Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Heng Chee How officiated the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (GKS CSC) Command and Staff Course (CSC) 2024 Graduation Ceremony, held at the SAFTI Military Institute this evening. This ceremony marked the completion of the 55th CSC, 25th CSC (National Service), and the 22nd and 23rd CSC (Executive) respectively. A total of 268 leaders graduated from the GKS CSC, comprising 141 regular officers, 56 National Service (NS) officers, 46 military experts and 4 warrant officers from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF); 1 Singapore Police Force officer; and 20 international officers from 12 countries. The CSC, CSC (NS) and CSC (Executive) prepare officers for senior command and staff appointments in the SAF and are the highest level of formal military education offered in Singapore for Regular, NS and International Officers. 

Addressing the graduands, Mr Heng highlighted the complex and volatile security environment that we live in and the evolving nature of warfare, “The prolonged war between Russia and Ukraine, the escalating tensions in the Middle East, the contestations in the South China Sea, the war in Sudan – they are everyday reminders that the world we face is far from benign. The ways by which war is waged have also transformed… Indeed, any domain and means that can be weaponised has been or will be weaponised. I think we are familiar with the military part of it but that too, is changing. Take for example, the by now pervasive use of drones. But it also goes into the non-military aspects – be it technological, economic, social, political, psychological. Hybrid war is no longer a novel idea, but a harsh reality.” 

Mr Heng also emphasised the need for Singapore to continuously transform and cited strong leaders as critical to achieving mission success for the SAF. He said, “Our SAF must continue to modernise its military hardware matching the multi-domain nature of modern warfare and to bring onboard new technologies and approaches to overcome the asymmetric threats… But the ultimate ability to triumph lies not only in hardware, but in the ability, in the quality and qualities of our people and their leaders. I am talking about leaders who will understand history, be it military history or history in general… Leaders who can see how to smartly bring on new technology and methods, but who have a clear mind and that does not lose sight of which are the means and what are the ends… Leaders who demand much of themselves and their units, and yet at the same time have the ability to rally the troops and to fight as a whole because that makes the most difference in terms of outcomes.”