Certain Lined Paper School Supplies From China, India, And Indonesia: Fill & Download for Free

Q. What militaries today exemplify 'quality over quantity'?A. Due to the small size of their population/military, their existential requirement to not lose any war, and relative large war chest, Israel and Singapore are kindred in having quality state of the art weaponry and hard training.Articles discuss Quality vs Quantity views from various sources/think tanks, including the Moscow Times. In addition lively Quora discussions over the subject using WWII as proof. Finally analysis of IDF and Singaporean Armed Forces, their wikipedia links and discussions of current relative military strengths and ranking.Future War: Why Quantity Will Trump Quality (thediplomat.com) counterintuitiveQuality and quantity (defenseissues.net) long treatiseQuality Over Quantity (moscowtimes.com)In war is quantity over quality better? (Quora)Can it be said WWII was a war of quantity against quality? It has been alleged that WWII can be seen a war between quality(Germany and Japan) and quantity-oriented powers (the USSR, USA, and China), so that the quantity prevailed. (Quora)In WWII it seemed that quantity trumped quality. The current US arsenal seems to have both quality and quantity. What would it take for the US to shift from quality to quantity in their military? (Quora)Singapore, a military power in South Asia built on the Israeli modelNathalie BoehlerIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Singaporean counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong, April 19, 2016The ties between the two countries started even before diplomatic relations were formally established in 1969The current Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, responded to the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The third head of government in the history of Singapore is its first leader to visit Israel, where he arrived on Monday as part of a historic visit consolidating nearly fifty years of relations and cooperation between the two states.The link between the Lion City and the Jewish state goes back to the first years after the establishment of Israel, even before diplomatic relations were officially established in 1969.It was then that the premier — and the father of the current prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew — quit the Malaysian Federation in order to found Singapore. His army was then comprised of merely two infantry regiments commanded by British officers and two thirds of the soldiers were foreign. Like Israel in 1948, Singapore has very quickly felt the need to build a defense amid a turbulent local and regional situation.Defense Minister Goh Ken Swee and Major General Rehavam Zeevi (Gandhi), 22 July 1967Seized by the urgent task, Lee Kuan Yew first turned to India and Egypt, the "natural" allies of the "nonaligned," eventually choosing to secretly deploy Israeli military advisers.General Rehavam Zeevi (Gandhi), Colonel Yaakov Elazari and Colonel Yehuda Golan and other officers nicknamed "the Mexicans" by the Singapore government who wanted to hide their presence in the region, have overseen the creation of the current Singaporean army and were the source of its military doctrine: the "brown Book.""The Singapore army was built, trained and equipped following the model of the Israeli army. Singaporeans are surrounded by Muslim countries, making their islands susceptible to paranoia. For this reason the State has developed a disproportionate military, broad and powerful. And from this point of view, their army is for them very similar to the Israeli army," said Yossi Melman, Israeli security and intelligence expert.Singaporean men, whether they are Chinese or belong to small Malay and Indian minorities are subjected to two years of military service followed up by reserve duty that can amount to up to forty days a year until they reach the age of 40.The Singapore Armed Forces, an army modeled on the Israeli armyThe Singaporean army, today considered one of the most powerful in Southeast Asia has, since the late 1960s, used the same type of weapons as Israel's military and can mobilize hundreds of thousands of reservists within a few hours.Since Israeli military advisers gradually left the city-state in the mid-1970s, close relationships have developed in the field of defense industry and technology in general.For Israel, Singapore is now one of the main customers of its military industry, the outcome of forty years of cooperation carefully kept as a secret.Singapore's Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen considering purchase of Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet"We find in Singapore almost all the types of weapons produced by the Israeli army. The research projects or prototypes of some of them are sometimes partly funded by the city-state, which then has a license to produce these systems," says Melman.The arms trade contracts between Israel and Singapore include the sale of tanks, air-to-ground "Barak" missiles and the "Hermes" drone