Speech by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Senior Minister of State for Defence at the Young Defence Scientists Programme (YDSP) Congress 2016

Colleagues
Parents
Students
Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a great pleasure to be here this afternoon at the YDSP Congress 2016.

Introduction 

Two weeks ago, I was at the annual Singapore Amazing Flying Competition. I saw groups of young Singaporeans putting together remarkable flying machines - the younger ones ingeniously folded paper aeroplanes that could fly much further than I could ever fold my aeroplanes; the older students started making drones. I saw a drone that could take off from water. I saw another drone - it was an award-winning one - that carried another drone, a smaller one as a pay load. I think the creativity and the resourcefulness displayed by the students today will be no different.

This year is the 10^th anniversary of the YDSP Congress. Every year without fail, many students like you stretched your imagination to invigorate this programme and excite everybody who attends it.

Rapid Growth of Technology 

Technology advances at a very rapid pace. Ideas that were unimaginable years ago, today they become possibilities.

We take for example, invisibility. We see it in the movies, like The Incredibles and Fantastic Four, and Harry Potter where he has the Invisibility Cloak. But today, it is no longer Hollywood magic. Scientists can now use advanced optics to bend light and hide objects right before our eyes. Engineers have used complex techniques to reduce the signature of our military aircraft and our ships. Soldiers could soon have adaptive uniforms that change colour and pattern according to the surroundings and the environment, like chameleons.

One day, imagine your teacher cannot tell if you are in class because you are invisible. That sounds wonderful right? You are not there, (but) attendance is marked that you are there, just invisible. Although I think if that happens, some scientists will come up with another technology for the teacher to spot you to see whether you are really there.

The advent of technology, however, also requires us to manage things very carefully. We take for example the idea of the Google Glass. I think the project has been abandoned. But imagine if students have something like a Google Glass, and your classroom and learning experiences being totally revolutionised and augmented. If you are learning about astronomy, you do not just read about the stars in the textbook and listen to your teacher - you can have the universe and planetary orbits appear right before your eyes. You can see holographic displays. It is like an IMAX experience for each and every student.

But at the same time, through the Glasses, your teacher can appear and ask you about your homework. Your parents can appear and ask you how is the going, and check in if you are doing your YDSP project properly. All these are possible so we have to manage such considerations, including privacy considerations, carefully, whenever there is new technology.

DTC - The Stewards of Singapore's Defence Technology

Defence is an area where new technology emerges. The Internet and Global Positioning System all started from the military in the United States. And somewhere in some military, I believe, is probably making an Iron Man suit.

One reason may be because given no commercial pressures, scientists are free to invent and innovate in a defence organisation. Another strong reason is that defence is where the best minds in science and technology gather and sparks fly

Singapore has come a long way in defence technology. Our pioneer generation and our leaders have the foresight to harness the potential of defence technology. Our DTC, which stands for Defence Technology Community, continues the legacy of this pioneer generation. There are about 5,000 scientists and engineers from the Ministry of Defence, Defence Science and Technology Agency and DSO National Laboratories, constantly working on new ideas to enhance the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) technological edge.

You have heard countless times about our low birth rate and manpower challenges. Our engineers have come up with many solutions to help overcome this unique challenge, and by harnessing technology to do so.

Let me cite you two examples. First, our Littoral Mission Vessel (LMV). Through advanced modelling and simulation techniques, our defence scientists have designed the nerve centre of the ship that is a lot more efficient. The new ship is a lot bigger than the old one - 50% bigger - but the old ship requires a 30-person crew to operate. The new one just requires (a crew size of) 20 persons.

Defence engineers have also developed an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The AUV can be operated by four people. It can potentially replace the (Navy's) existing fleet of Mine Counter-Measure Vessels, which requires about 30 operators to operate, because the AUV can also be used to detect mines. In fact, our AUV was recently used by our Navy to locate the fuselage of the downed AirAsia QZ8501.

There are many more such examples. I am confident that our DTC will continue to innovate to push the limits of what technology has to offer to the SAF.

Grooming Our Brightest Students

You have all a part to play in this. I am very pleased to learn that a total of 1,005 YDSP scholarships and academic awards have been given out in the past 10 years. It is important to nurture young defence engineers. Many of our YDSP alumni have stood up to the challenges facing Singapore's defence.

Back in 2005, Miss Tay Mingfang was in your shoes - sitting like you amongst the audience. She was part of the YDSP programme working on the detection of harmful nerve agents, such as sarin gas. Today, Mingfang is part of the DSTA's Air Systems Programme Centre, working on Air-to-Ground weapons for our F-15SG fighter aircraft to deliver precision strike capabilities of the Air Force.

Another alumnus is Mr Benjamin Choi. Benjamin worked on face recognition techniques during his YDSP stint in 2005. Now, he is a Robotics research scientist in DSO's Information Division. He delivers unmanned capabilities for operations in austere environments.

Closing

It is a great time to learn about science and technology because the advancements are so rapid and opportunities so vast. To discover science and technology, it is not enough to just read from books. You learn better when the theories are translated into hands-on experiences. And it is with this in mind that the various YDSP activities have been set up, so that you can learn by doing, and exercise your imagination, exercise your resourcefulness.

So, congratulations for successfully completing your YDSP journey. Your mentors, teachers and principals have all played a part in your journey, so please remember to thank them. I hope the YDSP has piqued your interest in defence science. Maybe some of you will join the ranks of various DTC scientists and engineers in future. There is no responsibility more sacred and meaningful than defending your own country. Have a good life ahead. Thank you very much.