was reading up about the Brunei Royal Land Forces on Wikipedia and it set me thinking about how Singapore could reorganise the Guards and Commandos formation into an elite regular force supplemented by NSFs. Think of a hybrid between the French or Spanish Foreign Legions and British Gurkhas.
The combat support formations such as logistics, signals, maintenance,armour and engineers would still be maintained by NSFs but the combat arms would have a regular force; therefore there would be a greater degree of professionalism and morale among our visible fighting forces.
Brunei's regular army is currently 4 battalions strong;1st, 2nd & 3rd with Support Battalion providing roles such as maintenance, armour recce, combat engineering and etc.Each battalion has 5 rifle coys' and a HQ coy excepting support battalion. This is drawn from a population in excess of 381 371 as of July 2008. They possess a budget of 4.5% of GDp (2006 fig).
The current SAF as of 2007 had an operating budget of 10.58 billion or 5.04% of GDP. Due to conscription we draw from a population of 4.48 million (2005 fig), of which roughly a fith is foreign born so should be excluded.
We have a paratrooper-capable Commando battalion with SOF capability that's a non-div asset and1 ADF along with the Guards formation under 21 Div.Evidenced by Tim Huxley's review of the SAF in "Defending the Lion City" and as seen by Operation Flying Eagle and the landing at Meulaboh,we have superb combined service cooperation and logistical capability.
Given available money (unless government spending overseas has reduced availability of financial resources), it should be well within our reach to reorganise around a majority professional corps of soldiers with NSFs supplementing them in support roles such as signals, logistics, maintenance and driving.
There are benefits to having these units being wholly professional. It would allow for us to maintain a force of greater skill,professionalism,fighting spirit and commitment compared to having the currently conscript-majority army (we all know the fighting spirit of an NSF).
It would hopefully negate the decidedly low morale among the current cadre and in itself act as a force multiplier by having a professional force, as well as allowing us to fulfill manpower requirements as well. The limiting factor of conscript training is having to train according to the lowest common denominator.
After certain thoughts,countries from which we could recruit from are the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Burma(perhaps),Bangladesh,Nepal and India.
The political reality is that by drawing from these populations we avoid a possible clash of interests with the Malay-Muslim majority militaries of our neighbouring countries,by virtue of lacking Muslim/malay soldiers who may act as a possible fifth echelon within the military.
They have a culture that is different enough to allow recruitment and integration within the SAF.
Incentives offered would be paid housing,highly subsidised healthcare and free education for dependents as well as passport/citizenship/PR after a period of service of 6 years.They could also be offered education in English as well as upgrading their skills until the diploma level from polytechnics.
This has the dual role of bringing in extra migrants who may settle down or not in Singapore and boosting the available military manpower.
Philippines: majority Catholic population,general level of poverty would allow for indoctrination.Opportunities available to them would be a major incentive,given the pay level.
Laos:mainly Buddhist culture.same as Phillippines - poverty would make incentives provided attractive.
Cambodia: same as Laos.
Burma:unsure but possible.
might have to rethink
Bangladesh: majority Muslim population but with a culture very different to the Malay-Muslim ethnic identity.Prevailing poverty would motivate them to join.
Nepal: Gurkhas.Do your own research. Example based on Indian and British Army Gurkhas.
India: Large, diverse population with several major population centres and regions from which men could be recruited. Several areas with traditions of military service going back generations, as witnessed in history of the regiments of the Indian military. Vast pool to select from.
All countries noted have growing populations with a level of economic development lower than Singapore as well as endemic corruption within their government systems.
With the exception of Bangladesh and India,all are lacking substantial Muslim populations,avoiding the problem of a fifth column of resistance from within.
Similarly Laos and Cambodia provide an ideal in that their Buddhist faith would allow integration into the majority Buddhist/Confucianist/Taoist Chinese-majority culture of Singapore.
Comments?
Money should never be a motivating factor for a career in the army in the long run..
Sooner or later, all military organisation will cease to be relevant...when a new era of peace and cooperation becomes prevalent among humanity
very interesting topic. TS must have thought about this for quite some time? But the way you phrase it is abit disjointed. And i believe, what you are trying to suggest, might already be in existence...how much do you know abt ADF?
I don't think hiring mercs will be a good choice, especially if the plan is to raise them up into a sizeable formation.
Hiring PMCs for peacekeeping support and auxillary services is fine. Not a Foreign Legion.
mercs cannot be trusted. they are only loyal to money - Diablo 2.
Why do you need mercenaries to defend SIngapore when the SAF is already doing a great job? Only pariah countries rely on soldiers of fortune for survival.
Assuming that SG is going to built up 2nd tier force. what would be the corel value of this 2nd tier Foreign Legion? What are they fighting for? politically SG is always the younger brother? SG cannot stand up to the geo power of china n india.
Than i have a question you have a 2nd tier foreign legion that are more experience than SAF? If it create a positive competition between the 2. and they work collusively together. But if it create negative dysfunction between the 2 groups, it built tension. A trail of coup in the soup making.
All migrants that come into singapore will carry their own believe and value, they arrived in different generation they embrace life style but share not experience....History upbringing.