– [Jon] If you're
watching TV in Singapore, you might see a seemingly
random combination of words flash up on screen like bullet head, sea mackerel, and water world. These are military code
words designed to be a signal to members of Singapore's Reserve troops to mobilize at army bases across the city. If that seems unusual for
a small, prosperous country that's at peace with its neighbors, that's because it is. A city state that's around the
same size as New York City, has built one of the region's
most advanced militaries. Here's why this tiny island became one of the most militarized
places on earth. In 2022, Singapore's defense budget was over 11 billion dollars,
ranking it per capita among the highest in the world. By comparison, Turkey, a
country with a landmass 1000 times a larger than Singapore, only spent 10 billion dollars. – Singapore is possibly the
most densely defended country on the planet with more
troops, tanks, warships, and aircraft per square kilometer than any other country
you find in the world.
– Despite close economic links with China, it has deep defense ties with the US, buying billions of dollars worth of American military equipment. This is the F35, one of the
most advanced fighter jets in the world. Singapore has ordered 20 of these planes, and will be the first and
only country in Southeast Asia allowed to operate these jets, cementing Singapore's Air Force as the most advanced in the region. Singapore's drive for military supremacy can be explained through its geography. It's surrounded by much larger neighbors, and sits on the strait of Malacca, Asia's most important shipping corridor and a vital entrance
to the South China Sea.
Singapore's founding Prime
Minister said that in order for the tiny nation to survive, it would have to become
a poisonous shrimp, meaning the island would
have a military so powerful that larger powers would think twice before trying to attack. – Singapore sees its defense
investments as a signal to foreign investors that
this place can be defended. – [Jon] Singapore has
spent so much on defense that its military assets now far outweigh many global powers. Its navy is increasing its
number of submarines to eight. More than both its much larger neighbors, Malaysia and Indonesia have, combined. The country currently has more than 170 operationally ready tanks.
That's more than the United Kingdom, which is the world's sixth
largest defense spender. In addition to the latest
technology, all Singaporean men serve two years of
mandatory military service. – The history of small
states is that short of outright aggression,
there can be an escalation in a period of tension where
military force could be used as an instrument of diplomacy
to coerce a smaller party or less defendant party
to abide by your whims. – Singapore is a resource scarce nation, largely dependent on
imports for its water, food, and energy, and its small size puts it at a military disadvantage. If you wanna understand why
Singapore is concerned about defending its territory, then you don't have to look any further. This is the Singapore Strait. It's one of the world's
busiest shipping lanes, and it also represents
Singapore's southern border. And just right over there
is the heart of the city. That is the central business district, and that's where all decisions are made. In military terms, Singapore lacks what's called strategic depth. This means there's little
geographic distance between the nation's borders
and its critical assets such as financial sensors
and offices of state.
Singapore's Northern border
is just 28 kilometers away from the country's southern most point, meaning it's armed forces
have little room to maneuver. The country has four air bases, but Singapore's airspace is so small that pilots on training
missions at some bases have less than a minute
after taking off to turn before they enter Malaysia's airspace. – It puts the impetus on
their ability to strike hard and to strike fairly far to
keep hostile forces at bay, and if necessary, to bring
the fight to the enemy. – [Jon] Singapore has tried to counter the strategic weakness by identifying civilian infrastructure
that can be repurposed in times of conflict. Two of its main highways can
be converted into runaways for jet fighters to land
should military runways be taken out of action. Apartments and houses built after 1997 are required to have
personal bomb shelters, and subway stations can be converted into emergency shelters.
The government has far reaching powers to repurpose civilian infrastructure and requisition vehicles, ships, and aircraft during a conflict or crisis, and that crisis may be fast approaching. In February, Singapore
announced it was increasing its defense budget amid concerns
that the US and China may go to war over Taiwan. – So I've reversed my assessment
for today's generation in Singapore and elsewhere. The risk of regional and
even global conflict, even in the next decade,
has become non-zero. I do not make this assessment lightly. – [Jon] Singapore has tried to strike a military balancing act
between the two powers, conducting joint drills with their Chinese and US counterparts. The US military is allowed
to use a port and airbase in Singapore for its activities
in the South China Sea, making the island a key transit point for US aircraft carriers
operating in the region. – When someone doubts that
Beijing would sit back and acquiesce if such basis are used to support the American
presence in around Taiwan, in the event of, let's
say a period of tension, being a small trade dependent economy, we will not escape any fallout from any Taiwan, China for us.
– [Jon] For Singapore,
building up its weapons arsenal and flexing its defense readiness, allows it to continue
playing an outsized role in an increasingly volatile region..