Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Dr Ng highlighted that the RSN would continue to build up and modernise its maritime warfare capabilities to better safeguard Singapore's interest. "The strengthening of our submarine capability is in line with this overall development plan to allow the RSN to better exploit the underwater dimension in maritime operations," said Dr Ng.

He added that, RSS Archer, as the first Archer-class submarine, significantly enhances the RSN's submarine capability and strengthens Singapore's ability to contribute to the peace and stability of the region.

The Archer-class submarines were acquired from the Royal Swedish Navy in 2005 and RSS Archer was launched on 16 June 2009 in Karlskrona, Sweden. The first Archer-class submarine arrived in Singapore on 17 August 2011 and had successfully conducted various system verifications and sea trials in local conditions as part of its operationalisation process.

With the enhanced capabilities and combat system such as the Air Independent Propulsion and advanced sonar systems, the Archer-class submarines will increase the RSN's operational readiness to better secure the seaward defence of Singapore.

The pioneer crew of RSS Archer had completed comprehensive training comprising a Submarine System Training Phase, where they were taught to operate the various advanced systems, as well as a Team Training phase, where mission-oriented trainings were conducted.

Also present at the ceremony were Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Neo Kian Hong, Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) Dr Tan Kim Siew, Chief Defence Scientist Quek Tong Boon, Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Ng Chee Peng as well as senior officers from the SAF.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Dr Ng highlighted the significance of the event to the Artillery and the transformation journey of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). He said, "The successful induction of the HIMARS reflects well on the ability of the SAF to respond decisively to new challenges and changing circumstances in the operational environment."

Commending the gunners of 23 SA for their competency and professionalism, Dr Ng noted that while advancements in technology has enhanced the SAF's capabilities and reduced the reliance on manpower, heavier responsibility now rests on the servicemen.

He said, "It is ultimately the professionalism and commitment of our people that will translate the latest weapon systems into effective capabilities."

The SAF took delivery of the HIMARS in July 2010 and conducted its inaugural battery live firing in November 2010 in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA. The HIMARS, which will be operated by Bravo battery, 23 SA, provides artillery forces with precision fire power, enhanced mobility and advanced networking capabilities.

Also present at the ceremony were Minister of State for Defence Mr Lawrence Wong, Chief of Army Major-General Ravinder Singh and other senior officers from the SAF.

Commanding Officer RSS Valiant, Lieutenant Colonel Goh Kian Ngiap said that the exercise was valuable to both the RSN and USN. "The CARAT exercise is a great opportunity for both the RSN and USN to interact and exercise with each together. Many good ideas were exchanged, and the bonds of friendship strengthened," said LTC Goh.

In addition, RSN personnel who took part in the exercise found value in working alongside their USN counterparts. Weapon Systems (Control) Operator Military Expert 1 William Kang, who fired the Barak missile said, "This was a wonderful learning experience for me in exercising with personnel from the USN. It was also excellent to see the entire crew's teamwork in action and executing the successful missile hit."

Present at the firing was Minister of State for Defence and Education Lawrence Wong, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and National Development Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Neo Kian Hong and Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Ng Chee Peng. Similar missile firings have been conducted in previous CARAT exercises. The exercise is presently ongoing and will conclude on 29 Aug 2011.

Citing developments in the past year - such as the popular uprising in the Arab states to the recent tension between competing territorial claims in the South China Sea - which have impacted the global and regional security landscape, Dr Ng said: "Post 9/11, (with) Iraq, Afghanistan, the Arab Spring, Libya, piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the continuing export of WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction), the hard reality is that the security landscape today is marked by threats which are increasingly transnational and complex."

He added: "By their very nature, transnational security challenges - spanning from terror networks to pandemics, natural disasters and cyber-security - thwart attempts by individual states to contain or manage them."

In order to adequately deal with these uncertainties, Dr Ng said that "the role of the military must clearly evolve in tandem with the security landscape".

"For the commanders here, the ideal configuration would be a flexible force structure that can both optimally meet conventional threats as well as 'operations other than war' scenarios. But as all of us know, life is seldom ideal and trade-offs are inherent. Difficult decisions and assumptions will have to be made in reality. No single country, no matter how large and well-resourced, can shoulder the burden of extreme events. We have therefore explored new modes of multilateral security cooperation," said Dr Ng.

For instance, maritime threats - which have likewise become increasingly trans-boundary and multi-dimensional in nature - have led countries to explore new ways of sharing information to achieve early warning and comprehensive awareness.

