goh keng swee command and staff college seminar 2015news.ntu.edu.sg/safntu/documents/programme book...

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GOH KENG SWEE COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE SEMINAR 2015

The Role of Technology in the 21st Century Battle-space

The evolution of military technology is paralleled with the corresponding developments in how militaries operate. This dialectic has had an impact in the organisation and development of militaries globally and in extension, the operations they are capable of. Militaries today face an organisational challenge not faced by their predecessors. The global complex operating environment places operational challenges on militaries – stabilization operations, kinetic operations and civil-military related operations all operate within the same sphere. How can the militaries of today integrate their operational demands and technological capabilities to achieve mission success today?

This year’s theme for the GKS CSC Seminar aims to break mental horizons regarding the perceived roles of technology in contemporary operations, moving from tactical applications of technology to strategic and operational thinking about complex operations and the role of military technology in these operations, and their subsequent implications.

GKS CSC Seminar 2015 provides a suitable platform to examine and discuss the changing nature, emphasis, development and implications of technology in the battlefield. In an increasingly complex operational environment, armed forces are evolving in dynamic new ways to integrate technology, in all its facets, for mission success. With whole-of-government (WOG) approaches needed and multilateral cooperation expected, the onus is on armed forces to step-up and build new paradigms and doctrines relevant for the demands of modernity and the future.

PROGRAMME

DAY ONE: 8th October 2015 (Thursday) Venue: Officer Cadet School Auditorium, SAFTI MI

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0900 – 0915h Opening Remarks RADM Giam Hock Koon, Commandant, SAFTI Military Institute, Singapore Armed Forces

0915 – 1015h Keynote Address Professor Lui Pao Chuen, Advisor, National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office

Panel 1: Military Technology and the Changing Character of Armed Conflicts Setting the conceptual framework for the Seminar, this panel will examine the role of technology along the continuum of strategic studies. Seen through the lens of contemporary geostrategic and regional affairs, the evolving roles of the armed forces and the concomitant infrastructure that enables them are discussed.

Chair: Mr Eddie Lim

1015 – 1145h Technologies Converge and Power Diffuses Dr Thomas Hammes, Distinguished Research Fellow, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University, United States of America

Strategic Transformation and Military Modernisation in the Asia-Pacific Region Dr Michael Raska, Research Fellow, Military Transformations Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore

1145 – 1245h Lunch Venue: Officer Cadets' Mess, SAFTI MI

PROGRAMME

DAY ONE: 8th October 2015 (Thursday) Venue: Officer Cadet School Auditorium, SAFTI MI

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Panel 2: Operations in the Information Age The globalised world operates on multiple levels, criss-crossing environments and disciplines. This interconnectivity affects the ability and capabilities of armed forces to fulfil their national agendas. This panel examines the dynamic realities that challenge armed forces to be adaptive in a complex operating environment.

Chair: Dr Michael Raska

1245 – 1415h Civil-Military Relations and International Military Cooperation in Cyberspace Ms Caitríona Heinl, Research Fellow, Centre of Excellence for National Security, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore

The Role of Social Media in the Strategic Outcome of Contemporary Conflicts Mr Eddie Lim, Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Military Studies Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore Technological Diffusion in Hybrid Warfare Assistant Professor Ong Weichong, Military Studies Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore

1415 – 1445h

1445 – 1615h

Coffee Break Venue: Officer Cadets' Mess, SAFTI MI

Syndicated Group Discussion 1 (For GKS CSC participants only)

PROGRAMME

DAY TWO: 9th October 2015 (Friday) Venue: Officer Cadet School Auditorium, SAFTI MI

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Panel 3: Developing the Future Force How the future force looks like will be determined by the contextual reality of the day. How do the armed forces of today determine their currency and relevance in such a dynamic environment? This panel examines the approach towards future capability. Chair: Dr Graham Gerard Ong Webb

0900 – 1045h Future Operating Environment in 2030 and Beyond – The Role of Technology and Implications to our Region RADM Harris Chan Weng Yip, Future Systems and Technology Architect, Ministry of Defence, Singapore Opportunities and Challenges of using Commercial Technology for Future Capability Development Mr Henry Chang Weng Foo, Director (Land Systems), Defence Science & Technology Agency, Singapore U.S. Air Force Space Command: Current Mission, Technology Perspectives, Small Satellites, and Personnel Development COL Martin France, Permanent Professor and Head of the Department of Astronautics, United States Air Force Academy, United States of America

