Quora Answer: How Do the Australian & Singapore Militaries Compare?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “How do the Australian and Singapore militaries compare?” 

There is very little basis to compare them, since they have different mission parameters.  The Singapore Armed Forces is set up as an offensive force, because Singapore does not have strategic depth.  In the event of armed conflict, the SAF is expected to project power over the region, and seize territory to create that strategic depth.  Singapore also practices conscription.  National Service is part of national education, as well as creating a reserve pool that is well in excess of a million potential personnel. 

The Australian military is called the Australian Defence Force, because that is its mandate – the defence of Australian territory.  Australia is a vast nation, and its environment creates two major natural barriers between their population centres and any potential aggressor – the ocean and the hostile interior.  Paradoxically, this means Australia does not actually require a large military relative to the size of the country.  The ADF is a volunteer force. 

The ADF has a larger budget than the SAF, $44 billion to $15 billion.  Their currencies are almost on parity.  However, much of that budget is invested in maintaining infrastructure and human resource needs.  The SAF budget is more focused on acquisition and deployment of new technologies, because Singapore’s immediate neighbourhood has more potential threats. 

The SAF is also much larger than the ADF, in part due to their differing threat environment.  The SAF also invests more in life capability and forward deployment, so it has a larger air force and a more lethal navy.  This is because Australia is an island continent, while Singapore is a tiny island in the centre of the busiest shipping lane in the world. 

In terms of capability, both nations have deployed elements of their military in conflict zones as observers, or part of international coalitions to gain combat experience.  Both nations have also clandestinely deployed units to aid neighbouring countries in low intensity conflicts.  Australia has a higher profile in the international arena because the government is eager to be seen as the United States’ sheriff in the region.  Singapore is officially non-aligned, and cannot be seen to be overtly on any side.