Manchuria, China, and the Far Eastern Front

[dragoon500ly]

And here are the Republic of the Philippines

Population: 50,800,000
Army: 60,000
5 infantry divisions
1 special warfare bde (consists of 2 ranger, 1 mountain bn and 5 scout coys)
2 engineer bdes
1 light armored regiment
4 artillery regiments

28 Scorpion light tanks
80 M-113 APCs
20 Chaimite APCs
200 105mm towed hows
12 155mm towed hows
108 81mm mortars
24 107mm mortars
150 75mm/90mm/106mm RCLs
(on order 12 UH-1H helos)
Reserves: 20,000 forming 18 infantry bns; another 70,000 with reserve commitments

Navy: 28,000 (including 9,600 marines and 2,000 Coast Guard)
7 ex-US frigates (4 Casco, 1 Savage, 1 Cannon)
10 corvettes
3 FAC(M)
16 large patrol craft
59 coastal patrol craft
3 support ships
24 LSTs, 4 LSMs, 61 LCMs, 3 LCUs, 7 LCVPs
1 SAR sqn with 9 Islander ac, 5 BO-105 helos
3 marine bdes (total 9 bns) with 30 LVTP-5, 55 LVTP-7 APCs, 46 105mm towed hows, 100 107mm mortars
Reserves: 12,000

Air Force: 16,800
1 FGA sqn with 24 F-8H
1 interceptor sqn with 19 F-5A, 3 F-5B
1 fighter/training sqn with 10 T-34A
1 COIN sqn with 16 SD-260WP
2 COIN sqns with 20 T-28D
1 Helicopter wing with 50 UH-1H
1 Presidential tpt sqn with 1 Boeing 707, 1 BAC-111, 1 YS-11 ac, 1 S-62A, 2
UH-1N, 1 Puma helo
1 tpt sqn with 4 C-130H
1 tpt sqn with 5 C-47, 8 F-27, 3 F-27MR
1 tpt sqn with 12 Nomad
1 tpt sqn with 12 Islander
1 helo sqn with 12 BO-105
1 liaison sqn with 4 O-1E, 1 Cessna U-17A, 8 Beaver (being withdrawn)
1 weather sqn with 3 Cessna 210
(on order 16 Bell 412, 17 S-76, 2 S-70A5 helos)
Reserves: 16,000

Paramilitary Forces:
Philippine Constabulary: 43,500 forming 1 bde, 13 bns and 180 coys (by law part of armed forces)
Civil Home Defense Force: 65,000

Since its independence in 1946, the Philippines has relied almost exclusively upon the US for external security and used its armed forces essentially for internal security. Recently, the ROP has attempted to establish itself as an independent, nonaligned nation. It maintains its long standing relationship with the US, but it also emphasizes its ties with Japan and its fellow ASEAN nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand). Since 1972, it has established diplomatic relations with twelve Communist countries (including the USSR and the PRC) and has also worked for friendly relations with the Arab nations.

Between 1946 and 1950, the Communist-inspired Hukbalahap insurgency came close to destroying the ROP. In between 1952 and 1954, this insurgency was almost eliminated by a combination of military force and clemency. In recent years, however, the insurgency has revived. It centers in the north of the Philippines on Luzon. Martial law was imposed in 1972 to deal with the problem and the estimated number of insurgents dropped from 3,000 to 1,000. However, in 1977 it reportedly rose again to 2,000. Government forces have successfully contained the rebels (now called the New People's Army).

A more serious problem for the ROP is the separatist Moslem rebellion in the southern Philippines, on Mindanao and in the Sulu Archipelago. This insurrection broke out in 1968 and intensified in 1972. More than 20,000 people have been killed since then and as many as 50,000 military personnel have deployed into the area every year. The rebels obtain arms from Libya, which also attempts to mediate. A ceasefire was arranged in 1976, but collapsed within a year. Both negotiations have recently been hampered by conflict with the rebel Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Externally, the Philippines has a ongoing dispute with neighboring Malaysia over the ownership of the state of Sabah, in northeastern Borneo (it is through Sabah that weapons from Libya have been funneled to the MNLF). Malaysia now exercises sovereignty over Sabah, having inherited the 29,000 square mile region from Great Britain. The ROP claims that Britain never legally owned Sabah, which was part of the territory of the Sultan of Sulu, whose island domain is now part of the ROP. Neither side is believed likely to go to war over the dispute, and diplomatic relations, once severed, were resumed in 1969 with agreement that the Sabah dispute be held in abeyance for the time being.

