Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen observed the local testing of the aerostat system at Choa Chu Kang Camp earlier today. The Ministry of Defence had earlier announced that the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) plans to deploy an aerostat to complement the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) suite of sensors to identify potential aerial and maritime threats early. This will allow for timely and decisive response to safeguard Singapore's peace and security.

Speaking after his visit, Dr Ng highlighted the aerostat's abilities to enhance the SAF's aerial and maritime surveillance capabilities. He said, "Well, all of us recognise that Singapore is a very small island, and that alone makes us vulnerable to threats, either from the air or sea…And for small city states like Singapore, the need to put up defences must depend on layers of defence…we've procured this aerostat, and it adds another layer of defence and confidence in terms of what we are able to detect, in terms of aerial and maritime threats." He added, "…the very fact that we have this extra layer gives us added confidence… and I think it will help us and give us extra confidence to have this aerostat."  

The aerostat has completed initial tests at the manufacturer's facility in the United States, and is proceeding to the next stage of testing by the manufacturer in Singapore. The tests will involve progressive and comprehensive checks on all aspects of the aerostat as well as complex system tuning for local operations. This will ensure that the aerostat meets the RSAF's stringent operational requirements and high safety standards before it is deployed for operations.

When deployed, the aerostat will have several safety features. It will be secured to its ground mooring station with high-strength winch lines and a Kevlar tether built to withstand strong winds and lightning strikes. Radiation emissions from the radar equipment on the aerostat will be as safe as that of mobile phones, and have been certified in accordance with the IEEE C95.1-2005 standard - the same standard applied to certify the safety of mobile phones and microwave ovens.