Interestingly, Israelis were actually fundamental in the founding of Singapore's military. At the request of the Singaporean government, Israel sent many advisors. It was pretty much an organization copy of Israel's, IIRC.

For those who haven't read Startup Nation, the authors don't argue that the bonds formed in the military are sufficient for Israel startup culture. Rather, the military's unique culture and relatively flat hierarchy in which subordinates can and do challenge superiors (at a frequency unique among militaries) are other important factors in creating the startup nation. But of course, there's yet more discussed, which do indeed fill up the book's pages.