Total Defence Resources
2024 marks 40 years of Total Defence (TD40) in Singapore, since it was first introduced in 1984. The theme for this year’s Total Defence campaign - “Together We Keep Singapore Strong” - focuses on the many ways we can put Total Defence into action in our everyday lives.
Total Defence remains relevant to deal with the ever-evolving hybrid threats and challenges to Singapore. These include misinformation, supply chain disruptions and food security that affect communities and Singaporeans’ way of life.
Every Singaporean has a part to play in our daily lives to ensure that Singapore is prepared for crises or disruptions, and that we remain resilient and united.
To mark this milestone, a new TD40 logo has been developed for the use of all Total Defence-related activities in 2024. For more details on the TD40 logo colours and their usage, you may download the CI Guide and Logo here.
Below are other resources on Total Defence which you may find useful for your engagement.
Exercise SG Ready
The inaugural Exercise SG Ready was held at various locations across the island between 15 Feb to 29 Feb 2024 to increase Singaporeans’ readiness for crises and disruptions. The exercise simulated disruptions of power, water, food supply, digital connectivity and a civil emergency arising from wide spread cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and drone attacks from an anonymous actor in the region.
The aim of the exercise is to get individuals, communities and businesses thinking about the question, “Are you ready for disruptions?”, and to put Total Defence into action by putting in place their own contingency plans for disruptions.
Exercise SG Ready Scenario Video
As part of Exercise SG Ready, the scenario video illustrates how hybrid threats can disrupt our daily lives. It also helped set the context for the simulated disruptions that took place beween 15 - 29 Feb 2024!
Watch the Exercise SG Ready Scenario Video here now!
Total Defence Organisation Table-top Exercise (TTX)
The Total Defence Organisation TTX aims to activate thinking and encourage discussion among participants on the strengths and weaknesses of their organisation’s existing Business Continuity Plan (BCP), and how their organisation can be ready and prepared for crises and disruptions.
From such discussions, we hope participants will review and strengthen their BCP, ensuring organisations are well-prepared and resilient to navigate through crises and disruptions effectively.
Interested to carry out your own Total Defence Organisation TTX? You may use the Exercise SG Ready Scenario Video as well as the facilitation materials here.
SG Ready Giving.sg Website
During times of major disruptions, it is important not to forget those in need. As part of Exercise SG Ready, Community Chest (ComChest) will be running a campaign from now till 1 November 2024 to support Total Defence. Members of the public can donate or sign up as a volunteer via the Giving.sg online platform at go.gov.sg/SGReadyGiving.
SGReadyGoWhere Website
Members of the public can use SGReadyGoWhere to locate their nearest CD shelter at go.gov.sg/SGReadyGoWhere.
The Civil Defence Shelter Programme is part of the government’s plan to building up our Civil Defence preparedness under the umbrella of Total Defence. These public shelters are places where you can take refuge during a wartime emergency and are designed with protective features against weapon effects to ensure a safe environment for shelter occupants. Public shelters can be found in MRT stations, HDBs, schools, community clubs and other developments.
Total Defence 2024 Campaign Poster
The theme of the Total Defence campaign and poster is “Together We Keep Singapore Strong” to remind us that everyone has a part to play!
This year’s posters features what Singaporeans can do to put Total Defence in action in their everyday lives, and how we can be more prepared during a crisis or disruption.
The posters can be downloaded here.
A black-and-white (b/w) version of the Total Defence poster is also available at the same link above, as a Total Defence activity sheet for printing and distribution as a colouring activity.
Total Defence Engagement Packages
You may use this engagement package to discuss or better understand the relevance of Total Defence and how each of us can play a part in keeping Singapore strong, amidst the challenges and threats we face. The Total Defence Day 2024 NE Engagement Package can be downloaded here.
Meanwhile, you may check out past years’ packages below:
Total Defence Day Videos
Total Defence Day Video 2024 The Total Defence Day Video 2024 is available on our Total Defence YouTube page.
You may also check out the previous years’ Total Defence Video Messages below:
Total Defence Day Video 2023
Minister for Defence’s Total Defence Day 2022 Message. Download the transcript here.
Total Defence 40 Special Exhibition
Titled Total Defence for Thee!, the Special Exhibition commemorates 40 years of TD in Singapore and showcases how TD is integral to addressing threats and challenges.
The full exhibition is held at Singapore Discovery Centre till Mar 17 2024. Roving abridged exhibitions will make appearances at public locations like SAFRA clubhouses and libraries. We have prepared two guides below for readers who are interested to visit our roving abridged exhibitions. The schedule will be updated monthly. Stay tuned!
TD40 Exhibition Roving Schedule Download the TD40 Exhibition Roving Schedule here
Facilitation Guide for Educators Download the Facilitation Guide for Educators here
Self-help Guide for General Public Download the Self-help Guide for General Public here
Total Defence Sandbox
The Total Defence Sandbox seeks ground-up innovation from Singaporeans especially youths to start initiatives that put Total Defence into action. The Total Defence Sandbox invites everyone to share ideas on Total Defence and aims to nurture these ideas and eventually match ideas with partners who could support the implementation or amplification of their efforts.
More information regarding the Total Defence Sandbox can be found here.
Submit your ideas here!
