Islandwide Total Defence exercise to return in Feb 2025
The islandwide Total Defence exercise that made its debut in 2024 will be held again in Feb 2025.
This is as the inaugural exercise in February, which simulated cyber and drone attacks and saw emergency food supplies provided to some schools, was well received by the public, said Nexus, the government agency responsible for Total Defence and National Education.
The upcoming exercise will also be a key part of events to mark Singapore’s 60 years of independence, said Nexus’ director of community engagement Senior Lieutenant-Colonel (SLTC) Psalm Lew.
As with the first run, the 2025 edition of the exercise will likely simulate some form of large-scale disruption here caused by attacks on the Republic’s infrastructure, and be an opportunity to improve Singaporeans’ readiness in the face of disruptions.
SLTC Lew noted that surveys of those who participated in the inaugural exercise showed that 95 per cent of respondents hoped to participate in similar crisis preparedness exercises in the future, said SLTC Lew.
Table-top exercises, which brought together individuals from different age groups and walks of life, were also given the thumbs-up. The exercises, conducted throughout the year, facilitated discussions on the impact of potential issues affecting Singapore, and a review of drawer plans.
More than 80 per cent of participants surveyed said these helped to strengthen their organisations’ contingency plans. Over half of the 800 or so participating organisations in the 2024 run also made use of the exercise to test such plans, added SLTC Lew.
The first Exercise SG Ready was held as part of Total Defence 40th anniversary (TD40) events.
Total Defence Day is commemorated every Feb 15, which was when British forces in Singapore surrendered to the Japanese in 1942 during World War II. The first Total Defence Day was held in 1984.
Held from Feb 15 to 29, this year’s exercise saw simulated disruptions across over 330 schools here, and the distribution of some 50,000 ready-to-eat meals, said Nexus.
Some 420,000 students and teachers here got a taste of what a food disruption here would be like, with the scenario being a paralysis of logistics networks due to a simulated cyber attack.
The exercise also simulated blackouts at prominent public buildings like the Supreme Court and the Esplanade, the closure of 21 markets and hawker centres, and water cuts for participating organisations and two HDB blocks.
SLTC Lew said Nexus will draw lessons from the first exercise to shape upcoming exercises and Total Defence-related activities, so that they remain resonant with Singaporeans.
For instance, he noted that 148 organisations that participated in the first run used a phishing playbook developed by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) to assess their readiness against phishing attacks.
Data from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) shows that such attacks remain an ongoing concern as they are on the rise again, after having receded a little in 2023 compared to the year before.
At least $14.2 million was lost to phishing scams in 2023 across 5,938 reported cases. However, the first half of 2024 saw at least $13.3 million lost in 3,447 reported cases.
SLTC Lew said the objective of the upcoming exercise remains unchanged: to inspire ground-up efforts that can bring to life how everyone can play a part in crises, and to improve Singaporeans’ readiness for disruptions.
It will emphasise how unconventional threats can disrupt daily lives, and hopefully spur the community and businesses to be better prepared. The exercise will also create opportunities for people to show care and look out for one another during crises, especially the vulnerable, he added.
“We aim to make Total Defence more relevant and relatable to the general public by focusing on current issues. This helps Singaporeans stay aware and better understand challenges like hybrid threats, disinformation, terrorism, supply chain disruptions, cyber attacks, and food security,” he said.
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