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Chief of Defence Force (Singapore)

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Chief of Defence Force
Incumbent
Vice-Admiral Aaron Beng
since 24 March 2023
Singapore Armed Forces
TypeCommanding general
AbbreviationCDF
Reports toMinister for Defence
SeatArmed Forces Council[1]
NominatorPrime Minister of Singapore
AppointerPresident of Singapore
PrecursorChief of the General Staff
Formation
  • 1974; 50 years ago (1974)
    (Chief of the General Staff)
  • 1990; 34 years ago (1990)
    (Chief of Defence Force)
First holderLieutenant-General Winston Choo

The Chief of Defence Force is the head of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), who holds the rank of Lieutenant-General or Vice-Admiral.[2] The Chief of Defence Force also serves as the aide-de-camp to the president of Singapore. The current Chief of Defence Force is Aaron Beng.

The position was created in 1974 as Chief of the General Staff, before changing to its current name in May 1990. The first holder of the position was Winston Choo.

The president of Singapore has the power to appoint the Chief of Defence Force, as well as the four service chiefs in the SAF, on the advice of the prime minister, who must consult with the Armed Forces Council (AFC).[1]

Role

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The CDF is the operational head of the SAF,[3] and holds a seat on the Armed Forces Council which oversees all matters pertaining to the SAF.[4] In addition, if any of the four service chiefs—the Chief of Army, Chief of Navy, Chief of Air Force or Chief of Digital and Intelligence Service—is unable to carry out his duties, the CDF is tasked to perform those duties in addition to his own. If the CDF is unable to perform his own duties, the Minister of Defence is allowed to select one of the four service chiefs to perform the CDF's duties.[1]

The office of CDF also carries with it a position as one of three full-time aides-de-camp to the President. According to the Singapore Presidential Office website, the position entails handling the President's security and his/her social needs, in addition to other general duties.[5]

A number of powers relating to summary trials for military offences is vested in the CDF. Paragraph 2, Section 62 of the Singapore Armed Forces Act states that any offence in which the accused holds the rank of Colonel or Military Expert 7 is to be referred to the CDF,[6] who can then dismiss the charge, hold a summary trial, or pass the case on to the director of legal services of the SAF,[7] who can in turn instruct the CDF to try the accused.[8]

As head of the SAF, the CDF often makes visits to countries with shared military interests, such as Bahrain,[9] Japan,[10] and Vietnam,[11] and also occasionally hosts foreign military chiefs on official visits.[12]

List of officeholders (1965–1990)

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The role of the head of the SAF was first titled as "Director, General Staff" around 1969, and was held by Brigadier-General T. J. D. Campbell,[13] who was previously Head of the Singapore Defence Force (1965–1966), and the Singapore Volunteer Corps (late 1950s–1965) before the independence of Singapore in 1965.[14] Campbell had been acting director since around 1968.[15] Colonel Kirpa Ram Vij was appointed as his successor.[16] According to sources, the position of "Director, General Staff" was considered similar to the position of the present-day CDF,[16] and was equivalent to Chief of Army.[17] A news report from The Straits Times on Campbell's death refers to him as having been "army chief."[15]

In 1974, Colonel Winston Choo was appointed Director, General Staff and promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General.[18] Prior to his appointment, Choo served as Head of Training and Head of Organisation and Plans at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). The title of Director, General Staff was renamed to Chief of the General Staff in 1976, and again in May 1990, the position was renamed to Chief of Defence Force. Choo was promoted to the rank of Major-General in 1978 and subsequently Lieutenant-General in 1988, when he was Chief of the General Staff.[18] Choo retired from the SAF in 1992, after 18 years serving as the head of the SAF.[19]

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew described Goh Keng Swee as the de facto armed forces chief of staff when the latter was Minister for Defence.[20] Goh had been responsible for evolving the SAF while serving as Minister for Defence from 1965 to 1967.[21][22]

Although Campbell and Vij have both held a position of similar authority, Choo is referred to as the first CDF in a number of MINDEF publications.[23][24]

In the past, the position of Deputy Chief of the General Staff existed,[25] who was tasked to "[work] with troops on the ground,"[26] but there is no deputy position for the present-day CDF in the structure of the SAF.[3]

Name Office In office Role immediately before office Ref
Goh Keng Swee Minister for Defence 1965–1967[note 1] Minister for Finance [20]
T. J. D. Campbell Director, General Staff 1968–1969 (acting)
1969–1970 		Principal, St. Stephen's School [13][15]
Kirpa Ram Vij Director, General Staff 1970–1974 Director, Singapore Command and Staff College [16][17]
Winston Choo Director, General Staff 1974–1976 Head of Training and Head of Organisation and Plans at the Ministry of Defence [18]
Winston Choo Chief of the General Staff 1976–1990 Director, General Staff [18]

List of chiefs of Defence Force (1990–present)

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Since the creation of the CDF position in 1990, there have been 11 holders to the position, beginning with Winston Choo, who was already in office as Chief of the General Staff.

