Goes well with the new generation combat systems that SG is developing/deploying for her forces e.g. Uprise exoskeleton which is undergoing tests for deployment:






SG infantry combat system:

Other SAF unmanned ground systems:







Themis - in collaboration with Milrem systems

https://www.army-technology.com/features/fi...n-a-themis-ugv/


Yup SAF has unmanned Hunter AFVs

I thought we got alot of spareparts from RAAF

Singapore expands its UAV capabilities

Singapore continues to expand its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities by integrating them in missions ranging from maritime patrols to combat scenarios at supersonic speeds.

Singapore’s 14-year-old UAV Command (UC) demonstrated its burgeoning fleet in 2021 by featuring the Veloce 15 (V15) mini-UAV at Exercise Forging Sabre 2021 along with its flagship UAV, the Heron 1. The year also saw the unveiling of the Arrow, pictured, a combat UAV capable of supersonic speeds, which is being developed by Singapore-based Kelley Aerospace.

The island republic’s maritime defense requirements make UAVs valuable assets for its Armed Forces, David Hambling, author of “Swarm Troopers: How Small Drones Will Conquer the World,” told FORUM.

“UAVs are increasingly taking on maritime patrols,” Hambling said. “These are typically extended missions lasting many hours, and the main limitation may be the endurance of the crew.” An unmanned aircraft such as the Heron 1 “can carry out a 30-hour mission while maintaining maximum concentration the entire time. It never gets bored or tired, and the ground controllers can work shifts as needed,” Hambling said.

Singapore’s UAVs regularly participate in homeland security exercises such as Exercise Highcrest and Exercise Northstar and were on patrol during a 2018 summit between the United States and North Korea, which was hosted by Singapore, according to the country’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).

“If managed well, there is potential, especially with advancing technology, to reduce personnel needs,” Hambling said.

Artificial intelligence, data analytics and training simulators are among the new technology enhancements employed by the UC to make UAV operations more effective, according to a MINDEF news release. Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How emphasized the value of UAVs to Singapore’s defense while visiting the UC, the October 2021 release stated.

The V15 saw its first action at Exercise Forging Sabre, held September 14-25, 2021, in the U.S., reported Singapore’s The Straits Times newspaper. The vertical-takeoff-and-landing, fixed-wing UAV, which was initially showcased by MINDEF in late June 2021, was developed jointly by the Singapore Army and a group of the country’s defense firms.

The V15 was used as a tactical sensor to support ground forces at Forging Sabre, detecting targets in an urban environment. The larger Israeli-made Heron 1 delivered a high-altitude view of the area of operations, The Straits Times added.

The 14-meter-long, 9-meter-wide Arrow is made of carbon fiber and is being developed to accompany conventional fighter jets into combat, according to a report by Singapore broadcaster Channel NewsAsia. The Arrow is designed to quickly disable high-value targets, leaving the enemy with little time to react. It could also act as a decoy for enemy missiles, allowing accompanying fighter aircraft to eliminate remaining threats.

“Arrow will be about a tenth the cost of a modern fighter and will be capable of many of the same missions,” Hambling said.

Tom Abke is a FORUM contributor reporting from Singapore.



Mai's note : Kelly is likely similar to Proteus systems (which builds and sells missiles such as Blue Spear) i.e. 50/50 joint venture firm from Israel/Sg with Israel/Sg as primary customers.

It goes w4 saying that many of these drones can be armed.

https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/12/singapor...ding-uav-fleet/

This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 24 2021, 10:13 PM

The article above forgot to mention that Sg had recently purchased the Hermes 900 drones.

https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/12/singapor...ding-uav-fleet/

https://alert5.com/2021/03/05/elbit-said-to...0-to-singapore/





This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 24 2021, 10:04 PM

Indonesian Navy new X63 Trimaran FAC KRI Golok-688.



Weapons:

• 40mm Gun
• 8 x Naval Strike Missiles (NSM)

This post has been edited by azriel: Dec 25 2021, 12:10 PM

To whom are celebrating i wish you a Merry Christmas!

Launched of HTMS Chang Type 071E LPD of The Royal Thai Navy.



https://thaiarmedforce.com/2021/12/23/chine...chang-launched/

Earlier this year, Sg was reported to have purchased Harop Kamikaze UCAVs as well - naval and land versions. Open source searches show SG as one of the operators.





https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/2021/0...sian-countries/

Remember this:



The harop resembles the silhouette of the close range UAV planned to be purchased under SAF 2030 vision plan.