system, fighter jets equipped with the latest Israeli electronic devices and warships.Recently, cooperation between the intelligence services of the two states has increased due to the terrorist threat posed by the Islamist organization "Jemaah Islamiyah," responsible for the Bali bombings in 2002 and the Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta the following year.Guided missile corvette "RSS Victory." Israeli electronics and SAM "Barak""Israel has a significant presence in Singapore with experts, delegations and military installations. In addition, there is close cooperation in terms of exchange of information in the field of intelligence, particularly due to the presence in Asia southeast of terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and Hezbollah-affiliated networks," Melman says.In 2014, the Israeli military industry unveiled at the Singapore Airshow its drone Super Heron, touted as "the world's most advanced MALE or super-tactical UAV," developed by IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) whose characteristics surpassed those of its predecessor, the Heron ("Shoval" in Hebrew), operational since 2005.Singapore Land Systems,Singapore Military Power Force, Military SingaporeIn addition, the show was an opportunity for the Israeli weapons producer Rafael to unveil for the first time its "Iron Beam" defensive shield, inspired by the famous "Iron Dome" and capable of intercepting mortars and missile fired from a very short range by using a laser.Additionally, the visit of Lee Hsien Loong is returning the friendly gesture and declarations of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who went to Singapore to pay his last respects to the first premier who died last March at the age of 91."I will represent the State of Israel and its citizens, not only to express our condolences on the death of a founder of Singapore, but also to express our appreciation for his work as valuable and important leader. And I have no doubt that relations between the two countries will continue to strengthen," Rivlin asserted.Nathalie Boehler is journalist for i24newsThe Singapore Armed Forces: Protecting Singapore in 2030Intelligence File: The ties that bindIsrael and Singapore’s discreet but flourishing defense relationship.BY YOSSI MELMAN MAY 1, 2016 12:38In first visit ever by Singapore PM, leader thanks Israel for defense aid over the yearsPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with visiting counterpart from Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong. (photo credit: HAIM ZACH/GPO)Last week Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister of tiny Singapore, paid an official visit to Israel. It was the first visit of its kind. Accompanied by ministers and businessmen, he and his host, Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, issued statements praising the good relations and joint ventures between the two countries in the fields of hi-tech, cyber, water, environmental conservation and more.Netanyahu also mentioned the first prime minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, who happens to be the father of the current one and is considered in his country as the founder of the republic. Netanyahu “forgot” to mention the first chief minister, David Marshall, who was a local Jew, whose legacy has been erased from Singaporean history books by the dictatorial regimes of father and son.However, what was missing during the visit in all public declarations was the glue that binds the two countries. That glue, according to foreign reports, is the military, intelligence and security ties between the two countries. The ties are very close to the extent that Singapore has over five decades become a very important market for Israel’s military industries not only in Southeast Asia but on a global level, and a partner in joint research and development ventures of advanced weapon systems. The country attracts hundreds of former Israeli military and intelligence officers and hosts major security corporations such as Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems, in addition to the Israeli Embassy with its military attachés.Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd: Iron DomeSurprisingly, it was the guest who recalled the secret past military ties by saying, “We thank Israel for your assistance when Singapore was forced to get its independence in 1965, when our security and survival were in doubt. Israel Defense Forces helped to build our armed forces when other states refused.”Lee also recalled how he first visited Israel in 1977 when he was a junior military officer while escorting Lt.