Introduction

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is experimenting on a series of unmanned systems to support maritime security operations in the future. They will help the RSN to leverage the resource efficiencies as the RSN progress to become a smarter, sharper and stronger navy. The unmanned systems will not only allow the RSN to deploy its manpower more efficiently, but also enable specific operations to be conducted from shore or any of its platforms at sea. In addition, unmanned systems allow operations to be conducted remotely, reducing risk of injuries to humans.

Unmanned Surface Vessels

The Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV), manufactured locally by Singapore Technologies Engineering, have been put through its paces in two particular areas:

Coastal Defence.  A USV has been deployed in trials to patrol Singapore's waters, as part of the RSN's layered coastal defence. This USV has better sea-keeping abilities and it is integrated with advanced sensors and software to automatically correct its course and speed to avoid collision. The USV will be a key force multiplier as it allows the RSN to patrol Singapore's waters with a smaller number of manned assets, sustaining operations over longer periods.

Mine Countermeasure.  A USV has been coupled with a Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar (TSAS) to conduct underwater scans of the seabed safely and with reduced manpower. Working closely with the RSN, Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) conducted feasibility studies and technical assessment for the underwater search system. This included the integration of an automatic Launch and Recovery System (LARS) for the TSAS. The LARS will allow the operator to launch the TSAS once the USV arrive at the area of operations and automatically recover the TSAS upon completion of the survey operations.