Military Simulation Unveils Singapore’s Vital Role...
Military Simulation Unveils Singapore’s Vital Role Amid Taiwan Crisis
In April 2025, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) hosted a confidential war-game simulation in Singapore, envisioning a Chinese blockade of Taiwan. The exercise involved around 40 officials, military personnel, and scholars from across the Asia-Pacific region.
The simulation exposed a critical vulnerability: evacuating up to one million Southeast Asian nationals stranded in Taiwan would be nearly impossible without Singapore's last-minute intervention through an airlift initiative.
The exercise highlighted limitations in ASEAN-wide coordination and underscored Singapore's strategic importance, owing to its longstanding, discreet military ties with Taiwan, notably under Project Starlight.
Although the details of the evacuation agreements remain confidential, participants noted Singapore’s access to airfields and aircraft as decisive in the contingency plans.
Set against rising US–China tensions over Taiwan, this simulation reveals the growing necessity for preparedness, even as Singapore and China have not officially commented on the exercise.
Analysts, including Drew Thompson from Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, emphasize the need for Southeast Asian nations to develop informal military and security ties with Taiwan to bolster crisis response capabilities.
