Are Gen Y soldiers soft?

Those who train them say they just need to be handled differently

By William Choong

The Straits Times - Oct 15, 2010

SINGAPOREAN men who have done national service should watch Every Singaporean Son. Produced by the Ministry of Defence, the reality TV series depicts recruits going through basic military training (BMT).

The most-watched episode in the YouTube series is Breaking Point, where recruits go through a three-day field camp. They were filmed digging shallow trenches, being punished for sub-par performance and going through casualty evacuation drills.

At the end, the recruits' platoon commander congratulates them for rising up to the challenge. Some recruits are seen tearing as he speaks. And when the recruits are handed letters of encouragement written by their loved ones to mark the finale of their camp, you can see many of them crying openly.

For older NSmen who have survived harsh instructors, strict bunk inspections and even verbal and psychological abuse, such 'emo' displays prove that Gen Y soldiers are soft.

An old army friend in his late 30s told me: 'Seeing them cry makes me wonder if good schooling and affluence have made Gen Y soldiers soft.'

Popular blogger Mr Brown takes a similar view. In a ditty lamenting how the Government was not paying the $9,000 National Service Recognition Award to lau peng (old soldiers) like him, Mr Brown sang: 'Our time no welfare/ Only can get tekan (punished)/ But now so take care.'

Perceptions that Gen Y soldiers are soft began to surface in 2008, when two servicemen died in training accidents. Asked then whether younger servicemen were less fit than their predecessors, Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said: 'My own sense, not based on any statistical evidence, is that our soldiers are fitter, but may be less rugged.'

Of course, it is not surprising that older NSmen think poorly of today's NSmen. After all, each generation tends to despair over the foibles of succeeding generations.

But if Gen Y soldiers are indeed less rugged, one cannot lay the blame at the door of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) alone. Recruits' strengths and weaknesses, and values, are drawn from the larger society in which they live.

'A military goes to war with its standard of living. If Singaporean soldiers are seen to be soft, it is because physical toughness is not necessarily valued as much as it used to be,' says Mr Ho Shu Huang, a defence analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Like Gen Y workers, recruits from this generation defined as those born between 1977 and 1999, respond to different motivations.

In an article in Pioneer, the journal of the SAF, Mr Hao Shuo, Major Andrew Wan and Lieutenant David Tang observed that Gen Y soldiers are more likely to seek explanations for instructions. 'When Gen Y ask Why, it is not a brazen challenge of authority, unless we choose to make it so,' they wrote.

Mr Mah Kah Hoe, who served NS in the early 1970s, agrees. He believes that a a good way to motivate this generation of recruits is to explain NS in a way they can relate to and help them understand why it is necessary. This way 'you can throw anything at him and he will deal with it', says the 57-year-old father of three sons, two of whom have finished their NS.

Lieutenant-Colonel Lim Lit Lam, who at 35 straddles the older Gen X and younger Gen Y, adds: 'It has to do with understanding their psyche, and helping them to understand the reason and logic behind things that we do.'

The Commanding Officer of the 46th Singapore Armoured Regiment observed that Gen X soldiers were subjected to hard physical punishments and expected to follow orders without question.

The training for Gen Y soldiers has been modified. These days, recruits are no longer subjected to gratuitous physical punishment, and superiors tolerate some level of questioning. But thorough physical training and strict discipline are maintained, and with the right training, Gen Y soldiers can be as resilient as their older colleagues, says Lt-Col Lim.

In the end, the debate about whether Gen Y soldiers are too 'soft' detracts from the real issue: how to instil resilience to carry soldiers through the hell of war. And resilience is not just about physical toughness.

Writing in Hero Or Coward: Pressures Facing The Soldier In Battle, Bundeswehr officer Elmar Dinter summarises the 'cloud of pressures' that affect a soldier in combat - fear of isolation, fear of the unknown, physical deprivation and the fear of mutilation.

American military historian S.L.A. Marshall wrote that only about 25 per cent of the country's Greatest Generation of soldiers actually fired their weapons in World War II.

The challenge for the SAF is to come up with training scenarios realistic enough to approximate the rigours of war. As Russian general Aleksandr Suvorov wrote: What is hard in training will become easy in war.

At the same time, training safety is paramount. But Singaporeans should understand that military training, by definition, entails some unavoidable risks.

According to Mr Eric Khoo, who served as Chief Commando Officer in the late 1990s, excessive safety regulations arising from previous training accidents could lead to less realistic training.

