Singapore military to build new counter-UAS capabilities, embrace dual-use technology

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will establish a new group responsible for guarding against the threat of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) such as drones.

This SAF Counter-UAS Development and Operations group will be formed in collaboration with other government agencies, Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen said during his ministry's Budget debate in parliament on Monday (Mar 3).

"These small commercial UAS are easily procured on the open market ... They can be retooled as weapons to inflict harm and destruction, for example, by terrorist groups," he said.

The SAF will thus build new capabilities - a suite of sensors, jammers, and weapon solutions to detect and neutralise smaller UAS, to add to existing island air defence capabilities, he added. 

During his speech to the House, Dr Ng said militaries must not only be able to integrate unmanned platforms into their structure and operations, but also counter and defend against these new threats.

"Drones will be part of modern warfare. It is only how much and whether you're prepared," he noted. The defence minister cited a study by the Kyiv School of Economics which showed that Ukraine was capable of producing four million drones annually, a hundred-fold increase from before its war with Russia. 

In Singapore, the SAF has already deployed unmanned platforms for operations.

The navy's unmanned surface vessels have already been patrolling the Singapore Straits since January.

These USVs issue audio and visual warnings using strobe lights, sirens and long-range acoustics devices; and where justified, fire shots with their 12.7mm remote gun system, said Dr Ng.

Soldiers from the Singapore Army too now have Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as part of their arsenal to fight more effectively and smarter. These work much like binoculars for scouts, but with far greater range and precision, the minister said. 

But it is the Republic of Singapore Air Force, in particular, that needs to address how the pace and scale of drones has grown exponentially, he added. 

As such, it has established a new UAS Warfare and Tactics Centre. This will drive UAS development and integration with other SAF forces for operations, while working with other industries and tech agencies, said Dr Ng. 

The Singapore army will also establish a Drone Accelerator for Rapid Equipping, or DARE - a similar office to scale up operations of UAVs and ground vehicles for units.

On the SAF's move to build new counter-UAS capabilities, Dr Ng said: "I don't want to give the wrong impression that it's so easy and that there are comprehensive solutions to deal with all unmanned aerial systems ... That won't be telling you the honest truth: Small drones are, in fact, hard to detect."

He also cited how it cost the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group S$15 million (US$11 million) to fire 100 drones in the Red Sea; while defending against these would cost nearly S$250 million - "clearly unsustainable", said Dr Ng. 

"The challenge is currently a focus of intense efforts everywhere. Everyone is trying to find a cost-effective solution to the problem of mass small drones used for attack."

NEW COMMANDS FOR SAF'S DIGITAL BRANCH

Dr Ng also announced on Monday that the SAF's digital branch and fourth service, the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), will stand up two new commands to counter cyber threats.

"The DIS formed in 2022 and is indeed a culmination of efforts in the reorganisation to better meet future threats in the digital sphere," he said. 

The first new command is the SAF C4 and Digitalisation Command, with two centres - the Digital Ops-Tech Centre and a new SAF Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre.

The mission here is to apply the full effects of new digital hardware and software to better accomplish the SAF’s missions, said Dr Ng. 

The second new command is the Defence Cyber Command (DCCOM). This consolidates all cybersecurity operations and capabilities, and partners the whole-of-government and industry to strengthen national cyber defence. 

This command "will have to deal with hostile digital threats against Singapore from state and non-state actors because, as you can imagine, if anyone attacks our digital backbone, our essential services will be crippled", said Dr Ng. 

"It is obvious that as a small geographic entity, we are vulnerable. It will impact economic and social well-being and will have a direct impact even on our security forces, the SAF and Home Team."

BRINGING TOGETHER COMBATANTS AND CIVILIANS

During his speech, the defence minister also pointed out that a number of emerging technologies are dual-use - both civilian and military - with quick adaptation cycles. 

For example, in the Russia-Ukraine war, an AI company was able to modify its commercial AI voice transcription to intercept Russia communications and automatically highlight key information to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, he noted. 

To capitalise on these opportunities, the SAF has set up technology adaptation teams, which put combatants and engineers from the DSO National Laboratories and the Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA) together. 

Their task is to adapt new technologies to resolve problems on the battlefield in quick and real time, Dr Ng said. 

These teams were tested during the recent Exercise Wallaby -  the SAF’s largest overseas exercise - and came up with a quick solution to use a UAV fitted with a 5G base station, to extend communications coverage for soldiers on the ground. 

"Technology is a disrupter for militaries and the SAF must maintain its technological superiority, which includes the potential use of AI," Dr Ng added. 

As such, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the SAF need to partner with civilian entities and use appropriate crowdsourcing. 

As an example, Dr Ng pointed to MINDEF and DSO Laboratories' AI Grand Challenge, launched in partnership with the AI Singapore research institute. 

The challenge has awarded funding to five teams to carry out research along the themes of robust AI and AI for materials discovery. 

"The idea is that over time, the SAF can harvest good ideas for its needs," Dr Ng said.