국제질서 붕괴 시 방위력 강화 필수, 새로운 전쟁 양상에 적응해야: 싱가포르 총리
Singapore must pay attention to defence if global order falls apart, adapt to new warfare trends: PM Wong
Channel NewsAsia
EN
2026-04-09 06:03
Translated
현대 전장의 변화에 주목한 로렌스 웡 싱가포르 총리는 저가의 드론 집단에 고가 자산으로 대항하기가 어려울 것이라고 지적했다.
Noting how modern battlefields have evolved, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said it will be challenging to defend against cheap swarms of drones with expensive assets.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: Singapore will need to pay particular attention to defence if the global order starts to fall apart, even as the country builds resilience across energy, food and other parts of the supply chain, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday (Apr 9).
If global order moves in that direction, there will be a "vacuum" which leads to disorder, he said.
"It means messiness. It means unpredictability," said Mr Wong.
Asked by reporters during a visit to the 6th Singapore Division/Headquarters Sense and Strike (6 Div/HQ SS) at Mandai Hill Camp about the Iran war's impact on defence, the prime minister spoke about a world where countries may resort to the use of force and coercion to get what they want.
"Small countries like Singapore will come under pressure," he said, which is why Singapore has to go beyond equipping and transforming the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
"It is also thinking hard about technology and thinking hard about defence supply chains and how we can be more resilient as a country," Mr Wong said.
He was joined by Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing at the visit. They observed how the SAF deployed drones on the battlefield, which Mr Wong said allowed him to learn how these capabilities are integrated with the rest of the military.
With recent conflicts in Ukraine and Iran showing that warfare is evolving through the use of unmanned systems, it has given Singapore "a lot of food for thought", said Mr Wong.
It is not just about buying new platforms, he noted.
"What was of more importance is how to integrate these new capabilities well across different domains - between the operations and the technology team - and across different services in the SAF, so that we can have a more effective SAF, and we can also be a more effective deterrent against potential aggressors," he added.
Singapore must be prepared for more conflicts and more fighting around the world in the years ahead, Mr Wong said.
"We wish it were not so, but this is the reality of the world we live in, and we must prepare."
With low-cost drones being used in Ukraine and Iran, Mr Wong noted that such a trend can pose challenges to countries with advanced defence technologies.
"You can have the most advanced interceptors, but when your aggressor is deploying cheap swarms of drones, it's very challenging for your interceptors to defend," he said, adding that it also takes time to replace the expensive assets.
During the visit, the prime minister was briefed on the unit's transformation to integrate capabilities across the Singapore Army’s intelligence and artillery teams, as well as the cross-service integration between the army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS).
Mr Wong also interacted with soldiers undergoing the division's Advanced Competency Training to learn the new technologies and new concepts.
Colonel Philip Khoo Kok Hong, chief of staff of the 6 Div/HQ SS, noted that operations today are no longer confined to just a single domain, but span across air, land, sea and even the digital space.He highlighted four evolving challenges: urban complexity, data overload, faster and smarter threats, and multi-domain operations. Buildings and structures in the urban environment can make it difficult to pick up the targets present everywhere. More sensors are needed to cover as many blind spots as possible, said COL Khoo. A good command and control information system is also necessary to collate all incoming data and filter the information that matters, he added.To combat fast-moving targets, the "kill chain" needs to be shortened - from the time a target is picked up and determined as a potential threat, to the time taken to assign a shooter to take it down.Lastly with warfare no longer confined to a single domain, the SAF will need to bring in expertise such as from the army, air force, the DIS into a cohesive system to become an effective fighting force, COL Khoo said.
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This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: Singapore will need to pay particular attention to defence if the global order starts to fall apart, even as the country builds resilience across energy, food and other parts of the supply chain, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday (Apr 9).
If global order moves in that direction, there will be a "vacuum" which leads to disorder, he said.
"It means messiness. It means unpredictability," said Mr Wong.
Asked by reporters during a visit to the 6th Singapore Division/Headquarters Sense and Strike (6 Div/HQ SS) at Mandai Hill Camp about the Iran war's impact on defence, the prime minister spoke about a world where countries may resort to the use of force and coercion to get what they want.
"Small countries like Singapore will come under pressure," he said, which is why Singapore has to go beyond equipping and transforming the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
"It is also thinking hard about technology and thinking hard about defence supply chains and how we can be more resilient as a country," Mr Wong said.
He was joined by Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing at the visit. They observed how the SAF deployed drones on the battlefield, which Mr Wong said allowed him to learn how these capabilities are integrated with the rest of the military.
With recent conflicts in Ukraine and Iran showing that warfare is evolving through the use of unmanned systems, it has given Singapore "a lot of food for thought", said Mr Wong.
It is not just about buying new platforms, he noted.
"What was of more importance is how to integrate these new capabilities well across different domains - between the operations and the technology team - and across different services in the SAF, so that we can have a more effective SAF, and we can also be a more effective deterrent against potential aggressors," he added.
Singapore must be prepared for more conflicts and more fighting around the world in the years ahead, Mr Wong said.
"We wish it were not so, but this is the reality of the world we live in, and we must prepare."
With low-cost drones being used in Ukraine and Iran, Mr Wong noted that such a trend can pose challenges to countries with advanced defence technologies.
"You can have the most advanced interceptors, but when your aggressor is deploying cheap swarms of drones, it's very challenging for your interceptors to defend," he said, adding that it also takes time to replace the expensive assets.
During the visit, the prime minister was briefed on the unit's transformation to integrate capabilities across the Singapore Army’s intelligence and artillery teams, as well as the cross-service integration between the army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS).
Mr Wong also interacted with soldiers undergoing the division's Advanced Competency Training to learn the new technologies and new concepts.
Colonel Philip Khoo Kok Hong, chief of staff of the 6 Div/HQ SS, noted that operations today are no longer confined to just a single domain, but span across air, land, sea and even the digital space.He highlighted four evolving challenges: urban complexity, data overload, faster and smarter threats, and multi-domain operations. Buildings and structures in the urban environment can make it difficult to pick up the targets present everywhere. More sensors are needed to cover as many blind spots as possible, said COL Khoo. A good command and control information system is also necessary to collate all incoming data and filter the information that matters, he added.To combat fast-moving targets, the "kill chain" needs to be shortened - from the time a target is picked up and determined as a potential threat, to the time taken to assign a shooter to take it down.Lastly with warfare no longer confined to a single domain, the SAF will need to bring in expertise such as from the army, air force, the DIS into a cohesive system to become an effective fighting force, COL Khoo said.
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