In a way, the debate about Gen Y soldiers is a symptom of a good problem. For decades, Singapore's defence policy rested on two pillars - deterrence and diplomacy. Deterrence appears to have worked. Together with the advent of technology, this might have created the perception among some Singaporeans that military training need not be so demanding physically, and can be made easier.

This cannot be. Deterrence is not merely about a military's sum total of hardware and fighting men. It also lies in the eye of the beholder, the potential aggressor who decides whether he will be deterred.

It is true, as some have argued, that the resilience of Gen Y Singaporeans is yet to be tested. As such, any allusions to them being 'strawberries' that are easily bruised are unfair.

Still no effort should be spared in stiffening the resolve and boosting the resilience of Gen Y soldiers. On their shoulders rests the security of the nation tomorrow.

Special forces to work under one command

by Jermyn Chow
For The Straits Times

SAF's integrated task force will allow quick response to terrorist threats

Crack units of the Singapore Armed Forces - the Army's Commandos and Special Operations Force, and the Navy's divers - will be brought under one command to tackle terrorist threats.

Previously, these units operated independently.

The newly-formed Special Operations Task Force, however, will mix and match the different capabilities of Singapore's elite soldiers to muster a faster, sharper response to varying threats.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who gave details of the new structure in an interview ahead of SAF Day, which falls today, said it would allow the special forces to work together much more cohesively and effectively.

Integration, he noted, is important, because dealing with terrorists requires bringing guns to the fight on land, in the air and over the sea, and could involve storming buildings, aircraft and ships.

The units involved in the reorganisation have sophisticated capabilities in one or more of these areas. Said DPM Teo, who is also the Defence Minister: "We need to bring together these capabilities, develop them in a much more complete, coherent manner."

The new set-up will be headed by the current Chief Commando Officer, Colonel Lam Shiu Tong.

The SAF's latest reorganisation follows similar exercises in the Army, Navy and Air Force to better police Singapore's borders, waters and airspace.

Grouping special operations forces under a single command has been done in other countries, like the Untied States. One of the American command's primary objectives is to capture or kill terrorists.

In a wide-ranging interview which touched on several issues, DPM Teo also said Singapore shares good bilateral relations with its global and rgional partners, such as the US, China and Asean.

He added that forums like the annual Shangri-La Dialogue and Asean Regional Forum have helped countries to speak and better understand each other.

He also dwelled at length on the transformation of the SAF into a more potent fighting force, a journey that began in 2004. "You can now see the shape of this third-generation SAF," he said.

It packs a lot more bang for the tax-holder's buck, he said. The air force, for example has retired 70 of its aging A4 Skyhawks. In their place are less than half that number of F-15 SG fighter jets.

However, these newer jets are more capable and can operate in a more networked way, said DPM Teo.

But it is not just about buying equipment. Modern machinery is backed by a powerful battlefield network, allowing the entire force to exchange information and eventually see and strike the enemy faster.

Constant training allows the SAF to sharpen its edge, DPM Teo said.

He cited the SAF's annual exercise, codenamed Wallaby, in Australia, where he saw for himself the army's Leopard tanks working together with the air force's unmanned aerial vehicles, Apache attack helicopters and F-16 warplanes, "all tied together as a cohesive package".

The transformation has other payoffs for Singapore, he said. More powerful systems and sophisticated training methods allow full-time national servicemen to serve two years of national service - six months shorter than their predecessors did, while NSmen go back for in-camp training for only 10 years, instead of 13.

The SAF is also playing a bigger role in regional security, as well as taking on more humanitarian relief efforts. Last year, it deployed personnel in more overseas operations than ever before, including the anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden and logistics support in Iraq.

Despite all these advances, DPM Teo said, "the work is not finished yet ... there's still much to be done over several more years". Nevertheless, he added, the SAF soldier of today has a critical advantage in the battlefield, thanks to the transformation effort.

"You don't put them in just with a sword and shield or rifle with 200 rounds and two grenades.

"Now when you put them in, boots on the ground, he's actually got the whole SAF in his backpack. That's the difference."

SAF Proves its mettle overseas

SAF forces have fought Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, treated those wounded in insurgent attacks in Afghanistan, protected the waters around key oil terminals and given logistics support to coalition vessels and helicopters in Iraq.

Image from MINDEF printed in The Straits Times

By Jermyn Chow
For The Straits Times

Missions in Afghanistan and elsewhere also let it gain valuable experience

The men and women of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) were involved in more overseas operations last year than ever before.

