| Singapore Army | |
|---|---|
| Tentera Singapura (Malay) 新加坡陆军 (Chinese) சிங்கப்பூர் தரைப்படை (Tamil) | |
 Crest of the Singapore Army | |
| Founded | 12 March 1957; 68 years ago (1957-03-12) |
| Country |  Singapore |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Land warfare |
| Size | 40,000 active personnel[1] 240,000 reserve personnel[1] |
| Part of | Singapore Armed Forces |
| Mottos |
|
| March | Tentera Singapura[2] |
| Equipment | See list |
| Engagements | |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| President of Singapore | Tharman Shanmugaratnam |
| Minister for Defence | Chan Chun Sing[6] |
| Chief of Defence Force | VADMAaron Beng[6] |
| Chief of Army | MGCai Dexian[7][6] |
| Chief of Staff – General Staff | BG Wong Shi Ming[7] |
| Sergeant Major of the Army | CWO Sanjee Singh[7][6] |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
| Logo |  |
TheSingapore Army is thelandservice branch of theSingapore Armed Forces (SAF). The largest of thefour branches of the SAF, the Singapore Army traces its origins to the1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR), which was formed in 1957, underBritish colonial rule. After Singapore's independence on 9 August 1965, the Singapore Army Bill was passed inParliament on 23 December 1965, andNational Service (NS) was subsequently introduced in 1967.[8] Mostly made up of conscripts, the Singapore Army can mobilise all operationally-readymilitary reservists in the event of war or national exigencies.
The mission of theSingapore Armed Forces (SAF) is to deter armed aggression, and to secure a swift and decisive victory should deterrence fail. The Army is also tasked with conducting peace-time operations to further Singapore's national interests and foreign policy. These range from disaster relief to peacekeeping, hostage rescue and other contingencies.[9]
The Army views technology as aforce-multiplier and a means to sustain combat power given Singapore's population constraints. Jointness across four branches of the SAF is integral to the Army's warfighting doctrine. Joint operations undertaken with theNavy andAir Force include amphibious landings and critical disaster relief operations in the aftermath of the2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
The Army has a technically proficient, relatively well-educated draftee pool and officer corps (non-commissioned and commissioned) reflective of the population at large, and has sought to leverage this to ease its transition into a more sophisticated, networked fighting force.[10]
Combat readiness is a linchpin of Army policy, and military exercises up to divisional level are conducted many times yearly, simulating full-spectrum operations, up to and including full-scale war. Divisional war games are a combined arms, tri-service affair involving the Navy and Air Force. Because training space is limited in Singapore—artillery fire would quickly traverse the island—some military exercises are conducted overseas. Reservists periodically[11] train abroad, their units regularly evaluated for combat readiness.[10] The Army also trains bilaterally with some host nations, and military exchanges are frequent. Training is billed as "tough, realistic and safe," with a premium on safety, given the sensitivity of military deaths in a largely conscript army.[9]
Following therevolution in military affairs, and in tandem with modernising its weapons systems, the Army is forging a transition to a more network-centric fighting doctrine that better integrates the Air Force and Navy.[12]
The Singapore Army originated with two infantry battalions, the1st and 2nd Battalions, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR and 2 SIR), which were respectively formed in 1957 and 1962 when Singapore was still a British colony. After amerger with Malaysia which resulted in separation in 1965, Singapore passed the Singapore Army Bill inParliament on 23 December 1965 and gained complete control of the two battalions from Malaysia in January 1966.[8][13] At the time, the Singapore Army had only the two infantry battalions and the oldSingapore Volunteer Artillery Corps. Months later, the Army had areserve force, thePeople's Defence Force, which was formed from an old volunteer unit mobilised for service during theIndonesia–Malaysia confrontation. A third battalion, the 10th Battalion, People's Defence Force (10 PDF), was raised as a volunteer infantry reserve battalion.[citation needed]
In 1967, Parliament passed the National Service (Amendment) Act, introducingNational Service (conscription) for all able-bodied young men aged 18 and above. In June 1967, the Singapore Army introduced its first artillery battalion, the20th Singapore Artillery Battalion (20 SAB). Two new infantry battalions, the3rd and 4th Battalions, Singapore Infantry Regiment (3 SIR and 4 SIR) were formed in August 1967. In November 1968, the Singapore Army's first armoured battalion,41st Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment (41 SAR), was formed. This was followed by the creation of the1st Commando Battalion (1 Cdo Bn) in December 1969.[8]
In 1972, Parliament passed the Singapore Armed Forces Act to reorganise and consolidate theSingapore Armed Forces' disparate commands and administrative functions.[14][15]
The emblem's escutcheon reads "Tentera Singapura" (meaning "Singapore Army" in Malay). The national coat of arms sits in its interior. The motto is "Yang Pertama Dan Utama" ("first and foremost" in Malay). Two stalks of laurel flank the escutcheon. The laurels are green for the Singapore Army and gold for theSingapore Armed Forces.
