Singaporean anti-drone equipment showcased at NATO Immediate Response 2025 war games

Great to see Singaporean anti-drone equipment showcased at a NATO war game, codenamed LIVEX Immediate Response 2025, in the Xanthi region in northern Greece earlier this week.

We understand that Made in Singapore countermeasures to fibre-optic drones drew keen interest from the Greek Army and NATO armies at the exercise. Fibre-optic drones are more difficult to counter as the signals that control the drone are sent from the drone pilot to the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) via thin fibre-optic filaments and cannot be jammed or interfered with, unlike drones controlled by radio signals.

Unlike click-bait headlines that claim fibre-optic drones are "effectively unstoppable", such drones can be stopped that same way any aerial intruder is dealt with by an air defence network: by shooting it down.

Fibre-optic drones fielded in Ukraine have demonstrated the capability to skirt past anti-drone defences designed to counter drones controlled by radio signals.

Hybrid anti-drone solutions developed in Singapore are known to include active and passive components. The active component might include a weapon with a high rate of fire, such as a heavy calibre MG or automatic grenade launcher with airburst munitions, while the passive component could comprise a broadband RF jammer.

Hybrid solutions would typically mount active and passive anti-drone components on the same mounting, usually on a wheeled or tracked vehicle, thus conferring defenders the capability to counter drones whatever their guidance mechanism.

Anti-drone assets are best deployed with overlapping coverage for their range rings, especially around key installations or manoeuvre units.

Such units also need to be deployed in sufficient numbers to defeat drone swarms. As anti-drone assets are likely to be limited in number due to their cost and degree of training required for anti-drone units, proper intelligence preparation of the battlefield is essential to stay one step ahead of the adversary's use of drones.

Note the small unmanned ground vehicle scurrying past the column of MBTs.

Commentary on SGSecure Social Experiments

The road traffic accident along Braddell Road on 27 May'25 [Photo by Nur Zanna] tells us much about the public spiritedness of people on this island, without the distressing and potentially deadly results of foisting a mock terror attack upon unsuspecting citizens.

Two lorries collided, with one spilling cooking gas cylinders around a burning lorry. As rescue services were activated, motorists who saw the crash did not wait.

Acting spontaneously, courageously and with no rehearsal, people like Ms Nur Zanna and her colleague Mr Addy Izwan formed a human chain to move the highly flammable cargo away from the flames. Others tried rescuing a trapped driver, who died later in hospital.

“I remember thinking, ‘If I die, I die doing a good deed and trying to help people’. It was a no-brainer,” Mr Addy told The Straits Times.

In a kill-or-be-killed terror attack scenario, not all will run, hide, and tell authorities what they saw.

Some people, like Mr Addy, will stand their ground.

I pity the unwise who opt to challenge, underestimate or dismiss the resolve of ordinary Singaporeans. Those who disrupt the peace in Singapore may find themselves in a FAFO situation - F*ck Around and Find Out.

Our city-state, the smallest nation in Southeast Asia, has over one million men who have been through National Service. Some served elite units like the Commandos, Guards, Naval Diving Unit, Police Special Operations Command and are highly trained to defend themselves or to cause hurt. There are thousands of retired Singapore Armed Forces and Home Team regulars out there, amongst us.

A not-small number of civilians pay good money to keep fit and get knocked about via contact sports. Kick boxing, Muay Thai, even Krav Maga are not as exotic as they were 41 years ago when Total Defence was launched.

In addition, from 11-year-old Primary Fivers who attend the National Education Show every year and millions more who have heard of Total Defence, we know security should never be taken for granted. To be honest, even after 41 years of TD, you will fight a losing battle trying to find anyone on the street who can name the six elements of TD. It doesn't matter. What we know from COVID, from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami relief ops, from SARS and from assorted household fires and road traffic accidents, like Tuesday's fatal one at Braddell Road, is the fact that Singaporeans can be counted on when the occasion demands.

Do not let the bitchin', complainin' and hard-to-please sense of entitlement fool you.

It is, therefore, somewhat worrying to learn about the "social experiments" planned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to test the public's response to terror threats.

