Manchuria, China, and the Far Eastern Front

[dragoon500ly]

The Republic of Singapore on the eve of the Twilight War...the Military Balance series and the Almanac of World Military Power are the sources.

Population: 2,500,000
Army: 45,000
1 armd bde
3 inf bdes
6 arty bns
1 commando bn
6 engineer bns

273 AMX-13 light tanks
720 M-113 APCs
250 V-150/-200 Commando APCs
36 155mm towed hows
100 60mm mortars
80 81mm mortars
50 120mm mortars
20 89mm RL
200 Carl Gustav RCLs
90 106mm RCLs
40 20mm AA guns
30 40mm AA guns
Reserves: 150,000 forming 2 armd divs, 18 infantry bns, 1 commando bn, 9 arty bns, and 6 engineer bns.

Navy: 4,500
9 FAC(M)
3 large patrol craft
12 Swift-class small patrol craft
2 coastal minesweepers
6 LST, 6 LCVP
(on order 3 FAC(M))

Air Force: 6,000
2 FGA sqns with 41 A-4S/S1, 6 TA-4S
2 FGA sqns with 21 Hunter FGA-74, 7 Hunter FR-74S, 4 Hunter T-75S
1 interceptor sqn with 24 F-5E, 3 F-5F
1 tpt/SAR sqn with 8 C-130B/H, 6 Skyvan
2 helo sqns with 36 UH-1B/H, 3 AB-212, 6 AS-350B
1 training sqn with 18 BAC-167, 6 Jet Provost (nonoperational ?)
1 training sqn with 11 SF-260W, 12 SF-260MS
1 training sqn with 20 T-33A
1 SAM sqn with 28 Bloodhound II
1 SAM sqn with 10 Rapier
1 SAM sqn with 6 IHAWK
1 SAM sqn with 12 RBS-70
(on order 71 A-4S [being rebuilt])

Paramilitary Forces:
Police/Marine Police: 7,500; 10 small patrol craft
People's Defense Force: 30,000

At independence in 1965, Singapore had virtually no defense forces. The Singapore Regiment had more foreigner on its roles than Singaporeans. Since then, the government has taken energetic steps to build up its armed forces and replace expatriates with native Singaporeans. This is a deliberate policy to use the services as a means of integrating the diverse ethnic strains of the population.

Under the Five-Power Defense Pact, a New Zealand Army battalion (less one company) and a Royal Australian Air Force flight are maintained on station in Singapore. Units of the New Zealand and Australian navies call at Singapore from time to time and they, along with forces stationed in the republic, carry out combined maneuvers.

It is difficult to consider the defense of Singapore separate from the defense of Malaysia. However, the circumstances surrounding Singapore's secession from Malaysia, as well as other factors have limited cooperation between the armed forces of the two states. Singapore has pursued defense policies designed to demonstrate the credibility of going it alone, while, at the same time, it maintains a close watch on security matters in West Malaysia.

Limited training areas have hampered the armed services, especially the army. At one time, army units were deployed to Taiwan for battalion-level training, but this has been halted. Talks are currently being held about the feasibility of using training areas in the Philippines.

Singapore is a member of the Five-Power Defence Pact that includes Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Singapore also belongs to ASEAN. It is considered to be very likely that Singapore would enter into a regional security arrangement if this should prove feasible.

[dragoon500ly]

Looking over the numbers for Singapore and the South Korea...its hard to guess who has a stronger military, as a percentage of the overall population....