ABSTRACT
This chapter hopes to draw useful lessons for small navies from what could possibly be touted 'Best Little Navy in Southeast Asia'. The geographical scope of commitment is generally a function of the ability of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) to project force further out beyond the immediate Southeast Asia. The RSN has traditionally had to face resource and manpower constraints even in the rosiest times of increased defence budget appropriations. Diplomacy forms a facet of Singapore's defence policy, as reflective in the RSN's activities undertaken to date. The geographical scope of commitment is generally also a function of the ability of the RSN to project force further out beyond the immediate Southeast Asia. Its security is critical to the economic well-being of Asia, particularly so for energy-hungry economic giants of Northeast Asia, which rely heavily on Middle-Eastern petroleum supplies.
