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US Leaving 9 Aircraft for Philippine Deployment

After Balikatan 2016, at least 200 United States military airmen will be staying in the Philippines with several aircraft for air missions. The US military personnel will be replaced towards the end of the month.

US aircraft to remain in the Philippines include five A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, three HH-60G Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopters, and one MC-130H Combat Talon II special operations aircraft.

The rotational deployment is under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
“There is going to be regular, periodic presence here of American forces,” US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said today in a joint press conference with National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. “But it may change in its nature, and timing and duration depending on what we and the Filipinos decide is optimal.”

Aside from 200 American airmen, 75 US military personnel, mostly Marines will also stay in the Philippines on rotational basis.
US Secretary Carter also revealed that US-PH joint maritime patrol in West Philippine Sea started in March.

“These patrols will continue to help build our interoperability and improve the Philippine Navy even as these patrols contribute to the safety and security of the region’s waters,” Carter said.
“Countries across the Asia-Pacific are voicing concern with China’s land reclamation, which stands out in size and scope, as well as its militarization in the South China Sea,” Carter said as quoted by GMA News Online. “They’re voicing those concerns publicly and privately, at the highest levels, in regional meetings, and global fora.”

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If I was a armchair general, I would not make a frontal assault as my first wave. Basically Singapore is a very small nation where mass disruption of the entire nation can be made through guerrilla warfare.
So create cells within the city with very well trained people have them infiltrate at least six months before they start, blending in with the locals checking the policing patterns, listen in on police and military chatter, check all chock points,etc.
The first wave would be a cyber strike disrupting communication, mass transit and financial systems followed by attack on airport, major bridges, sea ports following with disruption of the electrical grid and run a psychological plan running rumors that the drinking waters are contaminated and is not safe to drink pointing one ethnic group as perpetrators.
The second wave would be agitator groups passing on weapons to the local community stating that you can only protect yourself bringing anarchy to the nation in which the government would require to pull in the military to initiate a state emergency. At this point the military would be too much per-occupied upholding internal peace.
This is the time to call in the big guns as the third and final wave.
A pocket carrier would be helpless in the first and second wave and when they launch the planes to show of force during state emergency the infiltration group can hit them with stinger missiles to start the third wave.

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Why Is Singapore Armed To The Teeth?

Upon achieving independence in 1965, the city-state of Singapore was trapped. To the north loomed a less than congenial Malaysian Federation. To the south, Sukarno’s Indonesia was waging its Konfrontasi.

Singapore needed to deter these existential threats.

The protection guaranteed by the British, which failed spectacularly in World War Two, could no longer be relied upon since Her Majesty’s forces were withdrawing by 1971. The conventional narrative that follows is the People’s Action Party under the headstrong Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew laid the foundations for a national armed forces.

With the help of advisers from Israel the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) used mandatory conscription called National Service to maintain a sizable standing army with the best equipment money could buy. This mindset is still apparent today and as a result the Republic of Singapore possesses the most advanced military in the region.

Each year, more than 3% of GDP goes to a robust defense budget. In 2013 it reached $9.9 billion, rising to above $10 billion the following year. By 2020 Singapore could be spending up to $15 billion on its armed forces, placing it within the global top 20 for defense spending.

In typical Singaporean fashion, foresight, efficiency, and a broad awareness of potential risks made the SAF a world-class institution. The Singapore model for developing a national armed forces and a domestic arms industry is worth emulating.

Here’s how.

Firepower

Considering its geographic size, Singapore’s ground forces are enormous. Depending on which source is consulted, the SAF’s total manpower is between 60,000 and 72,000 with a reservist pool of 500,000. These numbers guarantee the city state can never be conquered by a ground invasion.

The SAF also believes in peace through superior firepower.

One of Singapore’s earliest arms purchases were 72 AMX-13 light tanks. The French-made light tanks were a popular choice for developing countries in the 1960s and Singapore bought its first tanks from Israeli surplus. It then bolstered its armor assets with hundreds of Cadillac Gage V-200 armored cars. Towed howitzers and M113 APCs followed.

