Addendum to the President's Address

The global security landscape has experienced increased turbulence and instability in recent years. Against the backdrop of changing geopolitical dynamics brought about by the rise of Asia, regional militaries are rapidly modernising. Countries have also become increasingly assertive over regional territorial disputes, as overlapping claims intersect with historical animosities and domestic nationalism. Recent events in Ukraine and tensions closer to home in Asia Pacific underscore the continued importance of a strong defence in safeguarding Singapore's independence and sovereignty.

A Stronger SAF for the Defence of Singapore

The SAF is the ultimate guarantor of Singapore's sovereignty and independence, and underpins our continued peace and prosperity. A strong security force also complements our diplomatic efforts to safeguard Singapore's interests abroad, build cooperation with other countries, and enlarge our international space. We are therefore committed to investing resources to maintain a strong and capable SAF. Our 3rd Generation transformation efforts have sharpened the SAF's capability edge with information superiority and precision strike. The SAF's operational readiness has been validated by our deployments in support of regional and international security efforts, such as our deployments to Afghanistan, the Gulf of Aden and for disaster relief.

In the next bound of our 3rd Generation transformation, we will continue to invest in advanced technologies and new fighting concepts to build a more effective SAF that is more efficient in the use of our manpower resources to effectively deal with a wide spectrum of threat and mission scenarios. We will upgrade our F-16s, and acquire A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, two Type-218SG submarines, and two more Sikorsky S-70B Naval Helicopters over the next five years. We will put in place a multi-layered air defence with the deployment of SPYDER and ASTER 30 Surface-to-Air Missile systems. We will also acquire more Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles and link these to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and work towards doubling the number of units operating on wheeled or tracked platforms. We will also continue our steady investments in defence science and technology, particularly in our indigenous research and development capability, which contributes to the SAF's strategic edge.

In parallel, we will hone and validate our fighting capabilities through tough and realistic training, even as we continue to strengthen our training safety and medical systems to ensure our soldiers' safety and well-being. The SAF will also continue to contribute to homeland security, working with other national agencies to defend Singapore against terrorism, maritime threats and other contingencies.

The strong and capable SAF that we have today is made possible by our steady and prudent investments in defence over the years. We will continue to be good stewards of the funds, land and other public resources allocated to defence, upholding the confidence and trust that has been placed in MINDEF and the SAF.

Strengthening National Service (NS)Our national servicemen are our most important resource, and the backbone of our fighting force. We have therefore invested significant effort into strengthening the NS training system to meet the SAF's new operational needs and ensuring that we recognise and optimise the contributions of our national servicemen. We will also continue to support national servicemen in balancing their NS responsibilities with their work, educational and family commitments. The Committee to Strengthen National Service has announced its recommendations to strengthen the NS system and sustain public support for NS.

To better achieve the SAF's mission and fulfil our servicemen's aspirations, SAF, SPF and SCDF will recruit about 1,300 more regulars to improve training and inculcate values more effectively. More opportunities will be given to national servicemen to hold leadership positions as the SAF will expand the proportion of officers and specialists from 30% up to 40% to meet new operational needs. We will also make better use of the skills of our full-time national servicemen (NSFs) by matching them to vocations during NS. We will also encourage national servicemen to volunteer their civilian expertise in national defence.

At the same time, we will continue to be good stewards of the time that our national servicemen commit to serving Singapore. Wait time before enlistment will be reduced, to enable 90% of pre-enlistees to be enlisted within four months after post-secondary studies. This will enable more NSFs who proceed for work after NS, to do so earlier. Fewer NSFs will need to be disrupted from NS for local university studies. We will also facilitate NSFs' transition to work and studies after NS.

We will ease administrative restrictions and work towards delivering a more positive NS experience. We will partner national servicemen to maintain their fitness by giving them more time and flexibility to meet their Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT), IPPT Preparatory Training (IPT), and Remedial Training (RT) requirements, and offer more convenient venues for fitness training. There will also be an increase in the incentives to recognise national servicemen's achievements in IPPT. To increase convenience for national servicemen while still providing information critical for manpower and operational planning, there will be changes to the reporting requirements for the MINDEF Notification Centre and the Home Team Overseas Notification Centre, such that notification need not be given for overseas trips of two weeks or less.

We also want to recognise national servicemen by supporting their healthcare, housing and education needs. The NS Recognition Award will be revamped to the NS HOME (HOusing, Medical and Education) Awards, which will include a Medisave grant and more flexibility to use the award for national servicemen's housing and education needs. We will also provide coverage for life and personal accident insurance for NSFs and national servicemen during their in-camp training.

To strengthen the broader community's support for defence and NS, we will restructure the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) to establish three councils - the Employer and Business Council, the Educational Institutions Council and the Family and Community Council. We also want to encourage employers and businesses to better support their national servicemen employees by establishing a scheme to recognise organisations which have gone the extra mile to support national servicemen. An SAF Volunteer Corps will be established to encourage women, new citizens and first-generation Permanent Residents to come forward and contribute to national defence. As every Singaporean has a part to play in Singapore's defence, we will also continue with our Total Defence efforts to strengthen national resilience and cohesion among Singaporeans, to allow us to overcome future crises.

Shaping a Benign Regional Security Environment

Singapore will continue to work closely with friends and partners to enhance regional stability and deal with common security challenges. To enable militaries to respond effectively to natural disasters in our region, the SAF will host a Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Coordination Centre (RHCC). We will continue to strengthen and expand our network of bilateral partnerships, which also helps secure the SAF's access to overseas training areas and advanced defence technology. As an open and robust regional security architecture is key to enhancing strategic trust and regional cooperation, we will continue to work with partners to grow the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM), ADMM-Plus and other multilateral platforms for strategic dialogue and practical cooperation.

No one can underwrite our security except ourselves. With the support and partnership of all Singaporeans, MINDEF and the SAF will continue to provide a strong defence to ensure our nation's peace and prosperity.