SAF to bolster its counter-terrorism measures

Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will bolster its counter-terrorism measures in the areas of incident response, training and equipping of soldiers, as well as investment in defence expenditure to combat the "clear and present threat" of terrorism, a minister said Thursday.

Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen said in Parliament that that IS is the greatest threat to Singapore, and the city state is an "attractive target" for the militant extremist group. Singapore must step up defence and confront this threat and prepare to deal with the aftermath together.

Ng expected to maintain trajectory of defence spending, which has kept pace with inflation, 4 percent annual nominal growth in past decade. He said the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) will continue to invest wisely and spend prudently.

Ng said SAF will redouble efforts to gear up for counter-terrorism in the next few months. The Special Operations Task Force, first responders in counter-terrorism efforts on land, will be equipped with better tactical sensors like micro-UAVs which are well-suited for urban terrains.

SAF will collaborate with Home Team to develop joint operational command systems, step up patrol of crowded areas in fight against terrorism, and build new urban training facility, which features transport nodes for more realistic training against terror attack.

Ng added SAF will continue to address the shrinking manpower pool. A new SAF Engineering Scholarship will be introduced this year to attract bright young individuals keen to join SAF as military engineers. Endit