An MHA press release titled "SGSecure Social Experiments" said: "The Ministry of Home Affairs will be conducting a series of controlled social experiments in our heartlands from early to mid-June 2025 to understand the level of public vigilance and response to terror threats.

"These experiments will involve planned scenarios with actors and realistic props, and will be executed with careful oversight to ensure that they are carried out safely, with minimal inconvenience to members of the public. Authorities will be on standby to safeguard the public during the exercise."

While we are a robust society for reasons outlined above, always remember we are also a fragile nation: An ageing society, a nation with a high suicide rate averaging one a day. Who knows what unseen troubles and social anxiety issues strangers around you struggle with. On top of all that, we are told to expect a no-notice "terror threat" as we are minding our own business in daily life?

If shocked bystanders go into cardiac arrest or have a panic attack, who will take responsibility? If citizens think the attack is real and disable or kill the "terrorists", are they wrong to neutralise the threat?

I sure hope the paid actors or whoever will stage the mock terror threat is adequately insured.

Cross that Red Line with a mock knife attack, active shooter or bomb threat scenario and you may find out the hard way not everyone will run, hide, tell.

Some WILL fight back.

Republic of Singapore Air Force RSAF Unmanned Ground Vehicle carries sharp sting

As the author of a fictional war story, Pukul Habis, I thought I'd use the same creative licence to assess the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) at Exercise Rover on Tuesday 27 May 2025. 

The UGV seen in an image posted RSAF Facebook appears to be fitted with a remote weapon station (RWS) similar to the ST Engineering Adder Lite RWS. What looks like a flash hider just visible in a front profile of the vehicle appears to indicate the muzzle of a 7.62mm GPMG. Interestingly, this front profile image was later replaced by an image showing the UGV from the rear - which means we now have front and back views of the UGV (Thank you!).

The RWS mount carries three payload modules. The box on the right appears to house the UGV operator's observation and weapon sighting system. This could include a thermal imager (centre), day/night camera and possibly a laser range finder. The centre box could be fitted with an LRAD while the leftmost payload, which is the longest object mounted on the RWS, could be the sharp end of the Adder Lite. As speculated earlier, there could be a GPMG under the streamlined shroud that covers the weapon, protecting it from dust and possibly shell fragments.

In an RSAF video, the UGV was seen providing close support to 606 Force Protection Squadron personnel in an anti-intruder scenario at Sembawang Air Base. If the armament and sensor suite is confirmed, the fire support provided by an unmanned weapon platform that could be sent to deal with dull, dirty and dangerous situations would no doubt enhance the operational readiness and effectiveness of RSAF airbase defence troops.

One of the personnel seen attending to the vehicle appears to be from ST Engg Land Systems.

If confirmed, this UGV will not be the first of its kind in Singapore. ST Engg Land Systems is known to have tested a prototype unmanned Hunter armed with a 30mm RWS and this weapon is featured in a fictional scenario in Pukul Habis.

All the above purely fictional. Hope you found the speculation insightful. 

Have a great weekend!

Courtesy call on former Malaysia Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad

Visited former Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, with the family earlier this week. It was our first time in Putrajaya, Malaysia's administrative capital.

Am happy to share that my first novel, Pukul Habis (Malay for Total Wipeout), left a deep impression on Dr Mahathir, who was Malaysia's longest-serving PM. The depiction of fictional battle scenarios between the armed forces of Singapore and Malaysia, the description of military technology, and the strategy used in countering the invasion of Johor were some highlights of the story that kept Tun riveted.

Tun, as those of you from defence circles in Singapore and Malaysia may already know, wrote a Foreword for the second edition of Pukul Habis. Tun's remarks appear along with a Foreword by Lieutenant-General (Retired) Winston Choo, the first Chief of Defence Force of the Singapore Armed Forces. Both Foreword authors were in service during the period of tension between Singapore and Malaysia sparked by the real Pukul Habis episode in August 1991.

I thank Tun for his advice, guidance and friendship, and for making time to see us during the March school holidays.

Ramadan Mubarak ☪️