In the region, this need translated into the set-up of the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) in 2009. Housed within the Changi Command and Control Centre, the IFC puts together information shared by partner navies and agencies to generate useful knowledge which can be shared across a network of users. To date, 10 countries have deployed liaison officers at the IFC where they work together to fuse, analyse and disseminate the sea situation picture.

In the same year, the Singapore restructured its Navy Coastal Command into the Maritime Security Task Force to bring together the Singapore Armed Forces and other national maritime agencies such as Police Coast Guard, Maritime Port Authority, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and Singapore Customs to better respond to maritime challenges.

In his speech, Dr Ng also mentioned the work of ASEAN in bolstering peace and security in the region and beyond. Today, the security architecture among ASEAN member states comprises a web of bilateral and multilateral relationships which fulfil various roles.

There are large fora such as the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus and informal meetings such as the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) and functional groupings such as the Malacca Strait Patrols which address specific challenges.

"Woven together, these layers strengthen the overall architecture and help move it forward... it is also heartening to note that the scope of participants in such fora has broadened over the years," noted Dr Ng. The most recent SLD was well-attended by over 30 ministerial delegates from the region and beyond.

Dr Ng also pointed out the emergence of social media which has had an impact on military forces. "Any single issue from disparate sources can bring groups together to achieve mass collaboration,: he said. This feature of social media posed new challenges to military organisations, he added.

"This new milieu is anathema to many traditional organisations based on hierarchical structures, including and especially military organisations. Military practitioners eschew sharing information openly so that operational security is not compromised," Dr Ng elaborated.

Dr Ng then advocated for military forces to explore how to use this to their advantage. "We have to grapple with this dilemma in order to better engage a younger, tech-savvy generation of servicemen, who are used to it as a way of life."

He noted that the Singapore Armed Forces has established an online presence with channels on popular sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. In particular, the Every Singaporean Son reality series - an in-house initiative by the Ministry of Defence - had garnered many positive reviews and even made it to the National Geographic Channel, on which it was broadcast to 39 other countries in Asia and the Middle East.

"This open, inclusive and bottom-up approach has proved to be extremely useful in helping us build stronger commitment to the defence of Singapore, and has helped make Singapore a more resilient nation," said Dr Ng.

Organised by the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS) at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the annual APPSMO brings together participants from all over the world. This year, 59 delegates from 28 countries are taking part in the week-long event. One of the key objectives of the programme is to facilitate a more informed exchange of ideas and discussions among senior military officers in the region and beyond.

In his speech, Ambassador Barry Desker, Dean of the RSIS and Director of the ISIS, proudly announced the increasing number of APPSMO participants since its inauguration in 1999. It has also grown to cover a range of issues in the realms of traditional and non-traditional security. "Through lectures and debates, APPSMO offers the opportunity for participants to consider policy from both practical and theoretical perspectives," he said.

Over the next week, distinguished local and foreign speakers will share their views on various security-related issues that affect military forces. One of the main topics for this edition of APPSMO is the global shift of power represented by the end of United States dominance and the rise of China.

The Army, which has been looking into UGV technology for about a year, recently unveiled the Rush Demonstrator UGV which aims to address requirements for a future spectrum of operations.

Before the advent of UGVs, repetitive and tedious tasks such as mine clearance and casualty evacuation required sizeable manpower. Imagine an asset which can work autonomously, constantly sweeping the ground to detect and remove land mines, or an automated system that transports wounded soldiers to the nearest medical post.

That asset comes in the form of a UGV which the United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries have used to great effect in Iraq and Afghanistan. To put it simply, UGVs proved their worth in performing repetitive but highly dangerous tasks that a soldier would be subjected to as combat operations progress.

Building on success
After achieving success in developing a mini-UAV, DSO proceeded to take up the role of developing a UGV to meet the Army's operational needs. To enhance their capacity to support the Singapore Armed Forces' exploration into UGVs for future force development, DSO developed a UGV with a much higher payload capacity for integrated payloads, as well as towed or dragged loads.

Dubbed the "Rush" for its comparatively fast ground speed, the UGV is designed to be a highly robust and deployable system that can potentially cover multiple roles such as forward tactical surveillance, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive defence, combat support, and even casualty evacuation.

It is currently designed to support two modular mission payloads, the Electro-Optical/Infrared Camera and the Manipulator Arm and Gripper, which are within the maximum allowable payload weight.

Performance for the future
The Rush Demonstrator, which weighs about 40kg, has successfully demonstrated the capacity to carry a 30kg load. It can also tow a 60kg trolley and drag a 30kg load by the rear.

To achieve this impressive power-to-weight ratio for a UGV of this weight class, the design team built the platform using high torque electric motors, which also allow the system to move at a maximum ground speed of 7km per hour.

