Quora Answer: Should Singapore’s Military Budget be Increased?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Should Singapore’s military budget be increased?”

Singapore has no reason to increase its military budget any further.  As per the announced budget in 2018, Singapore spends almost US$10 billion.  That is the largest budget in Southeast Asia, and more than double what Malaysia spends.  Indonesia, with an area many hundreds of times Singapore’s, spends almost US$2 billion less.  These numbers do not illustrate the full discrepancy.  If we consider per capita spending, Singapore spends almost US$2,000 per citizen on defence.  For Malaysia, it is not even US$150.  And this shows in the quality of equipment both militaries field.

For example, both Malaysia and Singapore field MLRS.  However, Malaysia can only afford an unguided system, whereas Singapore has GPS guided rockets.  Singapore has over 300 attack aircraft, including several dozen generation 4.5.  It is, along with Thailand, the only countries with an over the horizon engagement system with superior AWACs, meaning that we can shoot down every other air force in Southeast Asia, and some countries beyond, before they even saw us.  Singapore has the only air force in the region with true air-to-air refueling capability, meaning that we could possibly bomb Beijing and come back if we wanted to be stupid.

Aside from the budget, we have to consider where we all stand in the acquisition and integration of new technology and our doctrine.  While Singapore is focused on combined arms integration of future technology, every other country in the region is still at the modernisation stage after decades of neglect and corruption, with a focus on securing their borders and EEZ.

In light of all that, it does not make sense to increase our military budget.  Firstly, it sends the wrong message to our neighbours, and creates a hostile diplomatic climate, and might even start an arms race.  If we spend more money on our military, we spend less on healthcare and education, two pillars of our success.  We have an ageing population, and a rapidly advancing economic climate.  If our neighbours spend more on the military, in order to keep pace with us, they neglect their infrastructure and economic development.  A failed state in the region is a greater security threat than any military force in Southeast Asia.