1045 – 1115h Coffee Break Venue: Officer Cadets’ Mess, SAFTI MI

Panel 4: Battlefield Application of Technology Nothing brings home the message of applicability like personal experience. This panel hears from military commanders and academics who are at the sharp edge of operations and their experience in how military technologies have integrated into operations at the strategic, operational and tactical levels. Chair: Asst Professor Ong Weichong 1115 – 1245h

On-Line Warriors - How 21st Century Technology is Reshaping our Understanding of the Profession of Arms Professor Christopher Coker, Professor of International Relations, The London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom The SAF Experience of Technology in Military Operations: Operation Blue Ridge COL Dinesh Vasu Dash, Director (Information), MINDEF Communications Organisation, Ministry of Defence, Singapore

PROGRAMME

DAY TWO: 9th October 2015 (Friday) Venue: Officer Cadet School Auditorium, SAFTI MI

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1245 – 1345h Lunch Venue: Officer Cadets’ Mess, SAFTI MI

1345 – 1515h Syndicated Group Discussion 2 (For GKS CSC participants only)

(Tour of SAFTI MI and Visit to the Army Museum for overseas speakers)

1515 – 1545h Coffee Break Venue: Dining Hall A, SAFTI MI

1545 – 1715h

Plenary Presentation Chair: Mr Eddie Lim, Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Military Studies Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore

1715 – 1730h Closing Remarks COL Ng Wai Kit, Deputy Commandant, SAFTI Military Institute/ Commandant, Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College, Singapore Armed Forces

End of Seminar

LIST OF SPEAKERS AND CHAIRS (in alphabetical order according to given names)

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Ms Caitríona Heinl Research Fellow Centre of Excellence for National Security S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Nanyang Technological University Singapore Email: [email protected] Professor Christopher Coker Professor of International Relations The London School of Economics and Political Science United Kingdom Email: [email protected] COL Dinesh Vasu Dash Director (Information), MINDEF Communications Organisation Ministry of Defence Singapore Email: [email protected] Mr Eddie Lim Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Military Studies Programme S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Nanyang Technological University Singapore Email: [email protected] Dr Graham Gerard Ong Webb Research Fellow, Military Studies Programme S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Nanyang Technological University Singapore Email: [email protected] RADM Harris Chan Weng Yip Future Systems and Technology Architect (FSTA) Future Systems and Technology Directorate Ministry of Defence Singapore Email: [email protected] Mr Henry Chang Weng Foo Director (Land Systems) Defence Science & Technology Agency Singapore Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]







LIST OF SPEAKERS AND CHAIRS (in alphabetical order according to given names)

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RADM Giam Hock Koon Commandant, SAFTI Military Institute Singapore Armed Forces Singapore Email: [email protected] COL Martin France Permanent Professor and Head of the Department of Astronautics United States Air Force Academy United States of America Email: [email protected] Dr Michael Raska Research Fellow, Military Transformations Programme S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Nanyang Technological University Singapore Email: [email protected] Professor Lui Pao Chuen Advisor, National Research Foundation Prime Minister’s Office Singapore Email: [email protected] Dr Thomas Hammes Distinguished Research Fellow Center for Strategic Research Institute for National Strategic Studies National Defense University United States of America Email: [email protected] COL Ng Wai Kit Deputy Commandant, SAFTI Military Institute Commandant, Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College Singapore Armed Forces Singapore Email: [email protected] Dr Ong Weichong Assistant Professor, Military Studies Programme S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Nanyang Technological University Singapore Email: [email protected]








BIOGRAPHIES (in alphabetical order according to given names)

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Caitríona Heinl joined the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) at RSIS as a Research Fellow for cybersecurity issues in October 2012. CENS is a research unit working closely with the National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS) within the Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore. She has published peer-reviewed articles and policy advisory reports on topics that include international and regional cooperation, country case studies, national security implications of emerging technologies such as cyber capabilities and increasingly autonomous technologies, public-private partnerships, and cyber defence. Caitríona previously led the Justice and Home Affairs policy group and Justice Steering Committee at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), Ireland. She covered transnational crime, fundamental rights, data privacy and data protection, police/judicial cooperation, counter-terrorism, international security and cybercrime. She was legal researcher on a European Commission study for the then Directorate-General Justice, Liberty and Security on non-legislative measures to prevent the distribution of online violent radical content. Caitríona qualified as a U.K. trained Solicitor (non-practising) and she is admitted as an Attorney-at-Law in New York. She holds an MPhil in International Relations from the University of Cambridge. She graduated in both commerce and law at University College Dublin and the Leopold Franzens University of Innsbruck Austria with First Class Honours.

