Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence

Commanders, Men and Women of the Singapore Armed Forces

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good evening. Today marks a significant milestone for the Singapore Armed Forces as it inaugurates the Digital and Intelligence Service, or the DIS, its fourth, to join the Army, Navy and Air Force Services.

The SAF's Transformation

The SAF was set up as soon as Singapore gained independence in 1965. Having experienced the Japanese occupation, the threats of communism and communalism without self defence capabilities, the founding leaders recognised that Singapore's continued survival and prosperity was not possible without a strong SAF to protect its interests and sovereignty. For a small island with limited manpower, National Service would be needed to build up the SAF. As we commemorate 55 years of National Service this year, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to all National Servicemen who have served in our nation's security, as well as the many family members, employers and work colleagues who have supported them. Your contributions are deeply valued by our nation.

To fulfil this mandate to defend Singapore, the SAF has needed to adapt itself across the past decades to respond adequately to new security threats as well as technological change. Today, the SAF as a modernised combined arms military has been transformed – a far cry from the two infantry battalions, two wooden boats, two leased aircraft and a thousand men People's Defence Force in 1965.

The SAF with its modern military technologies and highly trained servicemen and women, is able to respond to a wide spectrum of operations. It is an integrated force that guards our air, land and maritime borders on a daily basis. The SAF has benchmarked its capabilities and done well, in international security missions, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief situations, and contributing to national crises such as SARS and COVID-19.

An Evolving Security Landscape

Today's inauguration of the DIS is timely and necessary for the SAF to adapt itself to defend Singapore against the security threats that exist in the digital and information domains. In the past decade, we have witnessed many attacks on other countries, not through traditional armed conflicts, but through the digital realm. The impact of these digital attacks is real and can result in disruption of essential services, data theft and even local elections. Termed "hybrid warfare", it can be a preamble or part of an orchestrated campaign against a target nation by state and non-state actors. Just as the SAF defends Singapore in the air, land and sea, the fourth service will provide us the capabilities to defend ourselves against attacks in the digital domain.

Establishing the Digital and Intelligence Service

As a forerunner of the DIS, the SAF C4I, or Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence Community has been laying the building blocks over the past decade. These include restructuring the Military Intelligence Organisation to meet the expanded intelligence demands for non-conventional threats, as well as creating specialised units such as the SAF C4 Command, Defence Cyber Organisation and Cybersecurity Task Force to bolster defence of MINDEF/SAF's networks against cyber threats. These past efforts have put the DIS in good stead to fulfil its role as a Service. I am pleased that many C4I and MIO pioneers are here to witness this significant occasion. The DIS inaugurated today is the fruit of your collective foresight and efforts.

To fulfil its mandate, the DIS will not only need a highly-skilled digital corps, but also those trained in other domains such as psychology and social sciences, to understand the motivations and means of hybrid threats, and respond decisively. The SAF had already been steadily building a strong core of C4, Defence Cyber and Military Intelligence Experts through various vocational schemes. I am glad to know that the DIS has expanded these schemes to include skills in emerging digital fields such as data science, Artificial Intelligence and cloud technologies. My hope is that the DIS will nurture a skilled and competent workforce that will not only defend our digital borders, but also contribute to a strong national digital ecosystem in Government and key sectors of the economy.

Digital defence is complex and will require partnerships to be more comprehensive in our nation's digital defence. The DIS will need to tap on the best-of-breed in technology, exchange best practices and collaborate with like-minded partners to achieve the mission. To this end, I encourage the DIS to collaborate with partners across the MINDEF and SAF family, Whole-of-Government agencies and like-minded partners in academia and industry in defending our nation against digital threats.

To the men and women of the DIS, you are the pioneers of a new Service. Always have the mission in mind, and embody the same pioneering spirit that your predecessors in C4I and across the wider SAF had, in bringing us to where we are today. Strive for technical and operational excellence, while staying true to the SAF core values and ethos. These will be key to your enduring success as a Service.

Conclusion

I am pleased to present the DIS with its State Colours today. With the presentation of the State Colours, I entrust the DIS with the mission to defend the peace and security of Singapore in this new domain. As the Fourth Service of the Singapore Armed Forces, may you ensure that we always remain "Yang Pertama Dan Utama", first and foremost.

I wish the DIS every success in the years ahead. Thank you.