They fought Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, treated those wounded in insurgent attacks in war-torn Afghanistan, protected the waters around key oil terminals and gave logistics support to coalition vessels and helicopters in Iraq.

The troops joined a growing list of over 2,000 servicemen who have been deployed in 35 United Nations-sanctioned missions overseas since 1989 - four in Afghanistan alone since 2007.

The most recent one there put 39 men and women in the Oruzgan province, where they provided primary health care and helped their Dutch and Australian counterparts run a field hospital in Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital.

Soon, the navy's Landing Ship Tank RSS Persistence, two Super Puma helicopters and 240 SAF personnel will be back after three months in the Gulf of Aden.

Although the SAF's role has primarily been a supporting one, the troops have found themselves in challenging operations, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minster of Defence Teo Chee Hean.

He noted that SAF personnel in Afghanistan have found themselves amid car bombs, roadside bombs, Improvised Explosive Devices and rocket attacks.

"So they're not without risks, but we prepare our people well. It's been a good operational experience for our people."

He said the SAF is capable and credible - and able to contribute to regional peace and stability. And in a sign of the coming-of-age of the third-generation SAF, more deployments are in the offing.

It is planning another mission to Afghanistan, this time deploying a KC-135 refuelling aircraft and a group of air force servicemen who will operate a pilotless surveillance aircraft in support of Nato-led coalition forces.

The SAF plans to deploy a battlefield radar system there, to give soldiers more advance warning of enemy artillery, rocket and mortar launches.

It now has construction and engineering teams in Bamiyan to build a paediatric and women's wing for the province's hospital and to erect a security wall in the war-torn region.

But despite the growing number of peace missions overseas, DPM Teo said the SAF's main mission - the defence of Singapore - remained clear: "We're the ultimate guarantor of Singapore's independence and sovereignty."

Dare we let down our guard?

By David Boey
For the Straits Times

Defence Spending

When Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel are called upon to defend their country, there would be few - if any - Singaporeans who would question the relevance of Singapore's military strength.
But the SAF's readiness and the commitment of its soldiers, sailors and airmen should not be taken for granted. The combat capabilities currently deployed took years of steady investments to raise, train and sustain.
Consider the Commando Special Operations Force (SOF) that stormed Singapore Airlines flight SQ117 at Changi Airport on March 26, 1991 and saved 123 passengers and crew. Four Pakistani hijackers had threatened to kill one hostage every 10 minutes unless their demands were met. They gave the Singapore authorities five minutes to decide what to do. Three minutes into the countdown, the SOF settled the issue by killing all four hijackers.
the operation, codenamed Thunderbolt, marked the first time the SAF resolved a hijacking with deadly force. The operation also marked the first occasion when an SAF unit was deployed for operations even before its existence was publicly acknowledged. The veil of secrecy over the SOF was lifted only on Feb 20, 1997, nearly six years after the SQ117 rescue and some 13 years after the SOF was formed in April 1984.
Among the Singapore Army's fighters, SOF troopers are probably the most expensive soldiers to train, organise, equip and support. Yet the Ministry of Defence argued that they were a necessary investment.
A year after the elite unit was formed in 1984, independent Singapore endured its first economic recession. But the unit's development continued unabated, nevertheless. Had Mindef opted for was financially expedient rather than what was operationally prudent, the SQ117 rescue - executed years later - might have had a very different outcome.
Two operations flown by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) further demonstrate how defence capabilities can be called upon decades after they were first established.
The RSAF set up 122 Squadron to fly C-130 Hercules medium-lift tactical airlifters in 1977. The squadron's years of experience in flight operations, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief flights around the region, paid off in October 1990 during Operation Nightingale, when two C-130s flew medical supplies to Jordan. Iraq had invaded Kuwait that August and 122 Squadron was tasked to deliver 23 tonnes of medical supplies to the United Nations Disaster Relief Organisation in Jordan.
The second operation occurred in July 1997, when 122 Squadron evacuated more than 400 Singaporeans from Phnom Penh when the security situation in the Cambodian capital deteriorated. Two waves of air evacuations were carried out during Operation Crimson Angel using C-130s protected by commandos.
As these examples show, it may take decades for people to appreciate the value of defence investments. However, the lack fo such investment can become apparent in a much shorter tie. This is because hostile elements can be quick to exploit gaps or shortcomings in Singapore's defences.
Take the piracy problem which plagued Singapore's defence planners in the 1980s. Attacks by sea raiders at places like East Coast Park, West Coast Park and Tuas made the headlines in the 1980s, showing that sea robbers had found loopholes in Singapore's seaward defences. Singapore paid the price for an ill-defined maritime strategy.
The situation today is markedly different. Round-the-clock surveillance of Singapore's territorial waters by naval patrols ans sensors like radars, air surveillance by shore-based Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft and cooperation with regional navies send a signal of Singapore's determination to safeguard its shores. But attacks recorded in nearby sea lanes prove that pirates continue to prowl regional seas. Strip away the assets of the Republic of Singapore Navy and the sea robbers will surely return to our shores. Dare we take that chance?

