Hiring for SAF’s new cyber service to start this month

Digital operations centre, facility to host multilateral cyber exercises to be set up

- Clement Yong

The Singapore Armed Forces’ new fourth service will commence hiring within weeks, while its core training and operations facilities such as a new digital operations centre and a facility to host multilateral cyber exercises will also be set up in the same timeframe.

The Ministry of Defence said yesterday that it will be proposing legislation in Parliament next week to officially set up the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS). If approved, the DIS could hold its inauguration parade as early as the year-end.

This comes some three months after Mindef first said at the ministry’s budget debate in March that it is creating a new standalone service to better coordinate and improve Singapore’s cyber defence and intelligence gathering.

More details about the size of the force, its uniform and insignia will be made known to the public later.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen revealed these during an interview yesterday ahead of the 55th anniversary of the SAF, where he reiterated Singapore’s need for the new service given recent geopolitical developments such as the continued cyber attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.