The system has successfully completed environmental-worthiness tests and demonstrated several engineering innovations by DSO, such as a form-specific integrated circuit board design, common payload connectors and integrated heat sinks.

With its Electro-Optical Camera and Manipulator Arm, the Rush Demonstrator can support certain explosive ordnance disposal tasks and real-time tactical surveillance.

Surpassing expectations
While the team had set out to explore what could be achieved within the local defence science ecosystem, what they eventually came up with exceeded even their own expectations, said Captain (CPT) Gilbert Foo, Weapons Staff Officer, Army Systems Integration Office and officer-in-charge of the Rush Demonstrator Project.

Following the Rush Demonstrator's success, the Army will proceed to go into full-scale development, which will be applied to niche applications.

Robotics are expected to be next revolution in military affairs because of the benefits provided by such systems in countering insurgency warfare. The realisation of key enablers promoting the use of UGVs, such as better networks, artificial intelligence and more efficient approaches to power and energy all make UGVs a viable option for the future, said Colonel (COL) Tan Chor Kiat, Chief Systems Integration Officer.

"We want to position ourselves favourably to capitalise on this potential game changer as this technology matures," said COL Tan.

With so much going for the platform, its future is bright. According to CPT Foo, the Rush Demonstrator has been used in several studies. One example: the 2nd Singapore Infantry Regiment tried the system as part of tactics development under the Army's infantry motorisation studies.

"The study told us a lot about what is needed in a UGV and what isn't, for a particular group and we will leave it to further studies to indicate if something like Rush Demonstrator is needed," added CPT Foo when asked about the system's future.

At a ceremony marking the inauguration of the naval helicopters into 123 Squadron (SQN) on 18 Jan, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen expressed confidence in the squadron's ability to "build on its tradition of cross-service integration as it embarks on a new chapter of air-sea operations."

Set up in 1979, 123 SQN initially operated as a basic training wing for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). In 1992, the squadron was restructured to support the Singapore Army, with the introduction of Singapore's first dedicated armed helicopter, the AS550 Fennec (which has been retired from service).

With the addition of the S-70B naval helicopter, the squadron will continue to provide cross-Service interoperability between the RSAF and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).

"The naval helicopter and frigate are able to fight together as an integrated system," said Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) Jonathan Tan, Commanding Officer of 123 SQN. "In a way, the helicopter serves as the extended arm of the ship it is embarked on, allowing personnel to act faster, see further and make more decisive operational decisions."

As a helicopter pilot himself, SLTC Tan described naval-based operations as "challenging" but not without their own sense of satisfaction. "Operating on board a ship presents its own set of challenges. The ship is in constant motion and that makes it harder to land the aircraft," he explained.

The integration of the RSN's frigates with the naval helicopters enables the frigates to undertake anti-surface and anti-submarine missions at much longer ranges. Each frigate's sophisticated command and communications suite allows it to network with a wide array of SAF assets.

The RSN's S-70B naval helicopters carry a dipping sonar system which can be lowered below sea surface to detect submarines which may be lurking in the vicinity. It also has the capability to fire torpedoes.

Each helicopter is operated by two pilots from the RSAF, and a Tactical Coordination Officer (TACCO) and a Sensor Supervisor (SENSUP) from the RSN. Cross-service integration between the crew is thus crucial to the success of their missions.

"It's natural for SAF people to gel together to achieve their missions," said Major (MAJ) Eng Cheng Heng, who serves as a TACCO in 123 SQN.

Due to differences in the way individual Services communicate with each other, there were some teething problems when the RSAF and RSN first got together to operate the S-70B naval helicopters. "We are moving closer towards a common operating language and have developed procedures to further streamline operations," said MAJ Eng.

"It was an eye-opening experience to be able to see more of how the RSAF works since the SAF is moving towards integrated operations," he added of his experience in the United States (US).

Personnel from the squadron trained intensively with the US Navy from March to September 2010, as part of the Peace Triton detachment stationed in San Diego.

First Warrant Officer (1WO) Permjit Singh, Chief Aircrew Specialist in 123 SQN spoke highly of his RSN counterparts' hospitality. "Whenever we came on board during training, the ship crew would reduce its frequency of piping calls in order not to disturb our rest," he said. Akin to public address systems in the civilian world, piping systems on board warships are used to broadcast meal times, page for certain personnel, amongst other operational messages.

"With the Skyblade III mini-UAV, scout teams can now better assist commanders in decision-making by providing more timely information.For example, they can report terrain conditions and the presence of opposition forces in real-time," said Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) Ong Chee Boon, Deputy Group Head, General Staff, on 25 Nov at the Murai Urban Training Facility.

