Major-General Cai Dexian

MG Cai Dexian was appointed the Chief of Army on 21 Mar 2025. He is an Armour Officer by vocation.

MG Cai has commanded the 3rd Singapore Division, 8th Singapore Armoured Brigade and the 48th Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment. He also served as the SAF’s Head Joint Plans and Transformation Department, during which time he drove capability development and force transformation efforts for SAF 2040, including the establishment of the Digital and Intelligence Service. MG Cai was also MINDEF’s Director of Personnel Policy from 2016 to 2019, leading his department to design and deliver HR policies to attract, develop and retain human capital.

MG Cai was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 as part of the SAF’s contribution to the international reconstruction effort there. For his work, he became the first Singaporean to be awarded the US Army Bronze Star Medal, the US military’s fourth-highest combat decoration.

In 2003, MG Cai was enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and was awarded the SAF Overseas Scholarship. He graduated from Stanford University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations. In 2018, he received the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship to study at INSEAD, where he graduated in 2019 with a Master in Business Administration with distinction. As part of his military education, MG Cai completed the Indonesia Army Command and Staff College in 2014 as the top international student.

MG Cai previously served on the boards of ST Engineering Ltd and D’Crypt Pte Ltd.

In recognition of his contributions, MG Cai was awarded the SAF Overseas Service Medal in 2012, the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) (Military) in 2021, and the Long Service Award – 20 Years in 2024.

MG Cai is happily married to Lynette and they have two children, Claire and Adam.