-Gen. Winston Choo, then his country’s chief of staff and now the ambassador in Tel Aviv.Singapore is a modern-day city-state spread over 700 square kilometers, with a population of 5.5 million. Seventy-five percent are of Chinese descent, 13% Malayan Muslims and 10% Indians. It is surrounded by two large Muslim nations – Malaysia and Indonesia.In that sense Singapore sees parallels between its situation and Israel’s: two small nations with advanced economies, surrounded by hostile states with different backgrounds, religions and cultures.Israeli soldier with Spike anti-tank missile launcherThis seeming similarity brought Singapore in the mid ’60s to ask Israel to build its armed forces, after India, Egypt and Britain declined.In 1965 Israel sent a military delegation led by Col. Yaakov Elazari and later by Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, who years later would be the defense minister. The Israeli advisers advised Singapore to form an army based on the IDF’s experience, tactics and doctrines.To conceal the presence of their nationality the Israeli advisers were locally referred to as the “Mexicans.”After forming the armed forces, Israel began supplying Singapore with weapons of all sorts and, according to foreign reports, it continues to do so today. According to these reports, the arms deals have included patrol and missile boats, upgrading of fighter planes, intelligence equipment, missiles and control and command centers.Defense News reported that the Singaporean air force is flying two squadrons of Israeli- made drones. One is composed of the Hermes model manufactured by Elbit, and one the Heron made by IAI.The French newsletter Intelligence Online wrote last year that Singapore also purchased dozens of Israel made Merkava tanks to be used as artillery to repel any future invasion of the country.Merkava Mk.4 - Israel Main Battle Tank [Review]Since the Defense Ministry doesn’t name the countries that purchase weapons from Israel, it is unknown what the export volume to Singapore was. But if all the deals, as reported in the foreign media, are added up, it is possible to conclude that Israel has sold Singapore over the years weapons worth billions of dollars.It was also reported that the two countries’ military industries cooperate in joint ventures in third countries.For example, IAI and its Singaporean counterpart won a tender to upgrade Turkish fighter planes. Another pattern revealed by some foreign reports is that Singapore invests money in the research and development of Israeli weapons systems and in return gets to manufacture them in its own industries.One example stands out. For the last five years there were consistent reports in the foreign media that Singapore was financially involved in the Israeli-made Iron Dome, a system to “kill” rockets and missiles, which was used in the last two wars in Gaza.Both Israel and Singapore didn’t comment.Last week during Lee’s visit, it was the Singaporean Ministry of Defense that broke its own silence by announcing that it had bought advanced radar from Elta, a subsidiary of IAI. This radar is part of the Iron Dome system.US grants $225 million more to Israel’s anti-missile Iron DomeIn the last decade-and-a half, since 9/11/2001, intelligence cooperation between the two nations to combat terrorism has been on the increase. Together with foreign intelligence agencies, Singapore exposed terrorist cells of al-Qaida and recently Islamic State that originated in neighboring Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.The cells planned to hit ships anchoring in or sailing to the port of Singapore, embassies and other Western installations, including Israel’s.The Mossad, for its part, uncovered a Hezbollah plot that spread from the Philippines to bomb the Israeli Embassy in Thailand.One can expect that after the visit of Lee, who invited Netanyahu for a reciprocal visit, Israeli-Singaporean relations will develop even further.The 25 most powerful militaries in the worldSkye Gould and Paul Szoldra Mar. 15, 2017, 1:16 PMUS NavyAn all-out fight may be the only real way to compare military strength, but fortunately, the world hasn't had many opportunities lately.Despite an increasingly tense situation in the South China Sea , continued fighting in Ukraine , and proxy wars throughout the Middle East , warfare between nation-states has mostly taken a backseat to peacekeeping missions and fights against terror groups.Still, a simple evaluation of pure military power can be interesting, so we turned to the Global Firepower Index , a ranking of 106 nations based on more than 50 factors — including each country's military budget, manpower, and the amount of equipment each country has in its respective arsenal, and its natural resources.It's important to note the index focuses on quantity while ignoring significant qualitative differences. For example, North Korea's 70 submarines are old and decidedly low-tech compared to what the US and others have. The index doesn't take into account nuclear stockpiles , which are still the ultimate trump card in geopolitics. And it doesn't penalize landlocked nations for lack of a standing navy.We've created a chart to compare the top 25 militaries according to the Global Firepower Index. The ranking was released in April (before events like the Russian invasion of Eastern Ukraine in August, ISIS's blitz through Iraq, and the flare-up between Israel and Hamas) and involves a complex set of data that is