The system comprises a Mini Operating Console (MOC) and the mini-UAV itself, which are packed into two backpacks. These packs - which weigh roughly 20kg each - will be carried by two soldiers into the field. Requiring only 20 minutes to set up and launch, each mini-UAV sortie can last up to an hour, after which it will require fresh batteries.

While carrying the packs is hardly a walk in the park, the operational advantages the Skyblade III brings to the table far out-strips its heft. Equipped with cameras for day and night use, the Skyblade III streams the visual data it collects instantly to its controller on the ground. This information is then analysed by the operators before it is reported to higher headquarters (see infographic).

With its operating range of 8km, having the Skyblade III also means a higher chance of survival for the scout teams that operate them. "In the past, we had to get very close to opposing forces in order to gather information. With the Skyblade III, my team can be further away from hostile territory, yet still give accurate reports to my commanders," said 3rd Sergeant (3SG) Quek Jian Liang, a Scout Team Commander in the 3rd Singapore Infantry Regiment (3 SIR).

Elaborating on the Skyblade III's edge, LTC Willy Lock, Commanding Officer 3 SIR, said: "The advantages are twofold: During an assault, we are able to see much further afield, and in defence, we are able to plan counter-manoeuvres much earlier because the scout teams are able to detect the presence of opposing forces much earlier." When cyberpioneer spoke to LTC Lock, his unit was in the midst of conducting defensive operations as part of a larger training exercise.

Apart from operational advantages, the Skyblade III's developers - researchers from DSO National Laboratories - were also mindful about usability. The result: an easy to control mini-UAV with a virtually foolproof launching system.

The Skyblade III can be launched either by hand or through bungee-assistance. The latter launch technique has the mini-UAV sitting on launching rails while connected to a slingshot-like rig. Once triggered, the rig powers the mini-UAV into the air and mechanically disconnects when the Skyblade III is safely airborne. To land, the mini-UAV performs a deep stall and an airbag is deployed from its belly which cushions the impact from landing.

According to SLTC Ong, the bungee launch technique has a stellar track record, with an unblemished success rate.

SLTC Ong believes the addition of the Skyblade III will greatly enhance the Army's reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities.

Developed in collaboration with DSO and made by ST Aerospace, the Skyblade III was developed indigenously and is a product of the cooperation between the Army and its defence industry partners.

The mini-UAV project was initiated in 2002 with the first prototype - the Skyblade I - being tested in Exercise Thunder Warrior (New Zealand) and Exercise Wallaby (Australia) a year later. While the Skyblade was still being developed, commercially available mini-UAVs such as the Birdeye 410 and Skylark were used to shape the tactics and procedures for the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) operations. This is why the SAF was able to bring the mini-UAV capability to units within a short time frame, said SLTC Ong.

The six army units which will receive the SB III operational capability are: the 40th Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment (40 SAR), 41 SAR, 2 SIR, 3 SIR, 3rd Singapore Infantry Brigade, and the 4th Singapore Armoured Brigade.

Work to bring the Skyblade III advanced capabilities to the battalion scouts and Brigade Reconnaissance Surveillance Targeting Acquisition Teams within these units started in 2009. By end-2010, they are expected to be operationalised on the system. To date, 44 Skyblade III operators have been trained.

At the heart of these experiments are new operational guidelines and technological tools which enable soldiers to better handle urban operations. For example, soldiers using modified commercially-available electronic gadgets are able to call up images captured by small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) monitoring the locations of their targets, as well as remote ground sensor-shooters. Also tested at InnoX were new Command and Control (C2) guidelines, such as empowering junior commanders to make more decisions in the field.

Explaining the rationale behind the conduct of InnoX was Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) James Tan, Assistant Director, Future Systems Directorate. "We want to understand the enablers as well as the tactics that we need to equip our troops with for urban operations because we have discovered that the ability for a small unit to be tactically proficient and empowered is critical for our troops to survive in urban combat," said SLTC Tan.

When [we] observed the proceedings on 11 Nov, the soldiers from the Guards formation seemed to have an uncanny sense of their surroundings as they moved towards their objective - a building held by "enemy" forces.

"The UAVs provide me and my men with a real-time situational picture and we are able to able to move in with greater accuracy," said Staff Sergeant Muhd Bukhari, a Platoon Sergeant from the Guards Formation.

Foreign observers of the experiment proceedings were also impressed with what they saw. "Small tactical formations are at the front of the war-fighting spear, so any experiment that aims to make them better is the right thing to do. What I saw was a well-planned and well-executed experiment," said Mr Vince Goulding, Director, Experiment Division of the United States Marines Corps.

