest link, and Senior Minister of State Mohamed Maliki will share more.
These acquisitions in hardware and facilities, together with the will and skills of our NSmen and NSFs that make up the bulk of the SAF, will put us in a good position to deal with security challenges for another generation. If all these plans come to pass – and I will add that it will take us 10 to 15 years – SAF will be one of the more capable militaries in the region.
Our NSFs and NSmen will be able to train well and, most importantly, must train safely. The Inspector-General for Safety has been recently appointed and the office expanded with more safety officers. A number of Members talked about safety – Mr Charles Chong, Mr Chong Kee Hiong, Mr Zainal Sapari. The Commanding Officers of individual units have also been charged with the responsibility and accountability of safety standards and outcomes. As a routine, the Commanding Officer will identify activities each day that pose higher safety risks to his servicemen and women, and satisfy himself that the safety response plan and mitigating measures for such activities are adequate. Safety is, more than ever, a command responsibility, but each soldier must play his role, too. And we are doing this so that we can have realistic training because, if you cannot train safely, you will be set back. Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How will address in greater detail the measures the SAF will take to achieve zero training fatalities.
MINDEF has also decided to build a central facility to better respond to the needs of the NS community. A new NS Hub will be built. It will bring together different services which are now scattered across Singapore. For example, today, pre-enlistees take their Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) at, say, Toa Payoh Stadium, then go to Depot Road Central Manpower Base, and then attend medical reviews at the Military Medicine Institute (MMI) in Kent Ridge. The new NS Hub will take all these services scattered across the island and put them into a central location. Where is this magical central location? It will be opposite Cashew Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station, with easy access. The NS Hub will be built as a smart complex using modern technology for a seamless, user-friendly experience. Opposite Cashew MRT station in MINDEF land. Do not worry, we will not take it from anybody. Construction will begin this year, and our NSmen can look forward to their NS Hub by 2023.
Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How will elaborate on the other measures to enhance the NS experience.
Mr Chairman, let me conclude. To develop such a capable SAF that I have just described, which can protect Singapore’s interests and keep Singaporeans safe for another generation, will require significant and steady investments. I make no bones about it. It will require resources and our commitment. I am grateful to Members of this House and Singaporeans for their steadfast and unwavering support towards a strong SAF.
As I have previously committed to this House, we expect our nominal defence spending over the next decade to grow at 3% to 4% each year, to at least keep pace with inflation. This year's Budget represented a 4.8% increase over last year. The commitment that I have put over the next decade of 3% to 4% holds despite this year's increase. There were just certain projects or acquisitions that have matured and, therefore, we have to spend more. However, the overall defence expenditure will even out in subsequent years.
Defence, especially for a small island like Singapore, is crucial if we are to safeguard our interests and deter aggression. Singapore is on track to build a modernised tri-service SAF – and perhaps even a quadri-service SAF, including the cyber force – that can meet security challenges both in the real and virtual worlds in the 21st century. If we continue our steady investments into defence and our NSmen maintain their commitment and resolve to defend Singapore, then our future will be secure for another generation. We can look forward to celebrate SG75 with the assurance that we have strong defences.
The Chairman : Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How.
The Senior Minister of State for Defence (Mr Heng Chee How) : Mr Chairman, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen has just spoken about the need for NSmen to train well and to train safely. Indeed, the strength of NS is contingent upon the fighting spirit of our NSmen. Our servicemen must undergo tough and realistic military training for the SAF to be an effective fighting force capable of safeguarding Singapore’s sovereignty. At the same time, a strong SAF that can defend Singapore must be built without compromising the safety of those serving.
Mr Charles Chong asked about balancing operational readiness and safety. We understand the anxiety of our soldiers and their families arising from the recent training-related incidents. MINDEF and SAF take the trust, confidence and expectations that Singaporeans have in our NS system seriously.
The SAF’s safety protocols are audited and assessed by independent professionals from outside SAF. This is done consistently. Allow me to share two examples. The External Review Panel on SAF Safety is a standing panel commissioned to assess the SAF’s safety management systems and help ensure that the SAF’s standards and processes are sound and aligned with industry best practices. More recently, the External Review Panels for Heat Injury Management and the External Review Panel for Combat Vehicle Safety were convened in 2018. They assessed the safety procedures to prevent heat injuries and to ensure the operational safety of vehicles. Where shortcomings are discovered, SAF has and will sharpen safety measures to further reduce the risks and to prevent recurrences.