subject to ongoing adjustments and corrections.Skye Gould/Business InsiderHere Are The Key Findings From The Index :America's investment in being the world's leading military force.The US leads the world in military spending at nearly $600 billion a year. China is in a distant second, at nearly $160 billion — less than one-third of America's overall spending.The Ministry of Defence of the Russian FederationAccording to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) , the US has reduced its defense budget by 7.8% chiefly because of America's gradual withdrawal in overseas military operations, such as in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, President Donald Trump's proposed budget would effectively reverse that downward trend.Russia, meanwhile, has increased its arms spending and continues to modernize its military equipment and implement higher quality training for its personnel.Aircraft carriers are key, but few countries have even one.Aircraft carriers contribute greatly to a country's overall military strength. These massive vessels allow nations to project force far beyond their borders and across the entire face of the globe. They're essentially mobile naval and air force bases.Aircraft carriers can also carry unmanned aerial systems — drones — which significantly change the global surveillance game.The US's absolute monopoly on super-carriers significantly boosts its forward operating power. The US has deployed an aircraft carrier toward the Persian Gulf to bolster its sea and air power before possible strikes against ISIS in Iraq. It also has others keeping a close on the Korean peninsula.Russia has previously deployed an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean to support the Assad government in Syria.KCNA/ReutersNorth Korea's submarines are pretty much useless.At first look, it seems North Korea is amazing when it comes to submarine warfare, but there's a little more to the story.Pyongyang does command one of the largest submarine fleets on earth, but most of its vessels are unusable.A third of North Korea's subs are noisy diesel-powered Romeos, which have been obsolete since 1961 . These submarines have a weapons range of only four miles, whereas a modern US submarine has a range of 150 miles. The Hermit Kingdom's fleet is unsophisticated but still durable, according to the Pentagon.In a fight with a more sophisticated adversary, North Korean subs would be toast.Here's the hardware the world's top 25 militaries have in their arsenalsAndrew Renneisen / Stringer / Getty ImagesThe US is the world's most powerful military, according to firepower.Russia and China aren't far behind.President Donald Trump has reemphasized military strength, reportedly planning to ask for $716 billion in defense spending in 2019 — a 7% increase over the 2018 budget (though spending is currently limited by budget caps).US defense spending is the highest in the world, more than the combined budgets of the next several countries. But US plans to ramp up acquisitions of military hardware will only add to an already booming arms industry.Between 2012 and 2016, more weapons were delivered around the world than during any five-year period since 1990.Below, you can see the world's top 25 militaries and the assets they can deploy to the battlefield, as ranked by Global Firepower Index.The ranking assesses the diversity of weapons held by each country and pays particular attention to the manpower available."Balance is the key — a large, strong fighting force across land, sea and air backed by a resilient economy and defensible territory along with an efficient infrastructure — such qualities are those used to round out a particular nation's total fighting strength on paper," the ranking states.But a few defining aspects of those countries' ability to muster military power are not directly related to their armed forces.Employees stand in front of the Indian navy's first Scorpene submarine at Mazagon Docks in Mumbai, April 6, 2015.REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade/FileGeographical factors, logistical flexibility, natural resources, and local industry all influenced the final ranking, Global Firepower said.Each of the top 10 countries have a labor force of more than 30 million people. Three of the top five — the US, China, and India — have more than 150 million available workers.The following 15 countries vary more widely in labor-force size — from 123.7 million in Indonesia to 3.9 million in Israel — but they still have more than 37.2 million workers on average.Industrial and labor capacity are complemented by robust logistical capabilities, including extensive railway and roadway networks, numerous major ports and airports, and strong merchant-marine corps. Extensive coastlines and waterways also facilitate the movement of goods and people.For the US, those logistical capacities have been tested by increasing activity in Afghanistan as well as efforts to built up its presence in Europe.The US Army's 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade served as the logistics headquarters in Afghanistan in 2017. During its six-month deployment, the unit distributed more than 380 million gallons of fuel throughout Afghanistan — a landlocked country roughly the size of Texas."It's not easy to [transport] fuel. You have to get it to the right place at the right time. You have to make sure it's of the right quality, and you have to make sure you have storage on one end and distribution capability on the other end," Col. Michael Lalor, the brigade commander, said in late February. "That's what always kept me up at night."Vehicles and other cargo are unloaded from the USNS Bob Hope by the soldiers of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, US Army/Sgt. Jaccob HearnUS Military Sealift Command (MSC), which oversees the US Navy's fleet of mostly civilian-crewed support ships, is adding ships to boost its presence around Europe and Africa, in response to both insurgent activity and growing tensions with Russia — all of which have added tension to the US's already strained supply lines.In 2017, MSC moved twice as much ordnance, three times as many critical parts, and one-third as much cargo in Europe and Africa as it did in 2016."I definitely don't see (activity) going down any time soon," Capt. Eric Conzen, MSC commander in Europe and Africa, told Stars and Stripes of his unit's workload. "There's a desire for it to increase."NOW WATCH: How Russia's most advanced military equipment stacks up against NATO hardwareIsrael Defense Forces - WikipediaSingapore Armed Forces - WikipediaThe Value of Sustainability for the Singapore Armed Forces by LTA Julie Lim Yee Sin (www.mindef.gov.sg)Singapore vs. Israel: Who’s the better role model?“The grass is always greener…” may be a banality, but it’s an appropriate one for what is turning out to be an internal debate in two countries known for their technology – Israel and Singapore.At an event in Tel Aviv Monday, both Economics Minister Naftali Bennett and Google Israel chairman Meir Brand bemoaned (or at least expressed concern) over why Israel, despite its reputation as the Start-Up Nation, was failing to “cash in” the way Asian tiger countries like Singapore have.But in conversations with the Times of Israel, it’s Israel that students, entrepreneurs, and business figures from south Asia, including Singapore, feel that their countries should emulate. “The Asians just don’t have the start-up spirit,” said Singaporean Adry Lee, who in a recent interview described himself as a serial entrepreneur.Lee’s comments were typical of those of numerous Singaporeans the Times of Israel has interviewed at several events geared to promoting Israel-Asia business relations, such as last May’s Israel-Asia Business Summit. “It’s very hard for Singaporeans to think out of the box and come up with non-traditional ideas as Israelis do,” he said.That wasn’t the feeling in Israel, or at least among the speakers — including Economics Minister Naftali Bennett and Google Israel chairman Meir Brand — at the launch of an initiative called E-nnovate Israel, a hub initiated by Google Israel for projects and studies to promote innovation and economic growth in Israel, with an emphasis on strengthening the country’s information infrastructure.As its first project, E-nnovate introduced on Monday a report by consulting firm Trigger-Foresight Group Deloitte — the report was funded by Google Israel — which compared the impact of Israel’s tech economy on the country’s overall economy. Israel, according to the study, is a world leader in the size of its “internet economy,” the term used to describe industries that produce “information economy” internet-related products and services (like most high-tech companies). Those companies represented 6.4% of Israel’s GDP in 2009, and will exceed 8% by 2015 — on a par with most advanced European countries, like Germany and the UK, and not far behind the US.But somehow Israel’s tech savvy has not translated into economic benefits, as it has elsewhere. The study took Singapore as a good example of how well Israel hasn’t done. The GDP for both countries was similar throughout the 1980s — but then Singapore’s fortunes took off, leaving Israel in the dust. Today, the Asian tiger’s GDP is about $60,000 — nearly double that of Israel.What happened? It’s not about military spending, as many believe; surprisingly, Singapore’s per capita defense spending for 2012 ($1,593) wasn’t that much less than Israel’s ($1,882); Singapore, it turns out, ranked 23rd in the world in military expenditures in 2012, compared to Israel’s 17th-place ranking.What it is about, said the report, is that Singapore has much more successfully leveraged its Internet technology to make its economy more efficient. Israel hasn’t, and that has been very bad for the economy. The report cited an analysis of productivity in Israel which said that despite Israel’s position as a high-tech country, it’s only 24th (out of 30) in the OECD in terms of productivity. “Even though Israel, in its early years, narrowed the productivity gap between itself