Christopher Coker is Professor of International Relations, LSE. His most recent book is Future War (Polity 2015). He is the author of over 20 other books ranging from The Improbably War: China, the US and the Logic of Great Power Conflict to Men at War: What Fiction Tells us About Conflict, From The Iliad to Catch-22. He is a regular speaker at military colleges in North America, Western Europe and Japan.


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COL Dinesh Vasu Dash is currently the Director (Information) of MINDEF Communications Organisation. He holds an Honours Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the National University of Singapore, a Masters Degree in Science from Cranfield University (UK), as well as a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Nanyang Technological University. He also completed his Command and Staff Course in the Defence Services Staff Course (India). COL Dinesh held various command and staff appointments in his military career, including Brigade Commander of the 3rd Singapore Infantry Brigade, Commanding Officer of the 21st Battalion Singapore Artillery, and principal staff appointments in both the Joint and General Staff, as well as served as Military Assistant to the Chief of Defence Force and as Head of the SAF Information Group, Joint Operations Department. In recognition of his involvement in overseas operations, COL Dinesh was awarded the NATO (ISAF), the Bar (Enhanced) to the SAF Overseas Service Medal, and the Commemorative Medal of Peacekeeping Operations (Dutch) from the Armed Forces of the Netherlands. He was also awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) (Military).

Eddie Lim is the Coordinator of the Military Studies Programme (MSP), part of the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS) here in RSIS. The MSP is the primary source of professional military education and training (PMET) for the Singapore Armed Forces in the military arts and sciences. The Programme Coordinator ensures the relevant and timely provision of Masters-level courses at the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (GKS CSC) and an undergraduate-level course for SAF officers entitled the Undergraduate Professional Military Education and Training (UGPMET) in the area of Military Studies, as well as a spectrum of other courses for the SAF Warrant Officers’ School (SAFWOS) and the SAF Advanced Schools (SAS). Prior to this appointment, he was the Head of Strategic Research at the Centre for Operational Learning (COL), situated with the SAFTI Military Institute (SAFTI MI). In this capacity, Eddie oversaw relevant research at the strategic and operational levels, and contextualised it for educational and doctrinal purposes for the SAF. Prior to COL, Eddie was a Senior Lecturer at the Military Studies Branch (MSB), lecturing the courses which the MSP undertakes today. After serving his bond with the Public Service Commission, Eddie attended then-IDSS and attained a Master of Science (Strategic Studies). Eddie is still serving as a Major in the SAF as an Operationally-Ready NSman, having attended most of the courses at SAFTI MI, culminating in the National Service Command and Staff Course (NSCSC).


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Graham Ong-Webb is Research Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is part of the Military Studies Programme, a research and educational component of the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS). His research interests include the strategic and deterrence postures of ‘second-tier’ nuclear powers, the role of strategic and military intelligence, military developments and dynamics in Southeast Asia, and security and defence issues in the Asia-Pacific. A Commonwealth Scholar, he completed his PhD at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London (KCL), in 2010. He also earned his Associateship of King’s College qualification in theology, ethics, and philosophy, which he read concurrently with his doctoral studies at KCL, winning the First Leathes Prize in the final examinations of this three-year programme. Prior to joining RSIS, he was a Consultant with the global risk consultancy Control Risks Group and was also a Managing Editor and Research Analyst at Jane’s Information Group (IHS Jane’s). He has held research and teaching positions at the Joint Services Command and Staff College (Royal Defence Academy, UK), the Centre for Science and Security Studies (King’s College London), the Centre of Excellence in National Security (RSIS), the National University of Singapore, the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (Singapore), and UniSIM (Singapore). He has published in the Journal of Strategic Studies, Millennium: The Journal of International Studies, and Jane’s Intelligence Review. His commentaries on global and regional security issues have appeared in The Straits Times (Singapore), The Nation (Thailand), The Jakarta Post (Indonesia), The World Today (Chatham House, London), and the International Relations and Security Network (ETH Zurich).

