a guide to the worlds militaries

Manpower

The size of Singapore's resident population meant that a military fully composed of career militarymen was not adequate to meet the country's military needs. National service was thus introduced in 1967 to build up the required manpower resouces in a relatively quick and cost effective manner. Today, a career military force of 20,000 is supplemented by 55,000 men on active National Service. Another 225,000 reservists who have completed active National Service and are placed on a 13 years stand-by period. These reservists, also known as Operationally Ready NSMen, are liable for up to 40 days of active service every work year.

Training

All combatant troops go through a 3-month Basic Military Training (BMT). This is where they will learn field craft, basic jungle survival, camouflaging, operating their personal weapon and basic marksmanship. After which, potential officers and specialists are selected to go through either a 9-month officer cadet course or a 21-week infantry specialist course, while the rest are posted to various units and schools to continue their vocational training till their operationally-ready date (ORD), when they will be put into reserve units and continue their civilian lives.

Due to limited space within Singapore's territorial land and waters, some training programmes and facilities are located overseas, including in Thailand, Brunei, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Australia, New Zealand. France and the United States. In addition, join military exercises are regularly conducted with all ASEAN nations and with the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Republic of China (Taiwan), and India.

Foreign Defence Relations

Singapore is a member of the Five Power Defence Arrangement together with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia. Designed to replace the former defense role of the British in the Singapore-Malaysia area, the arrangement obligates members to consult in the event of external threat and provides for stationing Commonwealth forces in Singapore.

Singapore has consistently supported a strong U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. In 1990, the U.S. and Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which allows the U.S. access to Singapore facilities at Paya Lebar Airbase and the Sembawang wharves. Under the MOU, a U.S. Navy logistics unit was established in Singapore in 1992; U.S. fighter aircraft deploy periodically to Singapore for exercises, and a number of U.S. military vessels visit Singapore. The MOU was amended in 1999 to permit U.S. naval vessels to berth at the Changi Naval Base, which was completed in early 2001.


Dollar figure USD4.47 billion (FY01 est.)



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Wow I never new they had such a strong relationship with the US, if any body can find any more info on their army that would be greatly appreciated.

Training

Every year, this all-volunteer unit receives as many as five times as many applicants as it can accept. Most candidates are screened out by rigorous acceptance criteria and the arduous training regimen that follows. Paratroop training, which is tough and unrelenting, reflects the versatile role which this force will have to play on present and future battlefields. This includes massive doses of physical fitness, topography, mastery of a wide array of weapons as well as training in mobile, airborne, heliborne and amphibious operations, as well as integrated operations with armor and artillery, day and night assaults against different types of objectives, and the famous IDF Jump School. All paratroopers go through NCO school before being trained in a military specialty. Those destined to become platoon leaders are sent to Officers' School. Personal qualities required of an IDF Paratrooper are courage, professional knowledge, ability to decide, capacity to improvise solutions when faced with difficult or unexpected situations, and leadership ability. Officers must serve as personal examples to their men. Ties between officers and enlisted men are direct and long-lasting, with no artificial barrier separating them.

Women serve in the Infantry and Paratroop Corps as instructors (in such fields as marksmanship, anti-tank missiles, etc.), educators, administrative and technical personnel. At the Paratrooper Training Base, women likewise serve as parachute riggers and inspectors. They undergo a jump course to increase their identification with the paratroopers whose lives are literally in their hands.

source for training



IDF Paratroopers are trained to overcome obstacles and minefields, to fight alone, or jointly with other forces and services in integrated combat. They can be transported by helicopter or dropped behind enemy lines, or be landed from amphibious landing craft. They can fight mounted on jeeps, or on APC's and can operate against armor, attack helicopters and infantry. IDF Paratroopers are a major component in maintaining Israel's security, and have played important roles in special and regular operations in Israel's war against terrorism.

The Paratroop Brigade (commanded by a colonel) is one of the four regular brigades of the Infantry and Paratroop Corps (which is headed by a brigadier general). The Brigade is composed of infantry battalions, as well as reconnaissance, engineering, signals and anti-tank companies. The Infantry and Paratroop Corps is responsible for training and coordinating infantry operations with other forces. The corps is overseen by the Ground Corps Command which is responsible for unifying and streamlining infantry, armor, artillery and engineering forces, training doctrine matters, planning and R&D.

source for introduction




Wow I never knew they had their own elite parachute brigade! I wonder if it trains with the 82nd? I'll try and look into that.