Quora Answer: Is the Singapore Army Deployment Force Similar to the US Army's 75th Ranger Regiment?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Is the Singapore Army Deployment Force similar to the US Army’s 75^th Ranger Regiment?”

No, beyond both being light infantry elements.  Firstly, 75^th Rangers is a Regiment, having almost 4,000 personnel.  ADF consists of a single battalion, not more than 400 men.  ADF is a rapid-reaction and expeditionary force.  They are deployed for limited objectives, such as a specific terrorist threat.  75^th Ranger have the capability of dealing with more comprehensive objectives, such as seizing an airfield far behind enemy lines and holding it until lead elements of the regular Army or Marines arrive.

Perhaps, the ADF could be expanded eventually, just like how the Rangers did, from a single battalion of irregulars to a full regiment.  But I do not see that happening anytime soon.  We already have the Commandos, Guards and other units that that can handle missions the 75^th Ranger perform.  We have the SOF (Army) and SOF (Navy) that are more than capable of handling terrorist threats and asymmetrical warfare.  My impression is that the ADF is a publicity move to placate the public in the face of an increased terrorist threat in the region.  This does not mean that they are incapable, since we have some of the best in the ADF, but part of their purview is good optics and propaganda, hence why they are also tasked with humanitarian relief.

On the other hand, if we call them a humanitarian relief force, it would mask the fact that the SAF is considering having an actual equivalent to the 75^th Ranger, and the ADF is a nucleus of that group.  A unit like the 75^th Ranger is not a defensive unit, and the SAF would be abandoning all pretence of being a defensive force.  This would create a sizeable unit with the specific purview of seizing an objective far behind enemy lines, instead of merely destroying them or disrupting logistics and chain of command.  This would expand the SAF’s immediate theatre of conflict, since we have a significant rapid reaction force that can be deployed anywhere in the region should there be a need.

In recent years, we had militants seizing a town in Sabah, and the ISIS attack on Marawi in force.  A unit built from the ADF nucleus would be ideal in seizing an airfield near the conflict zone within hours to facilitate evacuation of civilians and assets.  Considering how incompetent the Malaysian and Filipino military proved, it is not as if we can depend on them to get the job done.

Another example would be regime change precipitating internal conflict in one of our neighbours.  We would need such a force to evacuate a friendly government and our own people.  The ADF is rapid reaction.  They could be deployed within hours, instead of just over a day for the Commandos or Guards.  In any case, the Commandos are raiders.  They are not meant to hold objectives for such an extended period.  It is a misuse of a valuable unit.  The SOF units are for search and destroy; they have neither the firepower nor personnel numbers to hold an airport.

It is interesting that the formation of the ADF, and its development possibilities coincide with the timeline of the Joint Multi-Mission Ship, and when Singapore has explicitly stated its intent to acquire the STOL capable F–35 Lightning (II).  The JMMS is an aircraft carrier in all but name.  This is force projection with the South China Sea in mind.  In such an instance, the nascent ADF would be just the type of force to hold specific objectives in disputed waters should conflict break out.