RADM Harris Chan Weng Yip joined the Republic of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in December 1989. Commissioned as a Naval Combat Officer in 1990, RADM Chan was awarded the prestigious Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship to pursue his undergraduate study in the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK where he held a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class) degree. In 2005, RADM Chan pursued the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan Fellow programme in Innovation and Global Leadership where he graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree. Throughout his illustrious military career, RADM Harris Chan Weng Yip had held numerous key appointments within MINDEF and the SAF. Most notably, he was involved in the strategic planning for the SAF’s participation in the Peace Support Operations in Afghanistan as well as in the Gulf of Aden (GoA). From April to July 2011, RADM Harris was Commander


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Combined Task Force 151, during which he led the multinational task force as part of the international counter-piracy efforts in the GoA. Following his tour in the GoA as Commander CTF 151, RADM Harris was appointed as Commander Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) where he was responsible for the maritime security of Singapore and its approaches. Significantly, under RADM Harris’ commandership, MSTF achieved Full Operational Capability in early 2013. In March 2013, RADM Chan was concurrently appointed as the Future Systems and Technology Architect (FSTA) to spearhead the development of game-changing concepts and future capabilities for MINDEF and the SAF. At the state level, RADM Harris was awarded the prestigious Public Administration Medal (Bronze) (Military) by the President of the Republic of Singapore.

Mr Henry Chang has accumulated a wealth of experience in his 21-year engineering career in the defence sector. In his early years, Henry was involved in the Patrol Vessel programme, Landing Ship Tank and Frigate programmes for the Republic of Singapore Navy. For his outstanding contributions to these programmes, he was awarded three Defence Technology Prizes in 1996, 2001 and 2007, respectively. In 2007, he oversaw the portfolio of R&T programmes in C4I technologies and strategized the long term investment of C4I capabilities as Head (C4) in the R&T department of MINDEF. Subsequently, he undertook various appointments in DSTA to drive the capability development of Unmanned Air Systems, C4I Systems and Land Systems. He is currently Director of Land Systems Programme Centre.

Rear Admiral Giam Hock Koon is the Commandant of SAFTI Military Institute. RADM Giam holds a Bachelor of Arts from the National University of Singapore. He also attended the United States of Marine Corps Command and Staff College where he also attained a Masters in Military Studies. RADM Giam held various command and leadership appointments in his military career, including Commander Maritime Security Task Force, Commander Combined Task Force 151 conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, Commander of the 1st Flotilla, Commander of the 185 Frigate Squadron and Commands of the frigate RSS STEADFAST and missile corvette RSS VENGEANCE. RADM Giam was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze)(Military), the Commendation Medal and the SAF Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (25 years).


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Colonel France is Permanent Professor and Head of the Department of Astronautics, United States Air Force Academy as well as Chairman of the Engineering Division. Colonel France earned his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1981, graduating with majors in Engineering Mechanics and Engineering Sciences. His professional experience includes research and development assignments with the Air Force Research Lab working on high energy laser systems, as the Air Force Exchange Engineer to France, assigned to Toulouse, France, and as a program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He served as the Chief Scientist of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) and has earlier experience as an instructor, associate professor, and executive officer in the Department of Astronautics, USAF Academy. He’s served as a staff officer at Air Force Space Command, the Air Staff, and on the Joint Chiefs of Staff responsible for defining requirements for space support, force enhancement, space superiority, intelligence, and special access programs, and in key support roles within the Pentagon. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in 2014 and served as a visiting scholar to Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) that year.

Dr Michael Raska is a Research Fellow in the Military Transformations Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. His research interests focus on theoretical and policy-oriented aspects of military innovation, force modernisation trajectories, information and cyberwarfare. He is the author of Military Innovation in Small States—Creating a Reverse Asymmetry (Routledge, 2015), co-editor of Security, Strategy and Military Change in the 21st Century: Cross-Regional Perspectives (Routledge, 2015). He has published in journals such as the Korea Journal of Defence Analysis, Pointer-Journal of Singapore Armed Forces, and Asian Journal of Public Affairs. He has contributed chapters to edited volumes for the Norwegian Institute of Defence Studies; the Project on the Study of Innovation and Technology in China at the UC San Diego, and the Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College. He holds a B.A. in international studies from Missouri Southern State University (2000), an M.A. in international relations from Yonsei University (2002), and a Ph.D. in public policy (2012) from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, where he was a recipient of the NUS President’s Graduate Fellowship.


