New Digital and Intelligence Service helps SAF ‘fight smarter’ at major exercise in the US

IDAHO: The Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) new Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) is being put through its sternest test so far during an ongoing major military exercise in the United States.

Taking part in Exercise Forging Sabre for the first time, the DIS is utilising advanced technology to help the SAF assess information on the ground better, and deploy assets across domains more effectively.

The biennial drill is held at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. It involves more than 1,000 personnel from Singapore, and puts SAF’s assets through complex scenarios.

THE DIS AND ADVANCED TECH

Founded just last October, the DIS aims to use advanced technology such as automated systems and artificial intelligence to integrate well with the army and the air force.

It employs digital capabilities and intelligence analysis to enhance the SAF’s battlefield situational awareness using information gathered from a range of sensors and integrated at the command post.

The SAF then assesses and deploys strike assets and weapons from air and land forces against identified targets, in what is known as a “sense and strike” exercise.

Exercise director for air Brigadier-General Lim Kok Hong said the DIS “brings a lot of automation to the game”.

With new tools like computer visioning, he said operators can now identify and verify targets quicker in the command posts, allowing forces to strike faster, minimising risks.  

On the ground, the service equips soldiers with technology, and uses software algorithms to automate jobs.

HELPS SAF “FIGHT SMARTER”

The SAF says technology continues to help Singapore “fight smarter” in a rapidly changing warfare landscape.

New technologies and system capabilities are regularly tested during exercises and adjusted or upgraded based on real-time feedback.

“Traditionally when the army does training, we’ve got soldiers on the ground using tactical reconnaissance equipment. Today, we are able to put advanced mapping technology in their hands,” said Colonel Anand Sathi, exercise director for land.

“With the DIS, a lot of clutter has now been made a lot simpler. Their expertise allows us to better visualise the combat environment and be able to better effect that sense-strike capability.”

Mr Shawn Kan, DIS team lead for the exercise, said that Idaho is an exploratory experience for the service to discover and try different variations of digital and intelligence products to offer to the other units.

“We are here to experiment with the needs of the various services, and also to explore the products and the services required, over and above our traditional intelligence,” he said.

VAST TRAINING GROUND AND AIRSPACE

The Mountain Home training ground has airspace more than 20 times the size of Singapore.

This allows the SAF to try out new battle concepts and put new capabilities to the test while validating what it already has in place.

For instance, the air force’s newly upgraded F-16 fighter jets can now engage and track targets at a longer distance.

Its A330 multi-role tanker transport aircraft, which helps extend the airborne endurance of fighter jets by refuelling them in the air, is now equipped with automatic air-to-air refuelling capabilities.

BG Lim said the immense airspace makes a world of difference to the training experience.  

“In Singapore, pilots generally know where the adversaries and targets are during war game exercises and training, and there is nowhere to hide,” he told CNA938’s Asia First.  

“But here at Mountain Home, the air space is vast and allows everyone – both the pilots and the adversaries – to evade, flank, hide and ambush. Every team can keep changing their tactics and no two games are ever the same.”

This year, the SAF has also increased the complexities in the exercise by introducing more urban terrain, allowing soldiers to deal with targets that are moving within urban environments.

“This adds more complexity for our strikers as well as our sensors to identify targets, and increases the fidelity of the training,” said COL Anand.

“Large-scale exercises and an overseas environment allows us to operate in a realistic, yet safe and effective operating environment.

“It allows us to train our operational competencies, but most importantly, our operational readiness. Because when it matters the most, the operational readiness of our soldiers and airmen is what’s going to matter to defend Singapore.”
 
The exercise will continue until the end of September.