Pitch
Leveraging on military technology to enhance security and in turn reducing the need for manpower
Description
Make life easier/more difficult for Singapore?
Easier
Describe the change
The number of Singaporean men enlisting into the military will shrink by 20 percent by 2030 due to the shrinking population. Will this mean that Singapore's safety and security are at risk? The answer is no because of the rising trend of using military technology as a force multiplier. Singapore has long recognised that its military power does not lie in manpower but in its military technology.
Thus from the inception of the SAF, MINDEF has constantly been edging again in terms of the military technology battlespace to ensure an edge over our adversaries.
The RSN recently launched the new Littoral Mission Vessels (LMVs) which has strong automation on board for a ship of its size and function. It requires merely 23 men crew at the baseline level, compared to around 30 for the previous generation patrol vessels.
How will this change impact Smart Nation Singapore in 2030?
Singapore will continue to have an edge in military technology in the region due to the careful but prudent spending and forward planning from MINDEF. Already in the pipelines is a fleet of completely autonomous mine-clearing systems to detect, dispose of, or detonate mines (mine countermeasure vessel - MCMV for short). This will allow SIngapore to continue to maintain the peace and security of SIngapore with fewer men and women in the armed forces.
Generally the plan for Singapore has been to do more with less. I foresee that this plan will continue on to 2030 and the SAF will still be able to do its job despite the shrinking population by leveraging on technology.
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