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Professor Lui Pao Chuen retired in 2008 after serving 41 years in the SAF and MINDEF and 22 years as Chief Defence Scientist. He is adviser to the National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, six Ministries and Government Agencies and to President NUS and President NTU. He serves on the board of twelve research institutes and corporations. In 2002 Prof Lui received the National Science & Technology Medal “For his outstanding leadership in the build up of science and technology capability for the nation and its exploitation for major systems of national impact”. In 2009 he received the rare Pioneer Award of International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) “for dedicating his life to systems thinking and application, resulting in both an unparalleled impact in Singapore, and advances in the development of systems engineering around the world.” In 2011 he was conferred an Honorary Fellow of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations and the Institute of Physics of Singapore President Medal. In 2014 he received the IES the Lifetime Engineering Achievement Award. In 2015 he received the Defence Technology Medal (Outstanding Service).

Dr Thomas X. Hammes joined INSS in June, 2009. He is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. His areas of expertise include Military Strategy, Future Conflict, and Insurgency. Dr Hammes graduated with a B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1975 and holds a Masters in Historical Research and Doctorate in Modern History from Oxford University. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the Canadian National Defence College. His publications include The Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century and Forgotten Warriors: the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, the Corps Ethos, and the Korean War. He has also published 15 book chapters and over 120 articles. His publications have been used widely in staff and defense college curricula in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Dr Hammes has lectured extensively at leading academic and military institutions in the United States and abroad. Prior to his retirement from active duty, Dr Hammes served for 30 years in the United States Marine Corps to include command of an intelligence battalion, an infantry battalion, and the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force. He participated in military operations in Somalia and Iraq and trained insurgents in various locations.


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COL Ng Wai Kit is the Commandant of Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College. He is concurrently Deputy Commandant SAFTI MI. Prior to assuming this appointment, COL Ng held various command and staff appointments including Assistant Chief of General Staff (Training) whilst concurrently the Deputy Commander, Army Training and Doctrine Command, Commander 3rd Division Artillery, Branch Head, G6 Army; Commanding Officer, 21st Battalion, Singapore Artillery; Weapon Staff Officer and Section Head in Headquarters, Singapore Artillery. He is also a graduate of the Australian Command and Staff Course, as well as the U.S. Army War College. COL Ng holds a Master of Management (Defence Studies) from University of Canberra, Australia; a Master of Science (Defence Technology) from Cranfield University UK; and a BSc (Honours) (Computer Information System) from Victoria University of Manchester, UK.

Ong Weichong is an Assistant Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University. He is attached to the Military Studies Programme at the school’s constituent unit, the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS). He is Course Director of the Campaign and War Studies (CWS) and Operations Other than War (OOTW) modules at the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (GKS CSC), Singapore. He has also taught at the advanced school and officer cadet school levels at SAFTI Military Institute, Singapore. In national service, Weichong is a Functional Specialist Support Staff Officer (Army) with the Singapore Armed Forces. In addition, he was an Affiliated Researcher with the Department of Leadership and Management, Swedish National Defence College and a Guest Professor at the Ecole Navale, France. Weichong completed his doctoral studies with the Centre for the Study of War, State and Society, University of Exeter, UK in 2010 where he was a recipient of research grants from the University of Exeter and the Royal Historical Society.

