The transformation of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) into a new-generation defence force by 2040 remains on track despite the pandemic, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday.
The delivery of new hardware such as helicopters and fighter jets is also still on schedule, along with the launch of new facilities and initiatives to sharpen the SAF s ability to meet emerging threats, Dr Ng said during the debate on the budget of the Ministry of Defence (Mindef).
Mindef s annual budget will climb 12.7 per cent to $15.36 billion, compared with the $13.63 billion it spent in the last financial year.
This is the first year-on-year double-digit growth since 1998, noted Dr Ng. The reason for this is that Mindef spent about $1.5 billion less than planned last year - about 10 per cent of its budget - due to the delay of some key projects.
SINGAPORE - Despite the pandemic, the transformation of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) into a new-generation defence force by 2040 remains on track, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Monday (March 1).
The delivery of new hardware such as helicopters and fighter jets is also still on schedule, along with the launch of new facilities and initiatives to sharpen the SAF s ability to meet emerging threats, Dr Ng said during the debate on the budget of the Ministry of Defence (Mindef).
Mindef s annual budget will climb 12.7 per cent to $15.36 billion, compared to the $13.63 billion it spent in the last financial year. This is the first year-on-year double digit growth since 1998, noted Dr Ng.
The Straits Times
Plan to revamp Aussie war memorial stirs controversy
The Australian government plans to spend A$498 million (S$520 million) on an extension of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, but the move has been condemned by historians and some former military officers, who say it is unnecessary and will change the purpose of the museum from a memorial to a Disneyland-type presentation of war. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Jonathan Pearlman For The Straits Times In Sydney
PublishedFeb 23, 2021, 5:00 am SGT
https://str.sg/JHHY
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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Friday (Feb 19) warned China against the use of force in disputed waters as it reaffirmed its view that Beijing's assertive campaign in the South China Sea is illegal.. Read more at straitstimes.com.