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Singapore Army
The combat units of the army were organized into
infantry and
armored brigades and antiaircraft artillery battalions.
Although
there was one division headquarters for the regular army
and two
division headquarters for the reserves, these arrangements
undoubtedly were established for administrative purposes.
Because
of the scarcity of open land in Singapore, most unit
training was
conducted at the battalion and lower levels. Combat
support was
provided by engineer, signal, transportation, maintenance,
and
medical units.
In 1989 there were three infantry brigades in the
regular army
and six infantry brigades in the reserves comprising
approximately
thirty infantry battalions. Three of these battalions were
trained
in airmobile operations for rapid deployment to trouble
spots and
two others for commando operations. The primary offensive
mission
assigned to the infantry included moving into populated
and rural
areas occupied by an enemy force and retaking territory.
Defensive
missions included deployment to strategic points on the
main island
and surrounding islands to protect areas inaccessible to
armored
and artillery units; protection of tank and artillery
units during
enemy assaults; and movement behind enemy lines to harass
combat
units, interdict lines of communication and supply, and
collect
intelligence. Each infantry battalion was organized into a
headquarters company, four rifle companies, and a support
company.
Most rifle companies were equipped with indigenously
produced SAR80 assault rifles and Ultimax-100 machine guns. The
support company
included a reconnaissance platoon, 81mm mortar platoon,
106mm
recoilless gun platoon, engineer platoon, and a sniper
section.
Unit training emphasized conventional and unconventional
tactics
for urban and jungle warfare, marksmanship, marching,
concealment,
and survival techniques. The three airmobile battalions
and two
commando battalions were given airborne and ranger
training in
addition to their infantry training.
The army had one active-duty armored brigade and an
additional
armored brigade in the reserves. Each brigade comprised
one tank
battalion and two mechanized infantry battalions. The
Frenchproduced AMX-13 light tank was used by both tank brigades.
Mechanized infantry units used either M-113, V-150 or
V-200 armored
personnel carriers. In wartime, armored units would have
the
mission of assaulting and defending against heavily armed
enemy
units. Unit training focused on combined arms operations,
assaults
on fortified and soft targets, and tactics for countering
enemy
antitank guns and missiles.
There were seventeen field artillery, mortar, and
antiaircraft
artillery battalions in the army. Two battalions were
equipped with
American-produced and Israeli-produced 155mm guns. Each
gun was
operated by a twelve-man crew and could be used in wartime
for
long-range (ten to twenty kilometers) artillery support
for
infantry and armored units. The equivalent of twelve
battalions of
mortar-equipped troops provided direct support to infantry
units
during assaults on enemy positions. Most of these units
were
equipped with indigenously produced 120mm mortars that
could be
towed into combat on a light two-wheeled trailer attached
to a
jeep. Some mortar units also had M-113 armored personnel
carriers
that were modified to serve as the firing platform for
120mm
mortars. In offensive operations, these units would follow
closely
behind armored forces to provide counterfire against enemy
artillery and tanks. There were also the equivalent of
three
battalions of antiaircraft artillery in the army. Most of
these
units were equipped with either the Swedish-produced
singlebarrelled 40mm automatic gun or the Swiss-produced
Oerlikon twinbarrelled 35mm automatic gun.
Responsibility for various types of combat support was
delegated to several army commands, which were responsible
for
providing engineer, signal, transportation, and other
services. The
army had the equivalent of eleven battalions of combat
engineers,
five in the regular army and six reserve units. Engineer
companies
and platoons were attached to the combat units and during
wartime
would be responsible for clearing minefields, breaching
obstacles,
building bridges, supporting amphibious operations, and
preparing
defensive positions. There were the equivalent of four
signal
battalions. Signal units also were attached to the combat
units,
probably down to company level. Most transportation units
were
deployed to army bases located throughout the country and
supported
both regular and reserve units assigned to that base. In
wartime,
the army's Transportation Headquarters would quickly
acquire
civilian vehicles through its civil resources mobilization
center.
Weapons and military material that required maintenance
usually
were delivered to designated stations where they were
exchanged or
repaired. Each army base had a hospital and medical units
that were
deployed with combat units during military exercises.
During
wartime, the medical units would establish field hospitals
to
accommodate personnel wounded in battle until they could
be
transported to military or civilian hospitals.
Data as of December 1989
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