A balanced budget
The operations cited above do not mean that Mindef should command an unlimited budget. Neither should one expect our nation's elected representatives to be mute witnesses to the SAF's transformation into a 3rd Generation fighting force.
Questions on financial stewardship will ensure that Singapore gets the maximum bang for every defence dollar that is spent. Defence planners should indeed explain how the 6 per cent of GDP that Mindef spends is spent wisely.
However, it is important to ensure that long-term defence capabiities are protected, no matter what the short-term economic conditions. Capability erosion could easily come about through cyclical variations in defence spending.
One must appreciate that combat capabilities for the SAF's land, sea and air units take years to attain full battle readiness from the time new hardware is introduced. Indecisive defence funding would onot only send a weak deterrent message, it could also hamper Singapore's defence posture through less realistic training or less capable defence equipment

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The writer was Straits Times defence correspondent.

The power of the National Anthem

It is 2008 - Wishing one and all a Healthy and Successful Year ahead.

As we move into our daily grind and slowly forget the parties of the past few weeks, I would like to bring some attention to a bit of National Pride.

Please refer to the article by Mr Adam LeBor that was published in The Straits Times on 20070619.
Here is link to the article on another blog - http://ramblingcitizen.blogspot.com/2008/01/let-all-israelis-sing-anthem.html

In a year which will see lots of changes - USA is an election year, Taiwan is an election year, China hosts the Olympic, North Korea will hopefully finally arrest their nuclear ambitions ... we, as global citizens, will continue to witness pain and suffering. Either physically through natural calamities, economically through the fall out of the so-called sub-prime crisis, or mentally through the ever present conflicts throughout the world brought about by political contests of will.

The articles previously mentioned discusses Israel and how changing a single word in its current National Anthem may create an environment that is more inclusive to all citizens within its boundaries.

This led me to reflect on how our "little red dot" took the path less travelled and from the very beginning included everyone in the Anthem and the Pledge. The Anthem was written by Encik Zubir Said - a Malay, and the Pledge was penned by Mr Rajaratnam.

Fast forward 40 years since independence, we have new Citizens and even Permanent Residents claiming to get goosebumps when they hear the Anthem and recite the pledge. While Singaporeans may feign indifference - it is a unifying force when we as a nation stand together on August 9 each year (for those who don't know - it is Singapore's National Day aka Independence Day).

So a new year wish of mine is that all that are affiliated with Singapore: citizens young and old, Permanent Residents and anyone who loves Singapore, to remember that we are working for an all inclusive country and love your neighbour as your own family.

Cheers!

RSAF's Organisational Transformation (ST 20070208)

By Adrian W. J. Kuah
for the Straits Times
Author is an associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University

