Singapore Armed Forces

Singapore Armed Forces Angkatan Bersenjata Singapura  (Malay) 新加坡武装部队 (Chinese) சிங்கப்பூர் ஆயுதப்படை (Tamil)
Flag of the Singapore Armed Forces
Crest of the Singaporean military
Service branches	Singapore Army Republic of Singapore Navy Republic of Singapore Air Force
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	President Tony Tan Keng Yam
Minister for Defence	Ng Eng Hen
Chief of Defence Force	Lieutenant-General Perry Lim
Manpower
Military age	16.5 years of age
Conscription	18 years of age, 22- to 24-month period (compulsory)
Available for military service	1,255,902, age 18–49 (2016 est.)
Fit for military service	2,105,973, age 18–49 (2016 est.)
Reaching military age annually	52,466 (2016 est.)
Active personnel	71,600 (incl. 45,800 conscripts)
Reserve personnel	1,386,000+ (2016 est.)
Expenditures
Budget	SGD 12.34 billion +1 in every 4 dollars spent by government (FY2013)
Percent of GDP	3.33% (FY2013)
Industry
Domestic suppliers	ST Engineering
Related articles
History	Military history of Singapore
Ranks	Singapore Armed Forces ranks

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence.

The SAF has three services: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The SAF protects the interests, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Singapore from external threats.

The SAF relies heavily on a large pool of conscripts in the active and reserve forces. It has an active strength of around 71,600 personnel and is capable of mobilising over a million reservists. National Servicemen (NSmen) make up more than 80% of its military defence system and form the backbone of the SAF.

The SAF was formed in 1966. Singapore's military role stems from its strategic geographical location, an asset exploited by both local settlers and foreign colonists alike. Archaeological excavations have discovered remnants of fortresses and other forms of military fortifications in pre-colonial Singapore. Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of modern Singapore, chose Singapore in 1819 to establish a new British colony with the security concerns of the British in the Far East in mind against the Dutch. Thus, Singapore, which attained Crown Colony status, played an active role in British military interests for decades, particularly in the years leading up to the First and Second World War.

The Singapore Armed Forces has its humble origin in the Straits Settlements Volunteer Force (SSVF, formed in 1922) as well as Raffles Institution Army Corps formed on 15 May 1901, which in turn had its roots in the Singapore Volunteer Artillery (SVA, formed in 1888). The Motto of the SVA is "In Oriente Primus" (Latin: First in the East), which is still in use today by the artillery formations of the Singapore Army. In 1915 it helped to suppress the mutiny of the Sepoys in Singapore.