Quora Answer: Does Singapore Have a Marine Corps?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Does Singapore have a Marine Corps?”

No, the USMC is an expeditionary force, tasked with quick deployments before the main elements of the US Army arrive to provide support, and with establishing beachheads for naval invasions, a mission they excelled at during World War II.  The SAF is geared towards preemptive strikes in force, not sending expeditionary forces to the far corners of the planet.  All our missions are geared towards the near abroad, since we are expected to fight for the survival of Singapore, or defend its sovereignty in a regional conflict.

Since we are an island in an archipelago, the entire SAF is trained in establishing beach heads in neighbouring islands.  In that sense, every infantry unit is a sort of marine unit.  There are units in the SAF that have deep strike capabilities behind enemy lines.  The most notable are the Guards, who are our premier heliborne force in the region, and the Commandos.  Both units were modelled originally from British special forces units, the SAS and the British Commandos.  In that note, the SAF has invested heavily in our aerial and naval superiority to secure the area of a naval landing, as well as bridging capabilities and a large motor pool.