Total Defence Murder Mystery Role-playing Game (MMRPG) Video Series
Total Defence Murder Mystery Role-playing Game (MMRPG) Video Series - Trailer
6 players, 1 murder. Who can it be? The Total Defence MMRPG video series is an immersive social deduction game developed into a three-part video series. This is a ground-up initiative, implemented under the Total Defence Sandbox. The developers of the MMRPG video series are two university students who are game design enthusiasts.
Featuring celebrities such as Tosh Zhang, along with Mister Young and Colin Tan from Power 98, Jimmy Koh from 88.3JIA and more, the video series aims to further engage youths on how they can play a part in the fight against terrorism and climate change.
Watch the video series here!
Total Defence Tower Defence Game
Total Defence Tower Defence Game (TDTDG) - Trailer
Are you game for something new? The Total Defence Tower Defence Game (TDTDG), an online strategy game, was conceptualised and devised by a dynamic group of youths from NUS High School of Mathematics and Science.
The game adds a Total Defence-themed twist to the classic tower defence game where players need to allocate resources to build towers to defend their territories against enemy attacks. In the TDTDG, players have to defend Singapore against various threats. The threats have been designed to showcase how the six pillars of Total Defence: Military, Civil, Economic, Social, Digital and Psychological Defence, come into play and highlight how everyone has a part to play in defending Singapore.
The TDTDG is the 4th ground-up initiative to be implemented under the Total Defence Sandbox (TD Sandbox).
Check out the game here!
Total Defence Community Table-top Exercise (TTX)
The Total Defence Community TTX aims to bring individuals across different ages and walks of life together to discuss potential impacts of pertinent issues affecting Singapore, and develop community drawer plans that can be implemented during times of crises and disruptions to our essential supplies and services.
Total Defence Table-top Exercise Scenario Video 2023
Interested to carry out your own Total Defence Community TTX? You may download the Total Defence TTX Scenario Video as well as the facilitation materials here.
Note: There is also a second version of the facilitation materials. This version includes a role-playing element where participants may adopt different personas to think about how the different roles within our society can play a part to be ready and prepared for crises and disruptions.
Total Defence Interactive Video 2023
What are the consequences of your choices? In the Total Defence Interactive Video, you will get to make decisions that will determine the outcome of the character’s day.
Experience the video and understand what you can do to play your part for Total Defence!
Watch the Total Defence Interactive Video (2023) here.
Past Speeches and Press Releases
You may find past speeches and press releases on Total Defence here.
Total Defence Badge Programme
The Total Defence Programme for Uniformed Groups (UGs) aims to promote awareness and involvement in Total Defence by UGs for the attainment of different levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold Badges) of the programme. The refreshed programme provides more opportunities for UG cadets to put Total Defence into action with a greater emphasis on practical emergency preparedness skills, self-directed learning and active citizenry through volunteering.
For more details and to download the Facilitation Guide, please click here. The policy document encompasses the guidelines applicable to the TD Badge Programme.
Schools may also write in directly to nexus@defence.gov.sg to request for the badges for the non-UG students.
More TD Resources and Activities
You may find more TD resources and Activities such as Total Defence Song, Total Defence Sandbox, Total Defence Puzzle, Guardians of the City II Card Game here.
Useful Videos
- ciNE65 Short Film Competition aims to capture our Singaporean identity through the lenses of local budding film-makers. Launched by Nexus in July 2011, it encourages aspiring film-makers to tell their Singapore story and what Singapore means to them. Through ciNE65, Nexus hopes to harness the potential of short films to touch the hearts and minds of Singaporeans. You may view the past ciNE65 films here. Do remember to subscribe to this channel!
- N.E.mation! is an annual national digital animation and storyboard competition for students and youths to express their thoughts about Total Defence. View all N.E.mation! videos from past seasons here. You may also use this guide to facilitate discussions based on the N.E.mation! clips. **
Useful Articles
Sports and National Defence - a commentary written by Mr Nicholas Fang
George Orwell famously wrote that sports is “war minus the shooting”. While the celebrated writer meant that sports at the highest levels was similar to war in that it was about winning, almost at all costs, it is worth exploring the value that sporting contests have in the context of national defence.
Read the full article here.
Useful Reports
RSIS Commentary - “Total Defence in Action - Singapore’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic”, National Security Studies Programme (NSSP) Research Report.
Singapore’s Total Defence Framework has helped to rally the country and facilitated a whole-of-country response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The wide-ranging and multi-sectoral effects brought about by the pandemic underscores Singapore’s need for a coordinated, cross-domain response to national security threats. Total Defence remains salient and critical to Singapore’s national defence posture. Download the full report here
Podcasts
You may find useful podcasts related to Total Defence below. Please note that you’ll need to download the Camokakis App from your App Store first for the links to work.
#1 - Lessons for Singapore from the Ukraine Crisis: Dr Ong Wei Chong from the S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies speaks about Singapore’s strong stance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the lessons the conflict has for Singapore’s military and citizens. Listen here.
#2 - Keeping our Food Supply Secure: In the wake of Malaysia’s chicken export ban, Singapore Food Agency’s Gwyneth Tey shares about the country’s strategies in ensuring a safe supply of food and how everyone can play a role to strengthen our food security. Listen here.
#3 - Reflections on Resilience from the Ukraine War: Most of us would have heard of Total Defence before, but how and why does playing your part really matter? Hear from former actor Ix Shen who is currently living in war-torn Ukraine, and Singapore Red Cross Senior Director Sahari Ani, who has spent months helping displaced refugees from the conflict. Listen here.