Asean military kits up for wider challenges
and situational awareness.
Within Asean, Singapore’s is the only navy with a rescue ship that is capable of conducting a collective rescue. It is currently engaged in exercises with partner navies designed to widen submarine safety and interoperability.
The Royal Thai Army recently approved the procurement of 10 main battle tanks from China. The ordered vehicles will feature cannon, machine gun and anti- tank guided weapon system. Meantime, the Royal Thai Air Force will procure additional lead-in fighter trainer aircrafts from Korea.
Additionally, in its national the Thai government outlined a commitment to develop national shipbuilding capabilities to support modernization of the Royal Thai Navy including a plan to procure diesel- electric submarines from China.
Since the military coup in 2014, Thailand’s submarine plan won greater public support on account of the fact that the country needs to maintain military balance with its Asean neighbors many of which have invested heavily in acquiring subsurface capabilities.
The country’s manifest cooperation with
Thailand. Brunei Darussalam.
Asean’s military preparedness is evidenced by its navy’s project in building a center of excellence for seamanship warfare, weap damage control, communications and engineering training. Brunei’s German-made off shore patrol vessels have considerably enhanced its navy’s capabilities.
Myanmar received eight Chinese frigates under its development of naval industries capabilities program in conjunction with China. The rapid expansion of Myanmar’s Navy backed up by an ambitious program of indigenous shipbuilding is well noted in the region. Myanmar’s military, or
however, was drawn into a long and costly military campaigns against insurgents in the Kokang region of the northeastern Shah State. The Kokang campaign marked the first time the undertook combined arms operations involving mechanized infantry, artillery, armor and air power under combat conditions.
A recent surge in violence was reported in troubled Rakhine state the Rohingya Muslim minority who are perceived as illegal immigrants in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.
As Vietnam’s econ-
Myanmar. Vietnam.
omy improves tremendously, reforms to further professionalize the Vietnam People’s Army are under way. Its procurements include, among others, fighter aircrafts, submarines, coastal radar system, maritime patrol helicopters and fast patrol vessels for the Vietnam Coast Guard.
Early this year, Russia delivered five diesel- electric submarines ordered by Vietnam whose coastal defense systems are equipped with Russian- made arsenals. Expected before the end of 2017 is delivery of multicombat JF- 17 fighter aircrafts which feature an air- to- air refueling capability and improved avionics and electronics.
The US has lifted its longstanding military embargo on Vietnam in order to support Hanoi’s efforts to respond to the growing regional tensions.
In a bid to enhance bilateral ties and to boost the country’s military capabilities, Cambodia was recently provided by South Korea with military vehicles as part of an ongoing military aid package program. It consists of military trucks, engineering vehicles and river patrol vessels.
A border dispute with landlocked Laos is expected to be amicably settled.
Cambodia.
Be that as it may, the most pressing priority for Asean countries in the widened security challenges is to improve their intelligence- gathering capabilities. Procurement of munitions alone will not suffice. There ought to be improvement in the region’s intelligence-sharing and coordinating capabilities. More than any other time, the new era of “intel- centric” warfare using innovative information, communications and computer technologies demands the ability to assess, analyze and decisively act in an emerging situation of critical importance. In short, military equipment and weapons advantage should be backed by an effective intelligence capability.
Indeed, a lot still has to be done. Among these are: a) a review of each state’s responsiveness to defend itself against threats to national security; b) establishment of effective capability pooling; c) collaborative defense research and development; and d) an Asean defense industry complex. In all this, there is a strong imperative for - tion, more coordination and more cooperation among the Asean military to create the assurance about the region’s selfdefense readiness.