More leadership roles expected as SAF moves towards 'decentralised' operations: Chan Chun Sing
SINGAPORE: As warfare evolves, greater adoption of technology will lead to more decentralised military operations, with smaller units opening up more opportunities for leadership, according to Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing.
In an interview ahead of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Day on Jul 1, the minister addressed the SAF's training and manpower needs amid an uncertain global security situation and new warfighting capabilities, including cyber threats.
'Going forward, we can expect operations to be conducted in a more decentralised way, with smaller units operating compared to the large-size forces that we have in the past,' he told reporters.
'You will see that there will be more leadership opportunities for many of our NSF and NSmen, because we are going to increase the amount of technology that is required, and we are going to have more decentralised operations based on this.'
The former chief of army said the SAF has always used technology as a multiplier, and new generations of technology will allow it to multiply its manpower capabilities even more.
The past structure of a big unit of a few hundred people operating in two or three subunits may change to a smaller unit with more subunits operating technology in a decentralised way.
This plays to the strengths of the SAF, which lie in the quality of its manpower and leadership, he added.
'It's quite different to say that I have one commander for 100 men. It's another thing to say that now I can have 10 commanders, and each one of them operating with 10 men.
'The quality of leadership is much tougher, the ability to use the technologies to operate with the 10 men, to have the effect of the 100 men, is much more difficult.
'You can only do so if you can bring in the best people from across the whole society to do this,' said Mr Chan.
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