What is the significance of Harop - land and naval variant? It is a loitering munition with over 1000km range(correlates with overall flight time and not actual distance-range) and 9 hrs worth of endurance. It is made to knock out critical static and moving assets over land or sea or return to base if there is no target of opportunity. It is a cheap (compared to missiles) munition to use against small sized targets like armored vehicles, mobile radar sites, patrol boats, USVs, etc. It can also be used to hit critical systems on large ships and neutralize them.

How abt a swarm of these?

This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 25 2021, 01:33 PM

US Congress Wants New F-35 Engines

he US Congress wants new engines for the current and future fleet of the F-35 Air Force Magazine reported, citing the latest draft of the 2022 National Defense Authorization (NDA) Act.

According to the act, the secretary of the air force and the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment will submit a plan detailing how to equip current and future conventional takeoff and landing F-35A fighters with new Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) power plants, beginning from 2027.

To power the short takeoff and vertical landing F-35B and the carrier-based C models, the draft NDA asks the secretary of the navy to prepare a separate plan for adding an “advanced propulsion system” to the aircraft. The outlet reported that the system could be either the “AETP derivatives or Pratt & Whitney’s proposed enhanced F135.”

The F135 powers the current fleet of F-35s while the 14-year-old AETP program has two engines — GE Aviation’s XA100 and Whitney’s XA101— in the testing phase.

F-35 Block 4 in 2023
The navy report should answer how much a new engine would improve the “combat effectiveness and sustainment costs” of the F-35B and C, “including any effects resulting from A) increased thrust, fuel efficiency, thermal capacity, and electrical generation, and B) improvements in acceleration, speed, range, and overall mission effectiveness.”

According to a previous Air Force Magazine report, at least one of the AETP engines will power the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter, and there is a growing appetite among lawmakers to field the engine, starting in 2027, for the Block 4 version of the F-35, which is slated to go into production by 2023.

Increased Range, Acceleration
Developers have stated that the engines “yield 25 to 30 percent more range; up to 18 percent greater acceleration; and increased cooling capability for onboard electronics.”

According to The Drive, the new engine could increase the F-35 A’s current range from 1,350 miles (2,172 km) to around 1,800 miles (2,897 km), reducing the need for air refuellers. Additional benefits of the engines “include more electricity to power emitting systems and directed-energy weapons, and a reduced heat signature to improve stealth.”

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/12/15/u...w-f-35-engines/

----------------

Mai's note: An >18% speed bump due to newer engines will push the F35's speed to about Mach 2.0 +/- when in stealth mode from the current Mach 1.6 +/-. Note: This is the advised manufacturer speed to maintain the reliability of the engines. The F35s engine has been tested to safely exceed Mach 1.6 in tests to make sure operational pilots have a margin of safety.

As said, non-stealthy 4.5 gen jets have difficulty hitting max speed due to drag from weapons load-out in real life. The F35 will be faster than any one of them in stealth mode.

This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 25 2021, 03:39 PM

Indonesian Army new Pandur II 8x8 trying out the Indonesian Army new M3 Amphibious Rig.





This post has been edited by azriel: Dec 25 2021, 04:23 PM

Read more: https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_new...israel.amp.html

This post has been edited by azriel: Dec 25 2021, 04:33 PM

Boston Dynamic's robot soldier:



These two-legged or quad-legged robots are highly resistant to counter fire. Seriously, f-up if armies deploy them as the average grunt will need higher firepower 2 deal with these robots. And SG will be deploying them soon.

This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 25 2021, 06:22 PM

More pics of the new batch of CH-4 Rainbow UCAV during test flights in mid 2021.

This post has been edited by azriel: Dec 25 2021, 07:00 PM

Indonesian Navy new Hospital Ship KRI dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo-991 successfully conducted Sea Acceptance Test (SAT). Credit to PT PAL.

Well, it looks like China now knows what the Indo are doing. China is happily harvesting data unbeknownst to Indo.

If they are not breaking down:

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/faults-chinese-ma...-041819547.html



This post has been edited by Mai189: Dec 25 2021, 07:23 PM

And the chinese are early adopters too - military and civilian versions.



Take 1/3 - armed with rifles, 1/3 armed with sub-machine guns and 1/3 armed with ATGMs. And let loose the dogs of war.

Such a beautiful ship.