Speech by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the DSTA-DSO Scholarship Award Ceremony

PS (DD),
CE DSTA and CEO DSO,
Senior Commanders,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Scholarship Recipients, Parents,
Good evening.

I'm delighted to join you for this ceremony - it is a highlight. I am happy that you are here, your parents are here, your principals are here. Senior management are looking at you - you are our future. If you look at the SAF today, advanced technology pervades our defence systems. So if you take a bird's eye view or even if you trawl through the SAF, whether it is from gathering intelligence, gaining situational awareness, real-time targeting to actual fires, the SAF deploys sophisticated weaponry for each system and also to form networks that amplify our effectiveness to fight as one overall system.

It has not always been so. This evolution of the SAF into a network of networks, as we call it, would not have been possible without the scientific base provided by our defence ecosystem that includes DSO, DSTA and commercial partners. You have to understand it very carefully because this defence ecosystem is crucial in maintaining our superiority edge as a technologically advanced military force. 

The reason is simple - defence is business. Defence industries, within the constraints of relationships - there are some constraints placed - but by and large, sophisticated weaponry can be bought. Singapore has an edge because of this scientific base that our defence ecosystem provides. So we invest heavily in technology, but it has reaped rich dividends that have helped overcome the constraints of Singapore's small size and limited manpower resources. The DSO National Laboratories (DSO) was set up 40 years ago, followed by the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) in 2000 for the specific purpose of advancing the SAF's technological prowess. It has proven to be a strategic move that enabled the SAF to be a smart buyer of technology and produce indigenous cutting-edge innovations. You may have heard of some of them, such as the TERREX Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) and the SkyBlade III, which is a Mini-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (mUAV). Each time we use these platforms, each time we put them on display and foreign dignitaries try our machinery, is a big boost for our defence because they suddenly realize that Singapore has advanced capabilities and it has a defence force that needs to be taken note of. And it is not as if foreign dignitaries and foreign military personnel have not been exposed because there are defence exhibitions all year round. As I said, it is a business. They have tried other platforms elsewhere, but when they step into a SAF platform, they are also impressed with how integrated the systems are.

This ability to adapt or create new technology for our defence needs is quite dependent on the passion, ability and innovative spirit of our defence scientist and engineers - whom you are now part of. I visit DSO and DSTA regularly and am always impressed not only by the advances made but also by the can-do spirit within this 5,000-strong community of defence scientists and engineers. I have been in the Ministry of Education, I have visited universities, I have been with manpower so I know what the industry is, and I always am struck by the fact that real engineering and science is done by the DSO and DSTA community of scientists and engineers because there are real needs. And you can feel the vibrancy, you can feel the curiosity - how do you make things fly faster and more accurate, how do you overcome system choke points, and so on and so forth. We are indeed fortunate to have passionate and motivated individuals who are putting their talents to defend Singapore.

As new scholarship recipients, you should recognise that you join an illustrious alumni that through the past decades have worked quietly and tirelessly to provide us with cutting-edge capabilities for the SAF today. Obviously you are aware that they cannot tout our advances, otherwise they will not be a secret edge. But over so many decades, we have quietly had to be very thankful for this community that has provided us a superior edge. Some examples are more open than others, for example the Navy's Combat Management System (CMS) on board our stealth frigates, the Trailblazer Counter-Mine Vehicle (CMV) for the Army and the Command and Control (C2) information systems on the Air Force's latest early warning aircraft, the G550. If you step onboard it, this compact vehicle, its situational awareness is incredible. To maintain our defence superiority, we must continue to induct top scientific talent each year into DSTA and DSO. Now that you are part of the community, I hope that each of you will continue to uphold the values and standards of your illustrious alumni.

As PS (DD) said, many of you here are talented and highly sought-after individuals who could have chosen to take up scholarships elsewhere, but the fact that you chose to take the DSTA-DSO scholarship demonstrates your deep passion for defence science and technology and your commitment to our nation's defence. I personally believe that you have made the right choice. I say so because you will be richly rewarded with an impactful, interesting and varied career that your predecessors enjoy.

I have seen examples across our landscape, whether it is in, as I said, academic institutions, big agencies or industries. I saw impressive examples during my visit to Afghanistan last year. There, DSO engineers developed our own Video Exploitation System. We use UAVs to scan the terrain of Afghanistan for intelligence purposes, and DSO engineers basically created a software that creates multiple video streams and stitch them together, in other words to tell a real-time and panoramic picture. This capability made the difference for our imagery analysts. For example, in one incident, our Imagery Analysts used this system to track an insurgent who was fleeing after firing rockets into our base at Oruzgan. Our worries at Oruzgan are basically incoming rockets - these have very little early warning provided by the Weapon Locating Radar, but sometimes you can get casualties. The problem with detection of these rockets is that you can, as they say, shoot and scoot. You shoot it but they run off somewhere. But the UAV technology that our DSO engineers developed allow us to track these insurgents. So within an hour after the incident, this insurgent was captured by the Task Force. It would have saved lives because you can be sure that this same team of insurgents would have continued to fire rockets. This illustrates the efficiency and effectiveness of our system in helping to ensure the safety of our troops and maintaining the peace and security in Afghanistan.

I saw another example - our Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), which allows us a few precious seconds for early warning to detect incoming rockets. It is also deployed in Afghanistan. The WLR crew was required to operate round-the-clock because obviously you do not know when the insurgents are going to fire the rocket, they do not give you advanced notice. But we had some problems that we did not anticipate. Exhaust gas was channelled into the vehicle cabin, which affected its system and crew performance. So you can imagine the terrain of Afghanistan, couple of thousands of kilometers away, it is not as if they had ready spare parts. They had to, on the spot, engineers from the Army and DSTA - both stationed there and here - work closely together to design a trunking system to channel the exhaust gas out of the deployment bay. That is why the WLR has a 100% success rate in detection of incoming rockets.

Each new system that the SAF deploys depends on DSTA and DSO's ability to develop customised solutions for our country's defence needs. We recently acquired Archer-class submarines. When we first acquired them from Sweden, our engineers had to work with our Navy to retrofit them with additional systems because it uses the Air Independent Propulsion System which allows it greater endurance, as well as develop sensor and climate control systems because the climate in Sweden is quite different from the climate here. These improvements enabled our submarines to stay submerged longer, stealthier and perform better in tropical waters.

The reason I am citing these practical examples is to try to vividly illustrate and remind how our defence scientists and engineers play a critical role in developing our defence capabilities. As in all ecosystems, our overall survival is dependent on you playing your role effectively. As you pursue academic excellence, I urge you to excel in specific areas. Take an active interest in areas that you feel passionate about, whether in unmanned vehicles, cyber security, or chem-bio defence - become an expert in that field. Because when you come back, you can help the SAF develop new military capabilities and cutting-edge technological solutions. You will help us meet evolving security challenges, and your contributions will have a significant and direct impact on the well-being of our nation. Because the stronger our defence is, the more we deter others from even thinking of taking action against us. That is our greatest motivation - to be so strong that people say it is either not worth it or it is not worth the damage I will get if I take Singapore.

Congratulations once again to all 92 of you who are recipients of the DSTA-DSO Scholarship. I would also like to take this opportunity to give recognition to your parents and your loved ones here today, and for their steadfast support and belief in you. You now join the ranks of some of the brightest minds in our country, and when you come back you will sharpen your minds with them, who are dedicated to the continued defence and security of Singapore. I wish you all every success in your studies and. I look forward to your return to help make a difference in our defence technology industry, the SAF, and Singapore.

Thank you.

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Utilising their talents in science to help defend Singapore