Singapore Establishes Digital and Intelligence Service

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The Singapore Armed Forces recently inaugurated the fourth service of the  Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) – the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) at the SAFTI Military Institute. The ceremony was opened by Singapore President Halimah Yacob.

The establishment of the DIS marks a key milestone in the transformation of the Next Generation SAF with the consolidation and integration of existing Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) and cyber capabilities of the SAF.

In her speech, President Halimah highlighted the importance of the establishment of the SAF’s fourth Service amidst fundamental shifts in the global security environment, including threats within the digital domain.

“Today’s inauguration of the DIS is timely and necessary for the SAF to adapt itself to defend Singapore against the security threats that exist in the digital and information domains. In the past decade, we have witnessed many attacks on other countries, not through traditional armed conflicts, but through the digital realm,” said President Halimah.

“ The impact of these digital attacks is real and can result in disruption of essential services, data theft and even local elections. Termed ‘hybrid warfare’, it can be a preamble or part of an orchestrated campaign against a target nation by state and non-state actors” .

“The fourth service will provide us the capabilities to defend ourselves against attacks in the digital domain,” said the president.

During the parade, President Halimah conferred on the DIS its State Colours, and presented the letter of appointment to the Chief of Digital and Intelligence Service Brigadier General Lee Yi Jin.

Also present at the inauguration parade were Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, Senior Ministers of State for Defence Heng Chee How and Zaqy Mohamad, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Melvyn Ong, as well as senior officials from Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces.—shp/adj/aaa (Image: Singapore MINDEF)