The Singapore Army has participated in peacekeeping operations overseas. In the aftermath of theGulf War, Singapore contributed to theUnited Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) formed in 1991. From May 2007 to June 2013, the Singapore Army deployed about 500 personnel to join theInternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in maintaining stability and assist in reconstruction inwar-torn Afghanistan.[16] Since 2014, the Singapore Army has provided logistical support to theinternational coalition in theWar against the Islamic State.[17]
| Years in office | Name | Vocation |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Boey Tak Hap | [citation needed] |
| 1990–1992 | Ng Jui Ping | Artillery |
| 1992–1995 | Lim Neo Chian | Combat Engineers |
| 1995–1998 | Han Eng Juan | Armour |
| 1998–2000 | Lim Chuan Poh | Infantry |
| 2000–2003 | Ng Yat Chung | Artillery |
| 2003–2007 | Desmond Kuek | Armour |
| 2007–2010 | Neo Kian Hong | Guards |
| 2010–2011 | Chan Chun Sing | Infantry |
| 2011–2014 | Ravinder Singh | Signals |
| 2014–2015 | Perry Lim | Guards |
| 2015–2018 | Melvyn Ong | Guards[18] |
| 2018–2022 | Goh Si Hou | Artillery[19][20] |
| 2022–2025 | David Neo | Commandos[21] |
| 2025–present | Cai Dexian | Armour[22] |
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The Army is headed by the Chief of Army,[23] who is assisted by the Chief of Staff – General Staff[24] and the Sergeant Major of the Army. TheGeneral Staff consists of six branches from G1 to G6, as well as a National Service Affairs Department handlingNational Service issues, and an Army Safety Inspectorate. The six branches handle issues relating to personnel (G1), intelligence (G2), operations (G3), logistics (G4), plans (G5) and training (G6). The G1, G2, G3, G5, and G6 branches are each headed by an Assistant Chief of General Staff. Among the General Staff, there is also a Chief Systems Integration Officer and a Head of the Army Information Centre.[7]
The commanders of Training & Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Combat Service Support (CSS), the four maindivisions, the two operational reserve divisions, the 15 formations of the Army, and theSAF Volunteer Corps also report to the Chief of Army.[25][26][27][7]
The Army has six divisions, of which three arecombined arms divisions, one is in charge ofcounter-terrorism andhomeland security, and two are army operational reserves (AOR).[7]
The three combined arms divisions are the3rd Division (3 DIV),6th Division (6 DIV) and9th Division (9 DIV),[28][29] each of which has active andreserve units that are operationally ready and capable of being mobilised in the event of war.[11]
The2nd People's Defence Force (2 PDF) is in charge ofcounter-terrorism andhomeland security, including the protection of key military and civilian installations around Singapore. It is also responsible for the coordination and secondment of military resources to civilian agencies in the event of a civil emergency.[30]
The two AOR divisions are the 21st Division (21 DIV)[31] and 25th Division (25 DIV).[31][7]
The Army has 15 formations:Ammunition Command,Armour,[32]Army Intelligence,Army Medical Services,Artillery,[33]Combat Engineers,Commandos,Guards,Infantry,Maintenance and Engineering Support,Military Police Command,Personnel Command,Signals,Supply, andTransport.[7]
The Army has task forces such as the Island Defence Task Force (IDTF), Joint Task Force (JTF),Special Operations Task Force (SOTF)[7] and theArmy Deployment Force (ADF).[34]
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