Just as a further point, the Army will strengthen training supervision and enhance safety equipment to improve combat vehicle safety. These and other specific measures that we shared in this House, we will implement them as soon as possible, and some have already been implemented. This demonstrates our unwavering commitment to safety.
We will not only address individual incidents but will seek to enhance training safety at every level of responsibility. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim asked about how the SAF is strengthening safety culture at all levels of the SAF. As the Minister for Defence has highlighted earlier, an Inspector-General's Office has been set up to inspect and audit the safety practices across SAF. This Office, led by the Chief of Staff – Joint Staff, reports to the Chief of Defence Force and the Permanent Secretary of Defence to enforce safety procedures and to reinforce safety consciousness and culture from the highest level so as to ensure that command emphasis on safety is consistently applied.
On the ground, SAF has renewed the focus of commanders on safety. Commanders have comprehensively reviewed safety management plans and the overall training tempo. They know that they must lead by example in driving safety as a topmost priority. The Army will also ensure 100% inspection of all high-risk and field training. We want, through concrete action, to reassure Singaporeans that training safety is a top priority for MINDEF and SAF.
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Ultimately, safety involves everything that I have mentioned, but it also involves more than sound systems and top-down measures. Safety must be part of our organisational culture, one that every soldier at every level has a role to own, to build and to foster.
SAF encourages open reporting. Mr Charles Chong asked about this. What does it mean by open reporting? Open reporting means that any servicemen can, at any time, report risky behaviour or near-misses and safety breaches. And the servicemen know that they can do so without any fear of penalty. They can call the 24-hour safety hotlines for the Army, Navy and the Air Force, and caller identities are kept anonymous. There are other measures by which they can also surface the feedback. So, the open reporting is about wanting to engender and to ensure openness in the culture, that you are encouraged, indeed, to bring this up.
On enlistment day, recruits are briefed by commanders on how they can report safety breaches. Prior to training, soldiers can identify safety risks using risk assessment checklists and raise concerns to their superiors in a small group setting. This encourages them to look out for their own and their buddies’ safety.
Since last year, SAF has been developing an application called "SafeGuardian", which will allow SAF servicemen to use their mobile phones to report workplace hazards and instantly share them with other servicemen. So, when servicemen are in camp, if they notice, for example, some sharp wire fittings that could potentially cause injury, then that serviceman can take a photo of that using the "SafeGuardian" app and inform the relevant SAF safety officers, so that immediate action can be taken to remove that hazard and to remove that risk. Their buddies nearby will also be informed via safety alerts to their mobile phones.
"SafeGuardian" can also provide access to safety checklists on-the-go, compared to the moment where these forms are only available in physical terminals within the camps.
So, this app will begin its trial in our Naval Bases starting from March this year. It will be implemented in phases to the rest of the SAF as soon as possible.
This effort will help enhance safety consciousness and reinforce the point that safety is "By All, For All".
Miss Cheng Li Hui asked if we could recognise fallen servicemen, including erecting a memorial. SAF honours our servicemen and women who die in service. Every year, SAF observes a minute of silence at the SAF Day Parade to remember our fallen soldiers in the presence of our President or the Prime Minister as the Reviewing Officer. Individual units or formations also hold remembrance events to honour those among their ranks who perish during operations or training. We will never forget their sacrifice to keep Singapore free from those who want to do us harm.
On this note, we also want to thank all our NSmen for their commitment and dedication. Allow me now to speak on how we will enhance the experience for our NSmen.
Mr Zainal Sapari asked about the importance of NS to Singapore. Securing Singapore’s freedom is a sacred duty shouldered by our NSmen. It is only right that we continually think of ways to support them.
Our NSmen have to balance personal and NS commitments, and we must strive to increase convenience for them by reducing administrative burdens wherever possible. This will help them focus on the training. We will also maximise the potential and tap into the abilities of our increasingly better-educated pool of servicemen, so that they can contribute even more meaningfully. Mr Baey Yam Keng had asked for updates on our efforts.
Our operationally-ready NSmen (ORNS) are required to notify the MINDEF Notification Centre and Home Team Overseas Notification Centre of their overseas travel of less than six months' duration, which can currently be done via the NS Portal or by text. From 1 March today, we will remove this notification requirement. Servicemen just have to keep their contact details, including temporary contact information, updated on the NS Portal.
Removing this requirement will not compromise operational readiness, because other exit control measures, such as the requirement to apply for an Exit Permit before traveling overseas for periods of six months or longer, will continue to apply. Control measures could be tightened if the need arises.
Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked how we intend to maximise our manpower resource with falling cohort sizes. How can we do more with fewer?
Besides better technology, equipment, process and job redesign and training of the NSmen, many NSmen also have very relevant and important niche civilian expertise in fields that are relevant both to the civilian side as well as to the military, for example, in nursing or infocommunications. NSmen with such expertise can now contribute to defence with their civilian expertise earlier in their ORNS training cycle. Previously, they had to complete the full 10-year training cycle before conversion to a role that allows them to utilise their civilian expertise. Now, if they are found suitable, they can be deployed to roles, such as nursing officers and network communications officers, after completing two High-Key In-Camp Training stints and have served five ORNS years.
Another example: pre-enlistees are screened at the SAF Medical Classification Centre prior to enlistment. They will then be assigned an appropriate PES grade, so that each person can serve the nation based on his capacity and capabilities, and this would include NSFs with disabilities. For instance, soldiers with hearing impairment or musculoskeletal disabilities, where found suitable, are assigned to support or administrative vocations, where they are deployed safely and are able to also contribute very meaningfully during their NS stints.
We certainly also value the contributions from women to national defence. Since 2014, women have served in the SAF Volunteer Corps in areas that support the SAF’s operational and training requirements. Our pool of SAF volunteers comprises a good mix of males and females, with about half being women.
Mr Arasu Duraisamy asked about our partnerships to support skills upgrading. NSFs from SAF and the Home Team dedicate two years to focus on full-time training. Today, certain soldiering, firefighting and rescue competencies are accredited under the Workforce Skills Qualification standard.
To keep pace with the national focus on skills mastery, we seek to support the NSFs’ transition to higher education or into the workplace. A suite of initiatives called "SkillsFuture@NS" will be launched this year with public and private sector partners.
What can our NSFs, therefore, look forward to under these partnerships?
First, more resources for skills upgrading after full-time NS. Today, NSFs are granted $350 worth of e-credits for them to subscribe to about 200 online courses, that is, the course list, and these courses are offered by our local universities and polytechnics. These e-credits are valid up to one year after they complete full-time NS.
We will extend the use of these credits to about 3,000 selected courses, up from the 200, and amongst these courses will be a good number of SkillsFuture Series courses that focus on emerging domains, such as data analytics and cybersecurity. We are also working with Institutes of Higher Learning to offer customised courses. NSFs may take these courses to obtain credit exemptions from relevant diploma or degree programmes after they complete their full-time NS. E-credits can also be used for these courses.
For example, NSFs can use their e-credits to take a course on "Introduction to Cloud Architecture" that is offered by the Temasek Polytechnic (TP). Upon admission to TP’s part-time Specialist Diploma in Cloud Data Centre Technology and Management, participants who complete these online courses will be granted partial exemption from one module. This will go some way towards supporting our NSFs’ learning journey.
Second, career discovery and exposure. This month, MINDEF/SAF will co-deliver a career orientation experience with SkillsFuture Singapore. This initiative is supported by our five Community Development Councils and the National Trades Union Congress Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). SkillsFuture Advice workshops will be customised at the quarterly Career and Education Fair held for NSFs.
We conducted a pilot of this career orientation workshop at Jurong Camp. One of our combat engineers, 21-year-old Corporal Ritesh Kumar, said the workshop helped him understand the various pathways available after he completes his full-time NS. He felt that this gave him and his buddies more useful guidance about their next stage in life. We will take in our servicemen’s feedback and suggestions to refine and improve the SkillsFuture@NS effort in the years ahead.
Next, strengthening support for NS. Mr Henry Kwek asked about our plans to engage the community on NS issues. First, I want to express our thanks to the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) members for their valuable contributions towards the mission of working with educational institutions, businesses and community groups to strengthen community and total support for our defence and NS.
One of the highlights through the good work of ACCORD in 2018 was the inaugural Women’s Boot Camp. One hundred and three women out of 1,000 were selected for the camp. So, 1,000 applied for 100 places. So, in the end, 103 were accommodated for this two-day one-night camp. So, it was an overnight camp. That camp gave the women participants, whom I understand have ages that range from 13 to 64. So, it was a wide range. Therefore, in there, there are daughters, mothers, sisters, wives, girlfriends, friends of servicemen, and what they got was a glimpse of military life. They came out seeing NS as tough, but necessary.
