'Submarines are the new bling,' according to one military expert.
Kelvin Wong, a defense analyst for Jane's, poses in front of an attack helicopter during training for the Singapore Armed Forces in Queensland, Australia. Economic growth, territorial disputes and long-sought military modernizations there propelled a 52% increase in defense spending over the last decade to $392 billion in 2018, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
It’s no coincidence that the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a security conference attended by defense chiefs, was sponsored by military contractors including Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems. It is stepping up its “freedom of navigation” naval operations in contested waters in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. It has lifted a ban on working with Indonesia’s special forces over atrocities committed in East Timor. And it is considering restarting arms sales to the Philippines.
To that end, China has developed one of the world’s most sophisticated drone programs, complete with custom-built weapon systems. By comparison, Wong said,Wong got to see one of the Chinese drones in action two years ago after cultivating a relationship with its builder, the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. He viewed a demonstration of a 28-foot-long CH-4 drone launching missiles at a target with uncanny ease and precision.
Submarines remain one of the more debatable purchases, Wong said. The vessels aren’t ideal for the South China Sea, with its narrow shipping lanes hemmed in by shallow waters and coral reefs.by enabling sneak attacks on large ships.
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