and the OECD countries, it stagnated on par with the OECD average from the 1970s until today,” said the study.It was a future told by American economist Robert Solow, who won the Nobel Prize in 1987 for proving the close connection between economic growth and increased productivity and innovation, the study said. “However, innovation also necessitates creatively providing useful, efficient and effective solutions to non-economic problems. This is the only way to increase productivity and create growth in advanced economies.” The way to do that, the study said, was for Israel to implement Internet-efficient communications and technologies in a much wider manner.And the only way to make that happen, said Google chairman Brand, was for the government to embark on an aggressive Internet infrastructure investment campaign. “A program like this would require an investment in infrastructure, but could save the economy millions,” he said. The money could go towards direct funding for infrastructure projects, or be available for low-cost loans for organizations that wanted to upgrade their communications and network systems to make themselves more efficient.For example, said Google’s Doron Avni — who heads Google’s Middle East, Israel, and Africa government relations department — the government here could fund a project similar to one in the UK, where the National Health Service borrowed money to set up an online portal for information, appointments, and self-diagnosis for certain conditions (via apps, questionnaires, etc.) The money was given as a loan to the NHS, which paid it back in full within four years, and saved the organization 110 million euros in 2008 alone.Another example is that of the Virtual High School in Florida, a special online and in-person school that has students doing much of their work through the internet via videoconferencing with teachers, remote submission of reports and homework, and more. Costs to the state for students in such schools are $1,000 less than for students in “regular” schools.According to entrepreneur Lee, Singaporeans ‘don’t have the chutzpah you need to buck trends… We are taught to listen to our elders’The secret to getting this done, said Brand, is instituting an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy, as successful countries — such as Singapore, Germany, Japan, and others have. Such a policy, he said, would ensure that Israel could enjoy the economic benefits of the technology developed here, instead of just making others richer. “The likelihood that Israel will develop the next big thing in telemedicine, for example, but that the device will be used in Denmark, Singapore, and Finland – but not here – is very high,” said Brand. “In order to avoid this, Israel must learn from other countries that have developed successful ICT policies, to develop the Internet and make it into a tool that can be used in many areas.”But is Singapore the right role model for Israel? According to Singaporean entrepreneur Lee, “the government has been spending a lot of money setting up incubators and accelerators for entrepreneurs, but the program has been less successful than they hoped it would be.” While Singapore has the “form” of a start-up nation, Singaporeans “don’t have the chutzpah you need to buck trends and come up with something truly innovative. We are taught to listen to our elders,” he said, “and of course to teachers.” Whereas stories about Israeli or American tech heroes who were dropouts are not uncommon, said Lee, no Singaporean in his or her right mind would drop out of college, much less high school, for fear they would be frozen out of jobs at large corporations.It’s the same Asian mindset described by another Asian entrepreneur, Bowei Gai, in a recent interview with the Times of Israel. Describing why Israelis start-up entrepreneurs are more creative and innovative than those in China, Gai said that China — considered by many to be the most dynamic and creative economy in Asia — concentrates on what he calls “commodity innovation,” a rehashing of existing technology and methodologies that builds on widely known models. “In the end it’s about making money, and the best and easiest way to do that in a place like China is by using proven models that have been successful elsewhere. There are so many ways to make money in China using these models because there are so many people to market to, and they don’t need to innovate or invent something new to succeed. It’s much easier to go for the ‘low hanging fruit’ of commodity innovation by basically duplicating existing technology,” said Gai.But you can’t argue with the bottom line, Bennett said at the E-nnovation event Monday. Israelis may have “creative genes,” he said, “but genes alone, like a seed, cannot grow unless planted in the right kind of soil. The government’s job is to prepare that soil so that the seeds can sprout. Entrepreneurs and the private sector are racing ahead, while the government remains behind. We must invest in physical infrastructure, and develop the human infrastructure.”