Singapore bares upcoming new weapon platforms, increasing cyber, AI and drone capabilities
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| One of the Invincible-class submarines for Singapore. Photo c/o Singapore MINDEF. |
Singapore Defence Minister Dr. Ng Eng Hen has announced the plans of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in the short term, as part of plans to transform the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) further to meet rapidly changing security and geopolitical challenges.
Speaking in Parliament, Minister Ng confirmed that MINDEF will be acquiring two more Invincible-class (Type 218SG) diesel-electric attack submarines for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), as it believes its current order for four units is “not optimal”, as submarines require more rigorous and frequent maintenance and downtime.
Minister Ng also updated on the construction of the new Multi-Role Combat Vessels (MRCV) which are set to replace the RSN’s ageing Victory-class corvettes and will act as “mothership” for unmanned surface, subsurface, and aerial platforms. The first ship is expected to be launched in late 2025, with more to be launched afterwards.
Also announced was the acquisition of a new wheeled infantry fighting vehicle for the Singapore Army called the “Titan”, which will feature a 30mm autocannon, and will be equipped with enhanced protection against drones and projectiles.
The Singapore Army will also have its existing fleet of M142 HIMARS rocket artillery systems by introducing additional munition types that will give the weapon system more flexibility against different targets.
Meanwhile the Republic of Singapore Air Force is eyeing a replacement for its existing Fokker F50 maritime patrol aircraft, with MINDEF looking at both the Boeing P-8A Poseidon and the Airbus C-295 maritime patrol aircraft platforms.
Plans are also in place to acquire 8 more F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters and expanding their F-35 and F-16 training facility in the United States. This is after the US gave a positive signal on exporting more F-35s to Singapore.
Dr. Ng also mentioned plans to activate new units to deal with modern military fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI), drone warfare, and Cyber warfare, as he believes that preparing the country’s defense structure is equally important as acquiring state-of-the-art military hardware and technology.
Singapore has increased its defense spending for FY2025 to S$23.4 billion (US$17.40 billion), up by around 12.4% from the defense budget in FY2024. The increase would allow MINDEF to pursue its planned projects which also include improvement in supporting National Servicemen (NS), which is Singapore’s term for military conscripts.
[3] Naval News
Reviewed by Asia Pacific Defense Journal
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March 04, 2025
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