"It's pushing the envelope and it's going to force people to think about changes in manpower, training and equipment," added Mr Goulding.

Also part of InnoX was the Marketplace: an area where defence-related products from Singapore Technologies, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, the Nanyang Technological University and several other innovative companies were showcased to SAF personnel and visiting officers from foreign armed forces.

Held at the Murai Urban Training Facility, InnoX is held twice a year. This second edition of InnoX saw participating forces engage in five runs over the five-day period and the results are still being evaluated.

In Dr Ng's opening address at the launch ceremony, he highlighted that the launch of RSS Swordsman underlines the RSN's drive to develop its submarine capability.

"The RSN's submarines are part of an integrated warfighting system which includes our stealth frigates, naval helicopters, missile corvettes and mine countermeasure vessels," he said. "Together with the Challenger-class submarines, RSS Archer and RSS Swordsman will enable the RSN to better fulfill its mission of protecting Singapore's sea lines of communication and territorial integrity."

The submarine was acquired from the Royal Swedish Navy (RSwN) and follows the first Archer-class submarine RSS Archer's launch in June 2009. Together with the Challenger-class submarines, this addition to the fleet adds on to the RSN's capability to protect Singapore's sea lines of communication and territorial integrity.

Similar to its sister vessel, the RSS Swordsman has been extended with a modern suite of combat and sensor systems which allows it to detect and engage targets from greater distances.

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Loh Mun Heng, Commanding Officer of RSS Swordsman, said: "Like RSS Archer, RSS Swordsman brings with it technology that improves and challenges the air-surface warfare capabilities, improving the RSN's fleet and providing better options in the field."

Military Expert (ME) 3 Tay Chay Yong, Combat Operations Expert and coxswain for RSS Swordsman compared the submarine to a space shuttle: "A submarine sails independently, just like a space shuttle out in space. Anything that happens on board will have to be solved by the crew. Therefore, it underlines the complexity and importance of the training involved where everyone needs to be well-versed in the engineering and combat systems of the submarine."

The launch of RSS Swordsman also emphasises the ongoing defence partnership and close friendship between Singapore and Sweden. ME1 Nagarajan s/o Muthusamy, Underwater Weapons Operator, attributed it to his Swedish counterparts going the extra mile over the course of two years of training, resulting in a positive bond forged between the Singaporean and Swedish Navy.

"The Swedes bring our working relations past office hours, if I need help with anything, I can call them at any time. They are also very patient, always willing to teach us again and again without getting irritated. Even away from work, we spend time together enjoying leisure activities such as fishing or floorball," he said.

As a result of this close bond, one which has been reaffirmed and built upon over the last 40 years, Singapore's defence relationship with Sweden has matured to encompass wide-ranging interactions and collaborative projects such as the assistance provided by the RSwN to build the RSN's mine-countermeasure force and submarine capability.

"Sweden and Singapore are both nations which believe in building a defence force for deterrence… Therefore, what brings us together is this common ideology about defence," explained LTC Loh.

With the launch of the RSS Swordsman, the submarine crew has come away not only prepared for the challenges ahead, but also with a healthy respect for, as well as a strong rapport with, their Swedish counterparts.

Said ME3 Tay: "Working with our Swedish counterparts, who are open, innovative and not afraid to try new things, has helped our relatively young crew to experience and learn more."

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Ng highlighted that the launch of RSS Swordsman marked another key milestone in the RSN's drive to develop its submarine capability. "The RSN’s submarines are part of an integrated warfighting system which includes our stealth frigates, naval helicopters, missile corvettes and mine-countermeasure vessels", he said. "Together with the Challenger-class submarines, RSS Archer and RSS Swordsman will enable the RSN to better fulfill its mission of protecting Singapore’s sea lines of communication and territorial integrity." As part of his visit to Karlskrona, Dr Ng also met with Sweden's Defence Minister, Sten Tolgfors, who attended the launch ceremony for RSS Swordsman.

The launch of RSS Swordsman reflects the strong defence partnership and longstanding friendship between Singapore and Sweden. Both countries share a close defence relationship founded on many shared interests, which stretches back to the 1970s. Over the years, Singapore's defence relationship with Sweden has matured to encompass wide-ranging interactions and collaborative projects such as the assistance provided by the RSwN to build the RSN's mine counter-measure force and submarine capability.

Dr Ng earlier visited Stockholm on 18 Oct 2010 to meet with Mr Jan Björklund, Swedish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education, and signed an agreement to encourage further education collaborations between Sweden and Singapore.