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Tech-savvy soldiers can still be effective: COA<cite class="byline vcard" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(125, 125, 125); font-size: 11px; display: block; font-family: arial; vertical-align: middle; ">
By Faris Mokhtar | SingaporeScene
Army chief Ravinder Singh says there will still be emphasis on field training.
Emphasis on outfield drills will still be made in the training of soldiers, even though the use of technology is being incorporated, said Chief of Army (COA), Major-General (MG) Ravinder Singh.
In fact, with computers in use since 2009, training time in classrooms has been slashed by 15 to 20 percent, allowing the time saved to be used towards honing their soldiering skills, he pointed out.
"We're now reinvesting that time in field training, because, at the end of the day, to have capable, credible soldiers we need to get them out in the field doing tough, realistic training," said MG Singh.
This was MG Singh's first interview since taking over the reigns of army chief in March from his predecessor, Chan Chun Sing, reported The Straits Times.
Maj-Gen (NS) Chan quit his military career to enter politics in the recent General Election, and he is now the Acting Minister for the Ministry for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
The COA said the tech-savvy recruits reporting for military duty today are exactly the type of soldiers required for a modern-day army — more educated, adaptable and independent operators.
They are also able to grab hold of the basics quickly when they log onto the army's online portal, Learnet, before going outfield.
He added that the soldiers can be self-paced learners, and, given the correct technologies — whether through notebooks or laptops — they are able to study the material and understand what needs to be learned before going outfield.
From next month onwards, 8,000 tech-savvy devices which include the iPad, iPod Touch and Samsung Galaxy tablets will be issued to soldiers.
The army is also now more involved in overseas training exercises and is also roped in to organise national events as well as to protect key installations like Jurong Island, noted MG Singh.
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is also participating in overseas operations, for instance, in the form of peacekeeping and disaster-relief missions in Afghanistan.
The army is "off to a very good start" in its pursuit to modernise itself, the COA said.
The transformation, which first began in 2005, now includes increasing new weapon machinery to its arsenal, such as the Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, and the SkyBlade III -- the army's mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
When asked if the army may progress towards unmanned weapons, MG Singh said the army will develop its unmanned sensors first, and then move on to unmanned fighting systems.
Emphasising that behind every war machine and weapon is the soldier, he said, "If the will to fight is zero, no matter how many platform systems you have, you'll never have a capable military."
The army contingent currently consists of 40,000 active troops, including the regulars and 280,000 operationally ready national servicemen.
"The only thing that can get 320,000 people committed, engaged, ready to fight and to defend our country is leadership. Nothing else can do it," he said.
"Every soldier is a leader. Without him, the army wouldn't be where it is today."
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By Faris Mokhtar | SingaporeScene
Army chief Ravinder Singh says there will still be emphasis on field training.Emphasis on outfield drills will still be made in the training of soldiers, even though the use of technology is being incorporated, said Chief of Army (COA), Major-General (MG) Ravinder Singh.
In fact, with computers in use since 2009, training time in classrooms has been slashed by 15 to 20 percent, allowing the time saved to be used towards honing their soldiering skills, he pointed out.
"We're now reinvesting that time in field training, because, at the end of the day, to have capable, credible soldiers we need to get them out in the field doing tough, realistic training," said MG Singh.
This was MG Singh's first interview since taking over the reigns of army chief in March from his predecessor, Chan Chun Sing, reported The Straits Times.
Maj-Gen (NS) Chan quit his military career to enter politics in the recent General Election, and he is now the Acting Minister for the Ministry for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
The COA said the tech-savvy recruits reporting for military duty today are exactly the type of soldiers required for a modern-day army — more educated, adaptable and independent operators.
They are also able to grab hold of the basics quickly when they log onto the army's online portal, Learnet, before going outfield.
He added that the soldiers can be self-paced learners, and, given the correct technologies — whether through notebooks or laptops — they are able to study the material and understand what needs to be learned before going outfield.
From next month onwards, 8,000 tech-savvy devices which include the iPad, iPod Touch and Samsung Galaxy tablets will be issued to soldiers.
The army is also now more involved in overseas training exercises and is also roped in to organise national events as well as to protect key installations like Jurong Island, noted MG Singh.
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is also participating in overseas operations, for instance, in the form of peacekeeping and disaster-relief missions in Afghanistan.
The army is "off to a very good start" in its pursuit to modernise itself, the COA said.
The transformation, which first began in 2005, now includes increasing new weapon machinery to its arsenal, such as the Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, and the SkyBlade III -- the army's mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
When asked if the army may progress towards unmanned weapons, MG Singh said the army will develop its unmanned sensors first, and then move on to unmanned fighting systems.
Emphasising that behind every war machine and weapon is the soldier, he said, "If the will to fight is zero, no matter how many platform systems you have, you'll never have a capable military."
The army contingent currently consists of 40,000 active troops, including the regulars and 280,000 operationally ready national servicemen.
"The only thing that can get 320,000 people committed, engaged, ready to fight and to defend our country is leadership. Nothing else can do it," he said.
"Every soldier is a leader. Without him, the army wouldn't be where it is today."
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