One of them is 50-year-old Ms Koh Wee Min. She is a mother of one of our NSFs. When asked about her experience, Ms Koh said that it gave her a taste of some aspects of military life through participation in iconic NS activities, such as clearing the Standard Obstacle Course. She said, "I can now support my son emotionally and psychologically. It will also allay some concerns I have about training safety as I could see that safety is paramount to their training. It is reassuring to know that servicemen will get progressive training before they tackle more challenging tasks."
This year, we will run another camp so as to continue to engage our community and also this very important constituency, namely, the other half of our population, the women, so that, together, we can strengthen this support for NS and for the defence of our country.
Our servicemen have told us that sharing photographs of their NS experiences in camp would also help them build a stronger sense of community. MINDEF and SAF have been exploring ways to allow servicemen to share their personal NS memories and experiences online, while safeguarding security of sensitive information.
We are now working on a digital repository called "NS Memories" that will give NSmen access to official photographs of themselves and their buddies. Over time, the repository will catalogue the experiences throughout the NS journey. It will allow servicemen to share these photographs on their social media. We will conduct a trial with an active infantry unit for "NS Memories" this year. If proven successful, we will expand the initiative.
Mr Chairman, the success of NS is measured by the peace safeguarded and maintained, day in, day out, year after year. Every day of peace that Singapore enjoys is testament to the effectiveness of our deterrence, diplomacy and defence. With a strong and resilient NS system that enjoys wide and deep public support, we can continue to be confident about Singapore’s future.
The Senior Minister of State for Defence (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman) : Mr Chairman, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen has spoken about the uncertain and volatile geopolitical environment that confronts us, and how a strong SAF is vital to help us navigate this landscape for Singapore.
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History has shown us that having a strong defence makes all the difference. This is why our long-term and sustained investment in the SAF and Total Defence is vital for Singapore’s continued security and prosperity.
When Total Defence was first introduced in 1984, it was in response to a threat landscape where warfare was very much conventional. However, even then, there was a recognition that potential aggressors would target not just the military, but the entire population.
As threats evolve, Total Defence becomes even more critical. Take terrorism, for example. The face of terrorism has changed, from kinetic attacks spearheaded by Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiah in the early 2000s, to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria's (ISIS’) more insidious attempts to radicalise and recruit followers through the use of technology and social media, to deepen distrust among the communities and sow discontent with the establishment. They even fund and instruct their members and sympathisers to launch terror attacks like suicide bombings in their own countries. ISIS may have lost ground in the Middle East, but links to our region remain alive. The return of foreign fighters exacerbates this threat.
In this age of the Internet and social media, the resilience of Singaporeans will be tested through attacks from the digital front. This will be the new battlefront because of how connected we are, and how reliant we are on digital technology to communicate and to consume information. Singapore has one of the highest levels of Internet penetration in the world, and according to a study done by media company “We Are Social” in 2018, people in Singapore spent an average of two hours daily on social media, with WhatsApp, YouTube and Facebook being the top three most used platforms. Sir, our connectivity opens us to threats from the digital domain, which will confront and define this generation. Many examples in Singapore and overseas illustrate the devastating impact that these threats can wreak.
The Digital Dangers and the Need for Strong Digital Defence. Sir, for example, Estonia was one of the first countries in the world to experience this in April 2007 when a cyberattack caused online services of their banks, media outlets and government to be shut down. Citizens could not access cash machines and online banking services; news could not be printed nor broadcasted. More than 10 years on, cyberattacks in various forms remain a tool for those who would do harm to us.
Another example, in July 2018, more recently, the Alaskan borough of Matanuska-Susitna or Mat-su, was, as a British Broadcasting Corporation article describes, sent “back in time” by a malware attack which forced them offline, resulting in some borough staff having to bring out old typewriters just to keep services going.
Another challenge is how quickly information – and disinformation – can spread over the digital domain. The recent riots that broke out at a Hindu temple in Subang Jaya, Malaysia, showed how the spread of rumours and fake news via social media just overnight could fan the flames of racial tensions, and incite social unrest. As Ms Joan Pereira noted, it is important for us to keep our Social Defence strong, so that we stay united against any attempts to divide us. All communities and faiths have worked hard to build our multicultural and multi-religious society today. We must not let falsehoods pit different social groups against one another.
Many of these digital dangers show that complacency, ignorance or negligence on the part of individuals could pave the way for an attack with disastrous consequences. A January 2019 report by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO’s) Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence outlined how their researchers managed to track and trick NATO troops using open-source data primarily from social media. It was concerning how it was so easy for the researchers to identify troops, locate their battalions, persuade them to abandon their posts and reveal sensitive details about military manoeuvres. This example shows how much people take their online lives for granted and are unaware about how the seemingly innocuous information they post about their lives can be used for harm not just for themselves, but for the wider society.
