Digital and Intelligence Service

The Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) is a planned fourth service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), set to be inaugurated at the end of 2022. The DIS will focus on psychological defence, digital domain threats, cybersecurity, and military intelligence.

Digital and Intelligence Service
Perkhidmatan Digital dan Perisikan  (Malay)
数码防卫与情报军部队 (Chinese)
Country Singapore
BranchCyber force
Role

History

The Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) was first announced on 2 March 2022 by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen during the year's budget debate. In his speech, Ng highlighted the increase in attacks by non-state actors and resulting damage from the Russian–Ukrainian cyberwarfare to justify the necessity of a dedicated service branch to deal with hybrid warfare.[1] The DIS was compared with its closest existing equivalent abroad, Germany's Cyber and Information Domain Service.[2]

The DIS will comprise several groups within the Singapore Armed Forces previously established to deal with such threats, which are the C4I Community created in April 2012, Defence Cyber Organisation in March 2017, SAF C4 Command in November 2017, and the Cybersecurity Task Force in December 2020.[3][4] The DIS will consolidate these organisations under one service branch dedicated to psychological defence, tackling digital domain threats, cybersecurity and military intelligence.[5] It will be formally established at the end of 2022.[1]

Personnel

The SAF plans to encourage male members of Cyber Youth Singapore to join the DIS, and is working with Nanyang Technological University to create an education scheme to train digital specialists. The service length of DIS personnel will be four years, which is twice the length of national service in Singapore.[5][6] In addition, DIS will also recruit personnel specialising in data science, psychology, linguistics, anthropology and geography. Full-time national servicemen will also be enlisted into the DIS.[4]

Uniforms

There is no information if the DIS will have its own separate uniforms and insignia as of March 2022.[4]

References
  1. Lim, Min Zhang (2 March 2022). "Budget debate: SAF to set up fourth service as digital threats mount, says Ng Eng Hen". The Straits Times. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  2. Lim, Min Zhang (4 March 2022). "askST: What lies behind the formation of the SAF's new intel and digital service?". The Straits Times. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  3. "Fact Sheet: Timely Establishment of Digital and Intelligence Service". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  4. Mahmud, Aqil Haziq (2 March 2022). "Army, air force, navy and soon, digital and intelligence: SAF to launch 4th service to deal with new threats". CNA. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  5. Tay, Hong Yi (9 March 2022). "Mindef, NTU launch digital defence work-study programme for full-time national servicemen". The Straits Times. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  6. Ng, Wei Kai (29 March 2022). "Non-profit Cyber Youth Singapore to offer volunteers for SAF's new digital defence scheme". The Straits Times. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
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