ABSTRACTS

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Panel 1: Military Technology and the Changing Character of Armed Conflicts Technologies Converge and Power Diffuses Dr Thomas Hammes The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and additive manufacturing is leading to a family of small, smart and cheap autonomous weapons that will operate in the air, on land, and in the sea. As before WWII, the key technological changes are being driven by commercial firms for commercial applications. This means improvements are coming at a rate many times that of government programs. Commercial drone firms are already selling inexpensive, long-range, autonomous drone with rapidly increasing payload capacity to businesses as diverse as vineyards and delivery firms. Additive manufacturing is advancing by leaps and bound with some firms printing drones for under $100 even as researchers have figured out how to increase printing rates by up to 100 times. In short, a small production facility may soon be able to produce thousands of small, cheap, and smart weapons every day. Of particular interest to Singapore should be the distinct possibility that such systems will lead to a period where defense dominates the tactical battlefield in a state versus state conflict. Unfortunately, these developments also mean that small groups and even individuals will gain the capability to conduct long-range precision strikes against critical infrastructure and even individuals. It is essential we start thinking about how these systems will change the battlefield in all domains. As we begin to understand the tactical impacts, we can consider how this alters operational and strategic options for both state and non-state actors. Strategic Transformation and Military Modernisation in the Asia-Pacific Region Dr Michael Raska As new strategic realities create new powers, new types of future conflicts emerge. In the early 21st century, East Asia’s security is shaped by contending trajectories, including the pace, character, and direction of China’s military modernisation; the struggle for dominance by the region’s two major powers (China and Japan); the future of the Korean Peninsula; intra-regional competition in territorial disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea; and perhaps most importantly, the contours of long-term regional strategic competition and rivalry between China and the United States. These are amplified by perennial strategic distrust among major regional powers, as well as by ongoing diffusion and integration of advanced military technologies in nearly every combat domain. At the same time, however, East Asian security dynamics is bound to interlocking global and regional economic interdependencies, which present a paradox: notwithstanding historical rivalries and tensions, perennial strategic distrust, weak multilateral regional institutional architecture, East Asia’s security complex is defined also by non-military norms of state behavior. In this context, this paper argues that the increasing global and regional economic interdependencies juxtaposed by the strategic uncertainties, costs and risks of potential conventional conflicts shape preferences for long-term competitive strategies between major powers in the region. Consequently, future conflicts in East Asia

ABSTRACTS

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will be increasingly characterized by the combination of asymmetric negation, strategic ambiguity, denial and deception particularly in the emerging new domains of warfare: space, cyberspace, near-space, and underwater. These will evolve into state-led ‘hybrid conflicts’ characterized by a convergence of ‘cyber-kinetic-information conflicts’ and their strategic interactions.

Panel 2: Operations in the Information Age Civil-Military Relations and International Military Cooperation in Cyberspace Ms Caitríona Heinl This presentation will first consider civil-military coordination for cybersecurity at the national level. Under this first theme, challenges can arise in finding the right role for the military in national cybersecurity given what is often a grey area between criminal activity and interstate malicious activity. The exact role and responsibilities of the military in cyberspace can sometimes remain quite unclear. The presentation will then focus on military cooperation and dialogue. This second theme will focus on how to ensure that when militaries are involved in managing these threats, that there are mechanisms to prevent further escalation. The Role of Social Media in the Strategic Outcome of Contemporary Conflicts Mr Eddie Lim The role of social media has increased exponentially in recent times. Not only has social media radically and unexpectedly changed strategic outcomes of contemporary conflicts, it has at times redefined the meaning of ‘conflicts’ and ‘strategic outcomes’. Looking at a few, but varied examples, this paper examines the ways in which social media is now one of the primary agents of strategic outcomes, as well as inextricably a part of contemporary conflicts. While social media is still predominantly seen by militaries and governments as a problem to be managed, it also has positive, productive attributes that can be harnessed towards conflict avoidance and resolution. Technological Diffusion in Hybrid Warfare Assistant Professor Ong Weichong Hybrid organisations are renowned for their ability to employ conventional and unconventional methods and capabilities to achieve synergistic effects across the force spectrum in both physical and psychological dimensions. This presentation examines the phenomenon of how emergent technologies are being utilised by hybrid organisations to achieve such synergistic effects in ways and means that may not sit well with conventional armed forces – but nonetheless are becoming realities in the 21st Century battlespace.