Since 1946, the US has provided some $512.7 million in military assistance as well as substantial economic aid and some $700 million in war rehabilitation in grants and damage claims. A US Military Advisory Group provided extensive advice and assistance and was particularly useful during the Hukbalahap insurgency. To bolster the defense of the ROP, the US entered into three agreements: (1) the Military Bases Agreement which gave the US a ninety-nine year lease on certain military, air and naval bases (now defunct). (2) the Military Assistance Agreement wherein the US pledged to provide military assistance to the ROP (ongoing). (3) the Mutual Defense Treaty in which the ROP and the US pledged to defend each other in the case of foreign attack (ongoing)

The Philippines was an active member in the now-disbanded Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, was strongly opposed to the extension of Communist influence in the region and supported the US war in Vietnam, contributing a 2,000 man civil action group to aid community development efforts. Since the end of the Vietnam War, while maintaining its alliance with the US, it has established friendly ties with Communist and Arab countries and joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

[dragoon500ly]

and in the ongoing look at the Far East, here is Malaysia on the eve of the Twilight War

Population: 14,500,000
Army: 80,000
4 division HQ (according to Military Balance, these control variable number of bdes)
9 infantry bdes (total of 36 infantry battalions)
3 cavalry regiments
4 field artillery regiments
1 APC regiment
2 AA Arty bns
1 special warfare regiment
5 engineer regiments

140 AML-series armd cars
60 Ferret scout cars
200 V-100/-150 Commando APCs
40 Condor APCs
12 5.5-inch guns
92 105mm pack hows
120 81mm mortars
40 89mm RL
100 Carl Gustav RCLs
5 120mm RCL
36 SS-11 ATGM
35 40mm AA guns
(on order, 51 Scorpion light tanks; 162 Sibmas APCs; 20 Stormer APCs, 459 Condor APCs)
Reserves:
Malaysian Territorial Army: 45,000
Local Defense Corps: 15,000

Navy: 8,700
2 frigates (1 Yarrow, 1 Type 41)
8 FAC(M)
8 FAC(G)
22 large patrol craft
2 Ton-class coastal minesweepers
2 LST
1 support ship
(on order 4 FAC(M); 4 minehunters, 1 ammunition ship)
Reserves: 1,000

Air Force: 11,000
2 FGA sqns with 14 F-5E, 4 F-5F
2 COIN-training sqns with 11 CL-41G (being replaced by A-4)
1 MR sqn with 3 PC-130H
1 tpt sqn with 6 C-130H
1 tpt sqn with 2 HS-125, 2 F-28, 12 Cessna 402B
2 tpt sqns with 15 DHC-4A
2 helo sqns with 38 S-61A
2 helo sqns with 27 Alouette III
1 training sqn with 10 Bulldog 102, 6 PC-7
1 training sqn with 7 Bell 47, 3 UH-1H helos
(on order 34 A-4S, 6 TA-4, 12 MB-339, 38 PC-7)

Paramilitary Forces:
Police Field Force: 19,000 forming 21 bns equipped with Shorland armd cars, SB-301 APCs, 40 small patrol boats, 4 Cessna 206, 1 C-130H, 1 HS-125M.
People's Volunteer Corps: 350,000

Strategic problems facing Malaysia are (1) the ethnic division of the population, especially between ethnic Chinese and Malays; (2) dangers of a revival of insurgency particularly by ethnic Chinese; (3) the long air-sea lines of communications (roughly 400 miles by air) between peninsular West Malaysia and insular East Malaysia (the states of Sarawak and Sabah in Borneo).

Political power in Malaysia traditionally has been in Malay hands, while economic power has been held by others, chiefly the Chinese, who nearly equal in numbers to the Malay in West Malaysia. From time to time, ethnic violence between the two groups threatens to erupt over imagined or real grievances. The largest outbreak occurred in 1969 leading to a state of emergency that lasted until 1971 and the danger of renewed violence always lurks close to the surface. The ethnic split extends into the military, where the Royal Malay Regiment recruits exclusively among Malay.

During the 1947-1960 Communist insurgency, most of the insurgents where ethnic Chinese. The remnants of the insurgents retreated north of the Thai border in 1959-60 and they have been recruiting, training and conducting propaganda efforts since. The terrorist groups now contain large numbers of ethnic Malay and Chinese recruited and based in Thailand. Cooperation between Malaysian military and police and various Thai authorities has been less than satisfactory from Malaysia's perspective, although combined operations in 1977-78 did succeed in penetrating long-time insurgent base areas. The People's Republic of China continues to support the Communist Party of Malaya, mostly through propaganda, although the PRC's government has declared the Malaysian insurgency an internal problem of the Malaysian government.

East Malaysia has generally presented no major problems since the end of the confrontation with Indonesia in 1966. Small, isolated bands of terrorists near the Sarawak-Kalimantan boundary have limited mischief value. The issue of Sabah has caused diplomatic problems with the Philippines but is not likely to lead to open conflict.

Currently, Malaysia is fully responsible for its own security, although Australia and New Zealand maintains a small military advisory group.

Malaysia is a member of the Five-Power Defense Pact. It is also a member of ASEAN.

[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....