The public face of defence transformation is typically framed in technology terms: the acquisition and deployment of cutting-edge weapons systems and information technologies in order to wage network-centric warfare.
In the same vein, the transformation of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is seen primarily as a technological transformation. The SAF's acquistion of advanced military hardware - such as the Primus self-propelled howitzer, F-15SG Eagles and Seahawk naval helicopters - has grabbed the headlines.
But there is another equally important dimension to military evolution, and that is the revamp of the command structure of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) announced last month.
The RSAF will now be organised according to functions rather than geography. Under the air force headquarters will be five new commands: Air Defence and Operations, Air Combat, Air Power Generation, Participation, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. This replaces the old geographically-based system of formations comprising the air bases and air defence systems division.
Whereas in the past the planning and control of operations were dictated to the formations by headquarters, the five new commands will have greater autonomy on operational matters.
The new structure is flatter and more organic; there is less formalisation, more decentralisation of decision-making and more lateral communication.
The move to an organic structure reflects the more complex operating environment and the more varied tasks the air force has to perform today. These can range from traditional war fighting to disaster relief and peacekeeping operations.
It also reflects the application of what has been called RMA ("revolution in military affairs") technologies.
These are disruptive in that they generate radical rather than incremental changes in capabilities. They disrupt and destabilise the existing structures and processes of the organisations that adopt them. They are not merely "plug-and-play" systems that can be grafted onto existing organisational structures and processes; to fully exploit these technologies, it is essential for the organisations themselves to transform.
The change to a more organic structure mirrors developments in the broader socio-economic milieu. The emergence of the information economy has led to the transformation of the firm from a top-down, hierarchical, bureaucratic corporate behemoth into a flatter, dynamic network orgnaisation that is better able to cope with changing business practices such as flexible manufacturing, just-in-time inventories and knowledge-intensive products and services.
To be sure, there are limits to how far the armed forces can, or even should, emulate the changes taking place in commercial organisations.
Indeed, the adoption of organic structures and processes by the RSAF does not mean that hierachry,formalisation and so forth have been supplanted. The changes should be read as the gradual introduction of organic organisational practices into what remains a dominant mechanistic organisational form. Features such as verticality and formal hierarchy remain integral to the functioning of the armed forces: The mechanistic organisational technology still works more often than not.
Rather, the transformations that have taken place in th RSAF reflect an attempt to pre-empt situations where the mechanistic organisational form thwarts rather than serves.
Nevertheless, these organisational transformations emphsise the importance of organisational developments along side the acquisition of technological capabilities. The interesting question is whether organisational changes can keep pace with technology.

SAF Army's New Gear (ST 20070125)

Biggest Revamp of Soldier's Gear
By David Boey (dboey@sph.com.sg)

New outfit vital as army's role wides to include protection of key installations, urban warfare and peacekeeping missions

All new recruits going in for Basic Military Training (BMT) are now being issued with new personal equipment in the army's biggest revamp of soldiering gear in decades.
They will receive four new items: a load-bearing vest; a waterproof torchlight with different colour lenses; a new field pack; and a multi-purpose knife with seven functions.
The army introduced the new items to the media yesterday during a visit to the Basic Military Training Centre on Pulau Tekong. Lieutenant-Colonel Kong Kam Yean said the equipment was designed incorporating suggestions from soldiers from seven battalions during two years of trials.
The head of the Plans Branch at Headquarters 9th Singapore Division/Infantry Formation added that the new equipment is necessary as the army's role widens to include protection of strategic installations, urban warfare and peacekeeping missions.
He said: "This demands that the soldiers' equipment has the flexibility to be configured for different mission profiles, to carry different requirements based on the mission need."
The new load-bearing vest allows soldiers to carry ammunition and military gear such as night-vision devices and compasses, and secure the pouches anywhere on the vest using straps.
It replaces pouches and straps that for the skeleton battle order (SBO), last changed in 1997. Unlike the old SBO, which could be adjusted only minimally, the new vest has straps at the waist and chest, which ensures a body-hugging fit.
The new field pack, 80 percent bigger than the existing one but having the same weight, has a big zipper on its front. The old 1980s-era pack could only be top-loaded, meaning soldiers had to pour out its contents to get something from the bottom.
A waterproof torchlight, which can be fitted with red, yellow, blue and green lenses for signalling purposes, and a multi-purpose knife, with tools such as a screwdriver and a can opener, will also form part of the recruit's battle ensemble.
Operationally ready national servicemen will receive these items in phases later this year.



Bloggers Note: LTC Kong is an ex-NCC (Sea) Cadet.
For more information on the LBV go to D&G's website

Information on the Battlefield (ST 20061031 Report)

Beware of possible psychological minefield

By David Boey (dboey@sph.com.sg)
The Straits Times Defence Correspondent
Oct 31, 2006

