The SAF has been honing its 3rd-Generation capabilities in various operations by conducting overseas exercises in recent years.

The latest such exercise was Exercise Lightning Warrior, an integrated air-land live-firing exercise held in the Northern Cape province of South Africa in May.

Detecting, tracking and destroying targets in a swift and effective manner - that is the thrust of the battlefield concept that was put into practice in Lightning Warrior.

Since it involves air and land assets, it was another opportunity for the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Singapore Army to strengthen their working ties.

Working so closely together also allows them to piece together an all-round picture that creates greater awareness of what goes on in the battlefield.

At the heart of such operations is the Division Strike Centre. It receives constant real-time data from intelligence sources such as weapon-locating radars and unmanned aerial vehicles. This data is then analysed and appropriate efforts are assigned to strike the target.

In our Top Story this month, we take you into the heart of Exercise Lightning Warrior, and show you a glimpse of how the SAF conducts division strike operations.

A 360-degree view is necessary, not just for cooperation between air and land assets, but also for regional cooperation to address security needs.

At this year's Shangri-La Dialogue, Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean highlighted the transnational and multilateral nature of today's security challenges. He also put forward the idea of armed forces providing a "quick response role" in humanitarian and disaster relief efforts, as they offer highly operational resources and manpower.

Read more about this and other issues discussed at the Dialogue in our Feature.