Written Reply by Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing to Parliamentary Question on Total Defence Exercises on 5 Mar 2026

Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence (a) whether Total Defence exercises have simulated a complete communications blackout affecting Internet, cellular, and broadband networks simultaneously; (b) what contingency channels exist for Government-to-population messaging if all digital networks are disabled; and (c) whether the Ministry will provide battery-powered transistor radios to every household as a civil defence measure, given that analogue radio does not depend on internet or cellular infrastructure.

Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence, Mr Chan Chun Sing:

One of the aims of Exercise SG Ready, is to get Singaporean organisations and individuals to plan for disruptions. This year’s exercise focused on disruptions to power and digital connectivity. MINDEF worked with government agencies and participating organisations to decide on the extent of simulated disruptions. This year, we simulated a partial disruption. We assessed this was sufficient to get participants to be more aware of potential disruptions, and to plan and prepare for such occurrences, without overly affecting businesses and daily life.

For resilience against a total blackout of all digital and communications channels, there must be different communications channels with different layers of redundancies. This minimises the chance of a total communications blackout where all channels are knocked out at the same time. This year’s exercise provided a platform for agencies to test contingency communications channels. The Singapore Civil Defence Force’s public warning system and the ERP2.0 On-Board Unit notification were activated to alert Singaporeans to the broadcast of an important message. The message was then broadcast on free-to-air TV channels, local radio broadcasts, and digital channels such as the Gov.sg WhatsApp. We also reminded the public that they could tune in to FM radio broadcasts if free-to-air TV channels and digital channels become unavailable. Those who do not have access to an FM radio and are unable to obtain the information through other means can receive updates at community nodes such as community centres. There are currently no plans to distribute battery-powered FM radios to every household.

We will continue to review and improve our emergency preparedness exercises and systems for crises and disruptions. The scenarios and extent of disruption for future exercises will continue to evolve based on different scenarios, our needs and potential challenges.