11 November 2018
- RSIS
- Media Mentions
- Remembering Operation Jaywick: Singapore’s Asymmetric Warfare – Analysis
Remembering Operation Jaywick: Singapore’s Asymmetric Warfare – Analysis
September 26, 2018 marks the 75th anniversary of Operation Jaywick, a daring Allied commando raid to destroy Japanese ships anchored in Singapore harbour during the Second World War. Though it was only a small military operation that came under the larger Allied war effort in the Pacific, it is worth noting that the methods employed bear many similarities to what is today known as asymmetric warfare.
States and militaries often have to contend with asymmetric warfare either as part of a larger campaign or when defending against adversaries. Traditionally regarded as the strategy of the weak, it enables a weaker armed force to compensate for disparities in conventional force capabilities. Increasingly, it has been employed by non-state actors such as terrorist groups and insurgencies against the United States and its allies to great effect, as witnessed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and more recently Marawi. Operation Jaywick is a good case study that demonstrates the advantages, costs, and use of asymmetric warfare.
… John Kwok is a Research Fellow and Ian Li a Research Analyst with the Military Studies Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.
IDSS / Online
