ABSTRACT
South-East Asia’s navies have developed unevenly in the almost seven decades since the end of the Second World War. This is understandable. Most have had some benefit from previous colonial masters, but all have had to fight for the resources necessary to generate and sustain their operational capability. Few to this point–Singapore being the outstanding exception–have enjoyed the levels of sustained and systematic support that they have needed. This has resulted in a more diversified sourcing of ships and other material than most navies would have preferred, as well as the continuation in service of a good deal of obsolescent equipment. It has also created fundamental problems in both logistics and training, as well as limiting operational availability.