No. Portrait Chief of Defence Force Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch Previous office Later office Ref.
1
Winston Choo
Choo, WinstonLieutenant-General
Winston Choo
(born 1941)		May 199030 June 19922 yearsArmyChief of the General StaffPublic sector (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)[18]
2
Ng Jui Ping
Ping, Ng JuiLieutenant-General
Ng Jui Ping
(1948–2020)		30 June 19921 July 19953 years, 1 dayArmyChief of ArmyPrivate sector[27][28][29]
3
Bey Soo Khiang
Khiang, Bey SooLieutenant-General
Bey Soo Khiang
(born 1955)		1 July 19951 April 20004 years, 275 daysAir ForceChief of Air ForcePrivate sector (Singapore Airlines)[30]
4
Lim Chuan Poh
Poh, Lim ChuanLieutenant-General
Lim Chuan Poh
(born 1961)		1 April 20001 April 20033 years, 0 daysArmyChief of ArmyPublic sector (Ministry of Education, A*STAR)[30]
5
Ng Yat Chung
Chung, Ng YatLieutenant-General
Ng Yat Chung
(born 1961)		1 April 200323 March 20073 years, 328 daysArmyChief of ArmyPrivate sector (Temasek Holdings, Neptune Orient Lines, Singapore Press Holdings)[31]
6
Desmond Kuek
Kuek, DesmondLieutenant-General
Desmond Kuek
(born 1963)		23 March 20071 April 20103 years, 37 daysArmyChief of ArmyPublic sector (Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, SMRT Corporation)[32]
7
Neo Kian Hong
Hong, Neo KianLieutenant-General
Neo Kian Hong
(born 1964)		1 April 201027 March 20132 years, 360 daysArmyChief of ArmyPublic sector (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defence, SMRT Corporation)[33][34][35]
8
Ng Chee Meng
Meng, Ng CheeLieutenant-General
Ng Chee Meng
(born 1968)		27 March 201318 August 20152 years, 175 daysAir ForceChief of Air ForceMinister for Education (Schools), Second Minister for Transport, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, and Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress[36][37]
9
Perry Lim
Lim, PerryLieutenant-General
Perry Lim
(born 1972)		18 August 201523 March 20182 years, 186 daysArmyChief of ArmyPrivate sector (Royal Golden Eagle)[37]
10
Melvyn Ong
Ong, MelvynLieutenant-General
Melvyn Ong
(born 1975)		23 March 201824 March 20235 years, 1 dayArmyChief of ArmyPublic sector (Ministry of Defence)[38][39]
11
Aaron Beng
Beng, AaronVice-Admiral
Aaron Beng
(born 1982)		24 March 2023Incumbent1 year, 266 daysNavyChief of Navy–[40]

In their retirement citations from the Ministry of Defence,

  • Both Bey Soo Khiang and Lim Chuan Poh were cited for having "positioned the SAF to meet the challenges in the 21st century" and for improving the SAF's capacity to use latest technology in advancing the forces' proficiency;[30][31]
  • Ng Yat Chung's retirement citation noted that he "successfully commanded the overall deployment of the SAF in peace support operations in East Timor" and disaster relief after both the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake;[32]
  • Desmond Kuek was cited for "[leading] the SAF's transformation into a modernised, integrated and networked fighting force"[34] and "significantly [enhancing] the SAF's ability to deal effectively with the evolving security challenges".[33]

