Debated in Parliament on 13 Jan 2026.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence (a) whether the Ministry assesses Singapore's defence ecosystem dynamism and agility in pivoting towards emerging demands; (b) if so, what is the current assessment and percentage increase in defence export value over five years; and (c) whether the Ministry is aware of any expansion by the local defence industry in manufacturing and research capacity amid global defence spending surge.
The Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regularly review our operational needs and challenges, and strive to develop solutions, capabilities and technologies ahead of emerging threats. In doing so, we incorporate observations and lessons from global conflicts and developments. For obvious reasons, we do not always disclose all our capabilities or build-up plans, unless it is deemed useful for deterrence or operational purposes.
In developing, producing and sustaining equipment and capabilities for SAF, we tap on the global and local defence industries. In some cases, we work closely with local defence players to develop new solutions for our unique needs. Past examples include our Navy's unmanned surface vessels and our Army's armoured fighting vehicles and the Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute City's smart training facility.
From these experiences as well as their own efforts, some of our local companies have developed solutions and products for overseas markets. We do not comment on such commercial investments, exports and sales.
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