SINGAPORE (ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES) – Learning from recent foreign conflicts, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen stated on Monday that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will increase investments in unmanned capabilities.
This involves establishing two additional centres to promote the advancement and incorporation of unmanned vehicles within the air force and army; a new team to enhance the SAF’s counter-drone abilities; and new commands to protect Singapore’s essential digital infrastructure.
While discussing his ministry’s budget, Dr Ng said drones will play a larger role in modern warfare. For instance, research conducted by the Kyiv School of Economics indicated that Ukraine can manufacture four million drones annually – a hundred times more than prior to its conflict with Russia.
The asymmetry of costs between drone-based attacks and conventional countermeasures was also vividly exemplified when Houthi fighters fired drones at US warships off the coast of Yemen, said Dr Ng.
He noted that it would cost the aggressor USD15 million to fire 100 drones, but defence against them would cost nearly USD250 million, which is clearly unsustainable.
Finding a cost-effective solution to the problem of a mass small drone attack is currently the focus of intense efforts everywhere, he added. “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 (UAS).”
To build up the SAF’s counter-UAS capabilities – which include sensors, jammers and weapon solutions to detect and neutralise smaller drones – an SAF Counter-UAS Development and Operations group will be established. Working with other government agencies, it will be responsible for guarding Singapore against UAS threats.
A UAS Warfare and Tactics Centre has been established in the air force to advance UAS warfare and its integration with other military branches, collaborating with industries and technology organizations. The military will create a comparable center, named the Drone Accelerator for Rapid Equipping, to enhance the operations of unmanned systems for its divisions.
Dr Ng said the SAF has reorganised and equipped itself in the last ten years to integrate new technologies and skills. This included the formation of the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) in 2022, a culmination of initiatives aimed at more effectively addressing upcoming challenges in the digital domain.
Almost three years on, the DIS is prepared to create two new commands to accelerate digitalisation and remain ahead of hostile digital threats, he added.
One is the SAF C4 and Digitalisation Command, which will consolidate the armed forces’ software and hardware capabilities under a single command, and accelerate and integrate digitalisation efforts across the military.
The other is the Defence Cyber Command, which will consolidate the SAF’s cyber-security operations and capabilities. It will partner other government agencies and the industry to strengthen the national cyber defence against attacks that threaten the Republic’s digital backbone.
Commands under all SAF services that are responsible for unmanned platforms will also need to be reorganised, he added.