Battle information is a double-edged sword.
Just as ignorance of an unfolding battle is dangerous, swamping troops with too much information could also be deadly as it may overwhelm soldiers’ decision-making capacity.
Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers are now able to harness battlefield information as a weapon – using rugged computers that instantly display the locations of friendly and hostile forces.
The SAF’s Battlefield Management System, newly deployed with the 42nd Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment, underscores the army’s determination to use technology to give its forces information superiority in battle.
On screens inside their vehicles, soldiers are given secure updates of the battle situation. Soldiers can send text messages to one another, avoiding the use of radios which the enemy can eavesdrop on or even jam.
This homegrown system, unveiled recently, displays enemy threats as red icons and friendly forces as blue icons, creating an electronic picture of the unfolding battle in near-real time.
But there is the danger that soldiers may become too engrossed with updates and e-mail to look out for what might be clear and present danger around their vehicles.
We have all seen how, in an office situation, colleagues routinely e-mail one another even when they are seated in neighbouring cubicles. This might be acceptable in civilian life but a battlefield situation would be different.
Sending orders by SMS can be a plus in combat, when one’s forces are scattered over a wide terrain and one needs to preserve radio silence. But technology will never be able to match a commander communicating his intent and determination in a personal meeting.
Witness how the legendary German field marshal Erwin Rommel chose to roam the battlefield in his armoured vehicle during World War II, rousing his Afrika Korps troops to battle during the desert duels with Allied forces in North Africa. Field Marshal Rommel’s armoured vehicle was distinctive. It had the moniker “Greif” (German for gryphon) pained in large white lettering on its side – one glance was all it took to know he was around.
Another psychological aspect worth mulling over is how a bird’s eye view of the firefights could affect morale.
The sight of blue icons triumphing over red icons may bring much cheer when things are going well. But suppose the tide of battle were to turn against you. It may look like a computer game, but the sight of friendly blue icons disappearing off the screen could startle troops unnecessarily.
Soldiers may see more than they are prepared to accept – especially when a battle stalls.
The plethora of information zapped through the air also puts a premium on information security. A savvy enemy will be able to harness such information to advantage.
During World War II, the German Navy used encoded radio signals to mass their U-boat submarines into Wolf Packs to make coordinated attacks on Allied shipping convoys. Their gun and torpedo attacks were devastating until Allied scientists cracked their supposedly unbreakable naval codes. Yet, the full story of how the Allies cracked the Germans’ Enigma machine code remains classified today.
The lesson is never to presume that any technological system is so superior that it cannot be exploited by wily, tech-savvy enemy.
The good news is that the SAF enjoys some first-mover advantage – few armies have succeeded in producing a similar system for operational use and few regional countries can match the size or expertise in the Republic’s defence science community.
Armoured forces from countries such as Israel and the United States have fielded their own versions of the battle computers in combat.
The fact that battle-tested armies have not abandoned their quest for information supremacy, despite technical hurdles in tracking hundreds of moving vehicles by satellite and enabling them to communicate via wireless network, is tacit acknowledgement of the value of such systems in war.
The know-how behind such systems is very much a black art which countries guard jealously.
As potential adversaries race to close the gap in informational superiority, the SAF must fight to keep the technological edge it has secured in partnership with the local defence industry and defence scientists.
But it must remember to also pay attention to psychological aspects when deploying that technology.


Links:
ST Engineering

Mindef


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Comments by William Aw:
The above article by David Boey articulates a fine balance that most modern and forward looking military organizations must tread.
How does one enhance the organizational capability, reduce "fog-of-war" errors, increase communications, WHILE not detracting the soldiers from being able to concentrate on winning the war.
Soldiers on the ground often complain about how everything looks good on paper but until the generals who sit in their war rooms put leather to the jungle grounds, they are the ones who suffer. It is easy to say: "Move that division to that mountain!" but logistical and actual ground situation may not be easily implemented.
Therefore, tactical commanders who now feel that the new BMS will help to alleviate situation may realize that there is a lot more work to be done than just putting the technological pieces in place.
Will we become too reliant on techonology and forget basic military tactics? Will we feel that our new weapons - with their optic sights and round the bend video capability - give us better chances of survival? NOT if the soldier does not have the discipline to clean his/her weapon, ensure there is sufficient battery power or heaven forbid - personal hygiene taken care of.
It makes us proud to be part of an organization that has "black magic" and able to produce such breakthroughs in the defence industries. I look forward to the day our "magic" can help us win against an enemy practising guerilla warfare as it is not the technological prowess but the will to win that influences the outcome. Vietnam was a very potent example - with the Green Berets taking the true "hearts and minds" doctrine while the statisticians and experts expound on the use of carpet bombing, agent Orange, massive firepower. We see the "desire" to win eroded over the years, causing more and more unnecessary casualties of war - for many many years after the withdrawal.
Will technology desensitize us to the horrors of war?
The movie "Stealth" promised Unmanned Fighter Jets with intelligence, an episode from Stargate SG-1 (Season 4 Episode 2) also highlight fighter jets that are remotely controlled from an underground bunker - thus keeping important human resources available to fight another day.
Political willpower often cannot bear the shock and grief that death brings to the masses when there is a war. Let's hope being technologically advanced does not give governments the reason to fight a war claiming little loss of life.
Most importantly - that while we need to remain vigilant and ever ready to fight a war, let us never forget that no one wins in a war.