And Singapore is not spared. We know how hackers stole the information of 1.5 million SingHealth patients. We have also seen the spread of fake news on a wide range of matters, for example, plastic rice or Halal pork, to, more insidiously, false accounts of incidents that could inflame xenophobia, communalism and puncture social harmony.
This is why we have strengthened Total Defence with a new Digital Defence pillar. Ms Joan Pereira and Dr Teo Ho Pin asked about our Digital Defence efforts. We want to bring across the message that every individual is at the forefront of Digital Defence, and this is not a cliché. It is of great significance and, as articulated in an editorial in The Straits Times, and I quote, “every citizen is a soldier in the digital war”, unquote. Only if everyone plays a part – the Government, businesses, communities and individuals – can we make Digital Defence a part of Singapore’s DNA and keep our defence total.
As a whole-of-nation effort, MINDEF has been working with various Government agencies to fortify Singapore and Singaporeans against digital threats. The Ministry of Communications and Information and its agencies, the Cyber Security Agency, the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the National Library Board (NLB) have in place various programmes to empower individuals, businesses and the wider community, so that they can play a part by being secure, alert and responsible online. In the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Singapore Police Force has developed further its capabilities to deal with cybercrime and educates the public on staying safe in cyberspace. As Minister Ng Eng Hen spoke about earlier, we have strengthened our defence sector networks through setting up the Defence Cyber Organisation and ensuring that we have a strong core and pipeline of people with the right skills and expertise to do this work.
We will also ensure that our Servicemen are prepared for threats from the digital domain. We are working with NLB to have all recruits going through Basic Military Training (BMT) attend an information literacy workshop to equip them to better recognise and deal with fake news and deliberate online falsehoods. For the rest of our personnel, MINDEF and SAF will inoculate them against hostile information campaigns and fake news, as well as strengthen cybersecurity awareness through enhancing our existing curriculum and learning journeys. We hope that, collectively, these efforts will help our Servicemen better understand the role of fake news in modern warfare, the steps that they can take in response, and strengthen cyber hygiene as a whole.
For students, issues related to Digital Defence are already in the Ministry of Education's curriculum and will be reinforced through digital literacy and Cyber Wellness programmes. Ms Joan Pereira asked about how we are reaching out to our youths. We refreshed the “Guardians of the City” game card this year to include threats from the digital domain. Students who have played the refreshed game felt it helped them better understand these threats and how they can play a part. For example, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College East student Deshaun Lau shared with us, and I quote, “Playing the game helped me realise that when we face digital threats, we must stay together as a community, and remind one another to take steps to prevent these attacks”, unquote.
Businesses, too, are putting Digital Defence in action. A workplace design company, Space Matrix, has not only invested in cybersecurity systems, but also trained their staff to keep these threats at bay. Digital threats hit close to home when someone impersonated their chief executive officer via email and asked the staff for a funds transfer. They did not fall victim, thanks to the vigilance of their staff, who recognised the false email identification. The company subsequently finetuned their systems to better protect themselves for the future.
Keeping Singapore Strong Together. While we step up efforts in Digital Defence, the multifaceted threats of today mean that to keep Singapore strong, we need a collective effort where everyone plays a part and takes action across all six pillars of Total Defence. Mr Chairman, may I say a few words in Malay, please?
( In Malay ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] Mr Chairman, the recent maritime and airspace disputes between Singapore and Malaysia have reinforced the importance of Total Defence for us. Our security agencies stand ready and vigilant to safeguard our sovereignty. Singaporeans also need to remain united and stand firm on our principles to protect our national interests. Therefore, it has been heartening to see how many Singaporeans have taken to social media to counter false claims and show support for Singapore’s position. One example is a post by Mr John Lam, who encouraged fellow Singaporeans to remain calm and civil when the maritime dispute between Singapore and Malaysia became tense. He used examples from Singapore’s past to show how we, as one people, have overcome our constraints, and came out stronger. For instance, when we were faced with the threats to cut our water supplies, we invested in water filtration and desalination technologies and developed our own NEWater treatment plants. When faced with a sand import ban, we developed innovative and environmentally-friendly ways of using less sand for reclamation.