ABSTRACTS

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Panel 3: Developing the Future Force Future Operating Environment in 2030 and Beyond – The Role of Technology and Implications to our Region RADM Harris Chan Weng Yip The future operating environment in 2030 and beyond will be shaped by a hybrid of several driving forces. Geopolitics will set the stage for us all. Regional social dynamics, political landscape, economic restructuring, and energy resource constraints will also influence the world. Pervading all these domains is technology. In the future horizon, there are a plethora of technology trends and potential disruptions, which will shape the way of life of the common man, of the region and of the world. Opportunities and Challenges of using Commercial Technology for Future Capability Development Mr Henry Chang Weng Foo While technology will continue to play a big role in the armed forces of the future, gone are the days where the military will spearhead technological innovations and their applications. With its strong consumer market and growing research budget, the commercial industry is expected to overtake the military to take the lead in technology innovation in the many years to come. To remain relevant in the fast-changing world, the armed forces of the future must embrace commercial technology, harness and adapt it for their own applications. This talk will discuss the benefits of, the potential challenges to, as well as strategies for adopting commercial technology for the military. U.S. Air Force Space Command: Current Mission, Technology Perspectives, Small Satellites, and Personnel Development COL Martin France The U.S. Air Force Space Command uses current technology and is developing new capabilities to accomplish its mission of providing resilient and affordable space and cyberspace capabilities for the United States. Its vision is to provide global access, persistence, and awareness for the 21st Century. This briefing will address the current operational environment, capabilities, and threats as well as a view to the future focusing maintaining a competitive edge through employment of small satellites, innovative technologies, and personnel development.

ABSTRACTS

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Panel 4: Battlefield Application of Technology On-Line Warriors – How 21st Century Technology is Reshaping our Understanding of the Profession of Arms Professor Christopher Coker War is evolving fast and so is the profession of arms. Cyber warriors and cubicle warriors now share top billing with Special Forces. Last year's Medal of Honour controversy in the United States showed how even within the military - or perhaps we should say, especially within the military - we are beginning to question the warrior ethos as traditionally understood. Drone pilots have been the target of public disquiet for some time of course. Are they predisposed to see war as Call of Duty except that now PTSD rates are high and the USAF is facing a critical short fall of pilots as fewer personnel wish to sign up. Anyway one day they will soon become 'managers' which may present its own set of problems. Meanwhile 'Killer robots' are coming to a theatre of war near you. Soldiers in the field will be co-existing with robots that will be programmed with algorithms quite different from the heuristics which are hard-wired into us by natural selection. And as we come to terms with the Internet of things we know that ubiquitous computing will network officers in ways that may fundamentally change the way they think as well as act. They will no longer have their own private thoughts. The public perception is that war is in danger of escaping human control and responsibility. The reality is very different as Actor Network Theory tells us. The profession of arms is adapting as it always has in the past though both the public and many in the military seem to be unaware of this fact. It will however demand a different approach to professional education - for example does it make much sense to continue to teach virtue ethics and character formation as the bedrock of the ethics of war? This and other questions will be addressed in this lecture. The SAF Experience of Technology in Military Operations: Operation Blue Ridge COL Dinesh Vasu Dash From May 2007 to Jun 2013, the SAF deployed a total of 492 soldiers to four different provinces in Afghanistan, namely Bamiyan, Kabul, Kandahar and Oruzgan, under the ambit of Operations Blue Ridge (OBR). This was done with the aim of supporting the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in providing a safe and secure environment for the rebuilding of Afghanistan. While the number of SAF soldiers on the ground was less than other coalition partners, the use of military technology enabled the SAF to make a small but significant contribution, such as with the deployment of the Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Task Group (UTG). In his talk, COL Dinesh will share about the use of such military technology in the battlefield, in the context of OBR. This includes the impact of technology, the importance of constantly adapting technology to remain relevant to the situation on the ground, and the human touch that makes all the difference in the efficient and effective deployment of technology.

SYNDICATED GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

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DAY ONE: 8th October 2015 (Thursday) Syndicated Group Discussion 1 (For GKS CSC participants only)

a. How has the conventional armed forces of the region responded to the challenges of the complex operating environment (including HADR, OOTW, etc)?

b. How can armed forces better prepare or deal with the demands of the information operations (cyber-operations, social media, etc)?

DAY TWO: 9th October 2015 (Friday) Syndicated Group Discussion 2 (For GKS CSC participants only)

a. What are the challenges of conventional armed forces for the region in the foreseeable future? How can conventional arms be enhanced to ensure mission success?

b. What is the role of disruptive technologies for the modern armed forces in the foreseeable future? How can you as future commanders be part of the forecasting of disruptive technologies?

NOTES

Jointly Organised By:

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