Speech by Minister of State for Defence, Mr Desmond Choo at the 31/26 SAF Senior Military Expert Appointment Ceremony on 21 July 2026 at Temasek Club

Chief of Defence Force,

Service Chiefs,

Senior Commanders,

Graduands of the 31/26 SAF Senior Military Expert Course,

Families and loved ones,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening.

Introduction

It is a privilege to join our 202 graduands of the 31/26 Senior Military Expert cohort. Today marks an important milestone. For graduands, it is the transition from training to responsibility. For your families - and many of you have been serving for many years - it reflects years of support, patience, and understanding. To our newly appointed Senior Military Experts (MEs), my heartiest congratulations. You have earned your place as the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) newest batch of senior Military Experts.

This cohort is a testament to the continued growth and strategic importance of the Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES). Since we started it in 2010, the scheme has grown steadily to ensure that the SAF possesses the deep, specialised expertise required to navigate the complexities of modern warfare.

We see this strategic evolution clearly today in the growth of the Enhanced Expertise Deployment Scheme (EEDS) since 2022. This cohort has the highest number of Army graduands due to the scaling up of the EEDS, where 19 out of the 48 Army graduands are NSmen from the scheme. Give them a big round of applause. This reflects our active drive to maximise the civilian expertise of our servicemen, harnessing their diverse skills to strengthen the SAF's capabilities and reinforce our nation's defence.

A Volatile and Complex Security Landscape

To all our graduands, you assume leadership in a security landscape that is increasingly volatile and complex. That is something that you know very well. You also know very well about the erosion of the rules-based international order. In fact, every day we get closer to where might is right, it has become the rule of the jungle: the powerful ones get to decide what happens. We have also seen how technology is rapidly changing the nature of warfare. We have seen the conflict in Eastern Europe evolve into a testing ground for drones and electronic warfare, where for instance, large-scale GPS jamming is used against autonomous and semi-autonomous drones. Every day, as you flip the newspapers, we see new ways drones are used to redefine the conflict in Eastern Europe. To all our military people here, what our Standard Operating Procedures are, our CONOPS (concept of operations), have to be changed repeatedly, repeatedly, and repeatedly. I guarantee you, within the course of this year, we probably have to make even more changes. While we are looking at changes because of what we have learnt in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict in Middle East continues to disrupt global sea lines of communication. We thought we had a ceasefire. The ceasefire did not last for long. Now, not only the Strait of Hormuz is not fully open to commercial traffic, but we are also looking at potential disruptions to the Red Sea.

This highlights how geopolitical tensions, changes in technology can disrupt global supply chains, a demonstration of the far-reaching impact of modern asymmetric threats. And something that is very close to home - you have found that your gas prices have gone up, your electricity prices have gone up. Whatever that is done overseas is keenly felt here. To another group of graduands, especially those from the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), your battle is every day. All of us would know that in February, a multi-agency cybersecurity operation lasted more than eleven months to counter the threat posed by Advanced Persistent Threat Actor UNC3886 to our telecommunications sector.

These developments reflect that modern threats and challenges are multi-domain, asymmetric, and fast evolving. Therefore, it is necessary for the SAF to constantly adapt and transform to defend Singapore against new types of threats, and the importance of Whole-of-Society resilience has never been more apparent.

Hardware and Heart-ware

To keep pace, the SAF must constantly adapt by building deep domain expertise and an innovative spirit. Across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Digital and Intelligence Service, we require our people with highly specialised competencies to defend our physical spaces and the invisible digital borders alike.

We can have very sophisticated hardware, we can have new commands, but they are only as important as our people. True operational readiness requires a resilient mindset, an innovative one, reflected in many of our personnel today who have faced unexpected setbacks, overcome them, and not only so, excel. We have Captain (CPT) Leck Kirk Shen. His story is quite an inspirational one. He was originally an RSAF pilot. An unexpected medical issue grounded his lifelong dream of flying. Rather than stepping away from the force, stepping away from his mission, he demonstrated resilience, commitment, and willingness to adapt by re-vocating to become an Air Force Engineer. Today, he brings an invaluable "cockpit perspective" directly into the hangar. He understands that aircraft maintenance is not merely a technical subtask, but a frontline combat capability that directly assures the safety and confidence of our aircrew in the sky. Thank you very much CPT for your work. Well done.

Our defence is also strengthened when our National Servicemen choose to step forward and integrate their civilian expertise into our military operations. This is the strategic logic behind the expansion of the EEDS, which effectively bridges the gap between commercial best practices and dynamic military demands. There are many good examples, but we will share one of ME4A(NS) Elias Heng. Elias transitioned from an Army Gunnery Specialist to the Navy to become an Assistant Engineering Officer. In his civilian career as a freight trader, Elias manages the very commercial shipping dynamics that are currently being disrupted in global maritime chokepoints. He brought his maritime insights into our naval operations, and now he is ensuring our forces remain attuned to the complexities of global shipping; proving that an NSman's contribution can be a dynamic force multiplier for our collective defence. Thank you, Elias, for your contributions.

Our Future Leaders

Graduands, as future leaders, our Senior Military Experts must uphold the highest standards of discipline, empathy, and continuous learning. In a world of rapid technological disruption, where systems can become obsolete in months and weeks, continuous learning must be embraced as a lifelong duty. ME3 Soh Sow Peng, who progressed through the Through-Train pathway, exemplifies this dedication to growth and leadership. Her leadership philosophy is shaped by her operational experiences being on the ground - focusing heavily on guidance, mentorship, and personal growth. She emphasises that success in this demanding environment comes down to professionalism and commitment, regardless of gender; and continues to shape the next generation of Senior Military Experts through her balanced, inclusive approach. Well done.

You must always remember that leadership is about being good stewards of our people and resources under our charge and inspiring their commitment to accomplish the mission. I would like to highlight ME4A Mant Koh, a Sword of Honour recipient from the DIS, who advocates deeply for this. Armed with a computer science background focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, he understands that while AI is a crucial force multiplier against automated threats, it cannot replace the human element of leadership. He believes that true expertise is using knowledge with responsibility and humility, and that leadership is about lifting others to realise their potential. Rank will give you authority, but character, humility, and expertise are what will truly earn you the respect of the persons you lead. Well done.

Strength from our Families

Singapore's defence also rests very strongly on the support of families and loved ones, who form the core of our Whole-of-Society resilience. The role is often quiet but critical. You provide the anchor that allow our Military Experts to focus on their mission and do their best. We also see them inspiring our next generation of leaders. We see this in the family of graduands like ME4A Wayne Chan from the Navy, and his younger brother who serves in the Army. They carry forward the proud legacy of their father who was a former Artillery Officer. Their father's anchoring advice - that no mission is ever truly successful if we neglect the welfare and safety of our people - continues to guide both brothers today. Well done.

It is an important reminder that the will to defend Singapore is often passed down from generation to generation. To all the families and loved ones here today: on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and the SAF, I thank you for your unwavering support.

Conclusion

Graduands, today marks the start of a new phase. As Senior Military Experts, you will be expected to lead through your own expertise. The path ahead will undoubtedly be demanding, but I have full confidence in your training, your discipline and your professionalism.

I charge you to lead with conviction, to innovate with passion, and to always uphold the highest standards as a Senior Military Expert in the SAF.

Once again, congratulations on your appointment. Thank you and have a wonderful evening.

Thank you very much.

More Resources

202 Appointed as Senior Military Experts