What Mr Lam and many others have done embody what Psychological Defence is about – our people staying united and resolving to stand up for Singapore. Members of this House, like Ms Cheng Li Hui, have acknowledged the importance of this as well. The recent bilateral tensions between Singapore and Malaysia have helped Singaporeans better understand what we stand for, and why it is so important for us to take these positions on upholding our territorial sovereignty and operating within a rules-based international order. Our small size and the volatility in our region show how crucial it is for Singaporeans to remain committed to our own defence, and having a strong Singapore Armed Forces.
( In English ): I spoke earlier about how the terrorism threat is here to stay. Security agencies will do all we can to prevent an attack, but, even if one takes place, it is important that every Singaporean knows what to do so that we can hold together, and bounce back quickly as a society.
We commend ground-up initiatives that put Total Defence in action in this way, such as the example of the young Singaporeans who came together to develop the Bukit Panjang Emergency Preparedness Guide, with the support of Bukit Panjang Community Emergency and Engagement Committee, as Dr Teo Ho Pin had shared.
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To build emergency preparedness, we have put in place the Community Response Module that equips MINDEF and SAF personnel to be active community responders by teaching them skills to better protect themselves and help those around them in the event of a terror attack. This complements MHA's SGSecure effort, which continues to build vigilance, cohesion and resilience in the community to deal with a terror attack. MINDEF's Total Defence partnerships with organisations, such as the Singapore Red Cross and Temasek Foundation Cares, also equip people with the knowledge and skills that they can apply in a crisis. For example, the Business Psychological Resilience Programme, part of Temasek Foundation Cares' "Stay Prepared" initiative, trains employees of companies in skills like psychological first aid.
MINDEF has also been actively reaching out to our youths and the wider community on Total Defence, and it is heartening to see how they have rallied around Total Defence. One example is our five students from Temasek Polytechnic – Benedict, Gabriel, Jed, Martin and Shing Hao. They developed a prototype Total Defence mobile application game, named "The Lion City". The game highlights how simple everyday actions can contribute towards building a strong and cohesive nation. The game's developers hope that by doing so, they can inspire their fellow youths to play their part and put Total Defence into action.
Sir, in conclusion, Singapore has enjoyed peace and prosperity as we have a strong SAF, a strong NS system, and strong public support for defence and security. Thirty-five years on and after the launch of Total Defence, we must continue to involve all communities and faiths to play their part. As we commemorate the Singapore Bicentennial this year, let us strengthen our resolve to safeguard our future of Singapore and Singaporeans.
The Chairman : Any clarifications? Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied) : Chairman, Sir, my question is to the Minister of Defence. Is MINDEF at liberty to share whether the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter that is going to be procured, is it the conventional take-off and landing version or the short take-off and the vertical landing version?
Dr Ng Eng Hen : Mr Pritam Singh would be aware that there is an aircraft carrier version, and I can confirm with the Member that we are not buying that one.
The Chairman : Any other further clarifications? Mr Vikram Nair.
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang) : I thank the Minister for the update on the complete renewal taking place for many of our equipment. I am interested to know how much and to what extent these modifications will be developed in Singapore through our local defence industries.
Dr Ng Eng Hen : Mr Chairman, there is no change in that sense in our procurement policies where we get the best of class for our needs. Price is a significant consideration. But also, when I say for our needs, obviously, a key restriction is manpower. And if we look at, for example, our ships, the reason why we went to local production, first of all in our frigates, which we did with French DCN, and then we built our own. Even with that, we designed it from conception to operation. Because few other nations are able to have the SAF that we have that is able to defend a small island and have to do so with fewer people. So, for the ships, we went in that way. I think that has paid dividends.
For Air Force, less so. From a maintenance point of view, we dealt with the issue by contracting it to some of our strategic partners, private companies. For the Army, some, we have been able to do on our own to develop indigenous capability for local needs. So, I would say that our procurement is still price-sensitive, best of class, but platforms that meet our needs. And where we can, we also recognise that we must develop a local industry to be able to respond because even developing that capability for private practice requires time and effort. And we do not leave it, for example, to the marketplace. You cannot. And that is why, over the years, a number of companies have been able to work with MINDEF and SAF to meet our defence needs.
The Chairman : Mr Vikram Nair, would you like to withdraw your amendment?
Mr Vikram Nair : I would like to thank Minister Ng Eng Hen, Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How and Senior Minister of State Mohamad Maliki for their responses in a wide range of areas, including giving us the assurance we will be safe for the next 25 years. NS safety remains a priority and we are investing to deal with cyber threats and terrorism. These are all important considerations and I thank the Ministry for being on top of it. Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $14,981,206,800 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $761,800,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]