Between 2006 and 2009 Singapore acquired 94 Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks from Germany. The Leopards have since been upgraded with extensive add-on armoring on their turrets and chassis. The MBTs were re-designated as Leopard 2SG and are operated by the 48th Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment.

In 2013 Indonesia received its own Leopard 2’s.

There is an intense focus within the SAF to punch above its weight. This explains why the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher, the Milan and Spike anti-tank missile launchers, and hundreds of 155mm howitzers are all critical parts of its current inventory.

Going Local

Beginning in the 1980s, state-owned defense contractor ST Engineering, formerly Chartered Industries Singapore (CIS), spearheaded the process of indigenization. This is a crucial step for any country, with local production making supply chains and logistics impervious from wartime constraints.

In the span of 30 years, ST Engineering developed the Primus self-propelled howitzer, the Bionix tracked IFV, and the Terrex 8×8 APC. ST Engineering and its subsidiaries also expanded to electronics, ballistic protection, and aerospace.

With 23,000 employees worldwide and an enormous product catalog, ST Engineering is a remarkable example of successful vertical integration.

ST Engineering’s role in fostering a local arms industry begins with assault rifles. The SAF were originally equipped with the Colt M16A1. By 1980, the first locally made assault rifle was introduced, a license-made copy of the AR-18 called the SAR 80.

Several years later the SAR 88 entered production and in 2005 the 5.56mm bullpup SAR 21 replaced the M16A1 as the army’s standard battle rifle

The arrival of the American-designed Ultimax 100 light machine gun in the mid-1980’s was Singapore’s first small breakthrough as an arms manufacturer. With a mature defense industry, Singapore is poised to shift from an arms importer to a full-fledged exporter in the coming years.

The Top Shelf

The SAF took a great leap forward in the 1980s, when the city state enjoyed an economic boom thanks to its role as a sea port.

With the fundamentals of territorial defense down pat, the Singapore Navy and the Singapore Air Force began to assume their current forms.

Beginning with a small fleet of mine countermeasure vessels in 1983, the Navy started honing its firepower and by the 1990s Victory-class missile corvettes and fast patrol ships gave it a real combat capability.

In the 2000s the Singapore Navy set its sights on six Formidable-class frigates from the French shipbuilder DCNS. Having these missile-armed warships allows the SAF to engage enemy states beyond Singapore’s maritime boundaries.

The Singapore Navy is in the process of augmenting its two Swedish Archer-class submarines with longer-range models from Germany, although the exact type hasn’t been specified.

Local shipbuilding is advanced as well. The introduction of the Endurance-class landing platform dock (LPD) allows the SAF to conduct amphibious and humanitarian relief operations. In 2012, Thailand received its own $135 million Endurance-class LPD, which it commissioned as the HTMS Ang Thong.

Singapore’s cutting-edge are its F-15SG squadrons. From 2005 until 2012, the air force received 32 F-15SG’s from Boeing. Alternate estimates raise the number to 40. Together with the 60 Lockheed Martin F-16’s the air force started flying in 1990 and the older F-5 Tigers, Singapore has more than 100 combat aircraft.

To this day bilateral ties between Israel and Singapore remain strong and Singapore was an early customer of the Hermes 450 UAV. For the SAF, change is constant. Its next benchmark is the widespread introduction of unmanned systems and information warfare for its different branches.

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• 1 × OTO Melara 76 mm
• 1 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS or 2 x DS-30M automated small calibre gun
• 8 x Harpoon missiles
• 8 cell Mk.41 vertical launch system for 32 x RIM-162 ESSM or SM-2
• 1 × VL-ASROC
• 4 × Mk.32 torpedo tubes with Mark 44 torpedoes

kwaigonegin said:

Exactly..

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Jura said:

... if you thought the start of hostilities could be imminent (for example ... bad guys were embarking tanks on landing craft and at the same time your spies were telling you bad guys are embarking tanks on landing craft to "visit" Singapore),
where would you sail the pocket carrier(s)?
...

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Navy Region Center Singapore welcomed USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Carrier Strike Group Sailors during a port visit in Sembawang, Singapore, April 19-23.