Notes

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chiefs of Defence Force of Singapore.
  1. ^ As Minister for Defence, Goh has been described by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew as the de facto leader of the SAF.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Singapore Armed Forces Act (Cap. 295, 2000 Rev. Ed.) Section 10A. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  2. ^ "SAF Military Ranks - Officers". Singapore Ministry of Defence. 24 April 2010. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2011. The Chief of Defence Force holds the rank Lieutenant-General (LG) and Service Chiefs hold the rank of Major-General (MG).
  3. ^ a b "MINDEF - About Us - Organisation Structure". Singapore Ministry of Defence. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  4. ^ Singapore Armed Forces Act (Cap. 295, 2000 Rev. Ed.) Section 8. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Aides-de-Camp". Istana (President's Office). Archived from the original on 2 June 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  6. ^ Singapore Armed Forces Act (Cap. 295, 2000 Rev. Ed.) Section 62. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  7. ^ Singapore Armed Forces Act (Cap. 295, 2000 Rev. Ed.) Section 65B. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  8. ^ Singapore Armed Forces Act (Cap. 295, 2000 Rev. Ed.) Section 67. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  9. ^ "CP MEETS SINGAPORE CHIEF OF DEFENCE FORCE". Bahrain News Agency. 20 October 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  10. ^ "Courtesy Visit by Singapore Armed Forces Chief of Defence Force". Japan Defense Focus. Japan Self-Defense Force. November 2009. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  11. ^ "Defence co-operation, ties with Singapore appreciated". Vietnam News. dztimes.net. 19 April 2011. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  12. ^ "China's PLA Chief of General Staff visits Singapore". Xinhua. 24 October 2009. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  13. ^ a b "Stories - Profile of Ms Evelyn Tay". Army Museum Singapore. 25 August 2006. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  14. ^ "Defence commander sees cadet display". Straits Times. 13 September 1966. p. 4. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  15. ^ a b c "Ex-army chief, BG Campbell, dies in Australia". Straits Times. 22 October 1989. p. 17. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  16. ^ a b c Liew, Derek (7 February 2008). "History - 1966 - The Beginning of SAFTI (Volume 12 Issue 2)". Singapore Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  17. ^ a b Jonas, Patrick (7 January 2011). "In command of his life". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  18. ^ a b c d e "Appointment of Singapore's High Commissioner to South Africa" (Press release). Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 25 July 2001. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  19. ^ "Appointment of Lt-Gen (Retd) Winston Choo as High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea" (Press release). Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 15 March 2000. Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  20. ^ a b Lee, Kuan Yew. "Eulogy by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew at the State Funeral Service For The Late Dr Goh Keng Swee at the Singapore Conference Hall, Sunday 23 May 2010". Prime Minister's Office (Singapore). Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  21. ^ S Ramesh (1 February 2011). "Goh Keng Swee Command & Staff College unveiled". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  22. ^ Chow, Jermyn (2 February 2001). "SAF institute named after Goh Keng Swee". Straits Times. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  23. ^ Luo, Joel (7 March 2011). "The Singapore Army - News Archive - A Night To Remember – Signals 45th Anniversary Military Dining-In". Singapore Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 10 March 2011. LG (RET) Winston Choo, who was SAF's first Chief of Defence Force (1974 - 1992)
  24. ^ Quek, Sherlyn (18 September 2008). "SAF Joint Staff celebrates 25 years and beyond". Cyberpioneer. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2011. Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean was present, together with special guest, Lieutenant-General (LG) (Ret) Winston Choo, Singapore's first Chief of Defence Force (CDF).
  25. ^ "Brigadier General for Home Affairs". Straits Times. 28 August 1982. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  26. ^ "SAF promotes 273 of its best senior officers". Straits Times. 1 July 1986. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  27. ^ "Board of Directors" (PDF). PSA International. 2006. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011. Lt-Gen (Ret) Ng holds a number of directorships in the private sector
  28. ^ "History - 1967 - School of Artillery". Singapore Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 27 September 2006. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  29. ^ Quek, Sherlyn (21 May 2010). "Glowing tributes to the SAF's founding father". Cyberpioneer. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  30. ^ a b c "Chief of Defence Force Change of Command Parade" (Press release). Singapore Ministry of Defence. 31 March 2000. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  31. ^ a b "Change of Chief of Defence Force and Service Chiefs" (Press release). Singapore Ministry of Defence. 6 February 2003. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  32. ^ a b "Change of Chief of Defence Force and Chief of Army" (Press release). Singapore Ministry of Defence. 6 February 2007. Archived from the original on 28 May 2007. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  33. ^ a b "New Chief of Defence Force for the SAF" (Press release). Singapore Ministry of Defence. 1 April 2010. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  34. ^ a b "Change in Chief of Defence Force and Chief of Army" (Press release). Singapore Ministry of Defence. 15 January 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  35. ^ "New CEO for SMRT" (Press release). Channel NewsAsia. 18 April 2018. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  36. ^ "New Chief of Defence Force for the SAF" (Press release). Singapore Ministry of Defence. 27 March 2013. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  37. ^ a b Neo, Chai Chin; Ng, Kelly (31 July 2015). "CDF's retirement prompts speculation over entry to politics". Today. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  38. ^ "Change in Chief of Defence Force and Chief of Army". Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  39. ^ "New SAF Chief of Defence Force". Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  40. ^ "New SAF Chief of Defence Force". MINDEF Singapore. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
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