As part of their regularly scheduled 7th Fleet deployment, strike group Sailors took advantage of the various services and facilities Navy Region Center Singapore offers.

For installation leadership, this was a chance to support the fleet during a period of rest and relaxation.

A major part of our mission is taking care of the fleet,” said Capt. Scott Murdock, NRCS commanding officer. “So when the strike group arrives in Singapore, we pull out all the stops to ensure they have a five-star experience.”

During port visits from U.S. Navy vessels, NRCS’s supporting departments and tenant commands such as the Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Yokosuka, Site Singapore, Fleet and Family Readiness, Morale, Welfare and Recreation, the Navy Exchange (NEX), and Navy Federal Credit Union, often extend efforts to support the fleet.

In terms of preparation, the FLC logistics team coordinates with supply officers aboard ships prior to their arrival in order to provide quality logistics services such as provisions, fuel, postal services, and pierside support.

“The planning process for an incoming ship is very time consuming and must be coordinated with extreme attention to detail,” said Lt. Cmdr. Ronald K. Terry, FLC site director. “If something is missed during the planning phases it could affect the ship’s visit.”

During the strike group’s visit the extent and volume of support provided by FLC included 350 pallets of provisions, 2,000 pieces/124 Pallets of Cargo, and 1,871 pieces/232 pallets of official mail. This scope of support presents challenges, but through effective communication among fleet organizations and between FLC departments, most obstacles are often overcome.

“Most of the challenges encountered included access requests for contractors, vendors, [and] transportation, but with the strike group’s advanced party presence prior to their arrival, these challenges were ironed out,” Terry said.

MWR activities were in full swing as the Sailors took advantage of the region’s sports facilities and Terror Club, as well as other services such as participating in local tours, shopping at the Navy Exchange and utilizing Navy Federal Credit Union banking services.

For off-duty enjoyment, 2,124 Sailors from across all ships signed up for local tours to such places as Universal Studios, Singapore Night Safari, Singapore wildlife tours and more. By the end of the five-day period, Terror Club profits topped over $80,000.

However, the visit was about more than just profits for the installation; for strike group Sailors, it was about having familiar surroundings to rest and relax.

“It feels really good to have a piece of home when you’re so far away for so long,” said Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Melinda Carlson. “It’s really nice and makes you realize how blessed you are.”

Another Sailor seemed more than happy to rest his sea legs.

“I’m just happy to be on land and be off the water for a bit, but I really look forward to playing football and maybe go swimming,” said Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Michael Forte.

One highlight of the visit was providing strike group Sailors access to newly renovated sports facilities. Sailors reserved the baseball field and scheduled softball matches playing against different departments from among the ships. For personnel assigned to the region, getting a chance for some friendly basketball tournaments against Sailors from the strike group was a welcome opportunity.

“I thought all the Sailors from each ship had a great time and it was a great opportunity to get to know and play against them and also showcase the Singapore Sailors’ basketball skills,” said Chief Logistics Specialist Jonathan Magsanoc, FLC operations leading chief petty officer. “Above all, I think with the help of MWR, we showed them how to be a great host of such events.”

Strike group Sailors also found some quiet time at the region’s Cafe Lah Community Center, a shop featuring espresso coffees, sandwiches and free Wi-Fi. There, Sailors enjoyed free movies and comfortable seating in a place to unwind.

Aside from Cafe Lah and along the Headquarters’ building walkway, local souvenir shops and a barbershop saw much foot traffic. The Navy Exchange seemed to get the most customers over the five-day visit garnering approximately $307,187 in revenue.

For NEX Singapore Branch Exchange Manager Shelly Albright, her team’s efforts were all about servicing the fleet.

“It was great to be able to provide direct support to the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group because being able to provide quality goods and premier customer service is what our mission is all about,” Albright said. “The staff at NEX Singapore had a fantastic time doing what they do best, which is helping support the Navy and its quality of life programs.”

As John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group Sailors continue their scheduled 7th Fleet deployment, the Navy Region Center Singapore team continues to prepare and reset for the next big visit.

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