The next wave
Story by Cheng Kiat Loon
Pictures by Alvin Lim and courtesy of the US Naval Undersea Warfare Centre
Infographics by Jonathan Leong
From a fleet of just two patrol craft in 1975, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has evolved into a dynamic force with skilled personnel, resources and infrastructure. With cutting-edge technology at its forefront, the RSN is advancing rapidly towards the new frontier of unmanned systems.
A suspicious vessel approaches an RSN warship. A speedboat with Navy personnel is sent out to investigate and intercept the vessel. Risks and safety concerns arise with the vessel identity being unknown.
But now, with the push of a remote control button, the above scenario is drastically transformed.
The nature of naval operations looks set to change in the near future as the RSN develops capabilities to deal with current and future maritime security threats. The exploration of unmanned systems is a natural progression, for they are a new set of network-centric and knowledge-based capabilities that will be a force multiplier for the RSN.
"Unmanned systems are an area which the RSN is exploiting as we continue our transformation into a third-generation (3G) Navy," said LTC Giam Hock Koon, Head, Budget and Force Plans Branch, Naval Plans Department.
"They complement our traditional fighting assets to allow for greater effectiveness and efficiency in the way we utilise our resources to achieve our missions."
Controlled remotely from the mother ship, unmanned systems include unmanned surface vessels (USVs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). In the scenario mentioned earlier, a USV could take the place of a manned vessel.
"We believe unmanned systems are key enablers that will allow us to explore and employ new operational concepts," said LTC Giam. "The intelligent use of unmanned systems within a widely distributed Integrated Knowledge-Based Command and Control (IKC2) network environment will allow for a quicker and more accurate decision cycle. We will be able to see more, understand better, decide faster and act decisively."
Surface protectors
Although some areas in the use of UAVs and UUVs are still in the experimentation and development stage, USVs are already a reality for the RSN. USVs serve the practical purposes of being cost-effective while being less manpower intensive at the same time.
This is especially crucial for the RSN, which is a small and compact force.
More importantly, given their flexibility and modular functions designed for different aims, USVs allow for added capabilities to the force.
Equipped with weapons and sensors, USVs can make a huge difference to operations in handling intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), force protection (FP), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and mine warfare (MIW).
In addition, USVs play the salient role of reducing safety risks for sailors by taking their place in potentially dangerous environments or contaminated waters. This is especially so when maritime threats like terrorist attacks and piracy are becoming increasingly widespread.
Protector at sea
Identifying the crucial need for USVs, the RSN has acquired the Protector USV, which serves the main objectives of FP and ISR.
It has proven to be highly effective for maritime security and interdiction operations, as demonstrated during the Landing Ship Tank, RSS Resolution's three-month deployment to the North Arabian Gulf, where it assisted in protecting the Al-Basrah Oil Terminal from terrorist attacks.
For instance, terrorist suicide craft could potentially result in the loss of lives, as the suicide attacks against Iraq's offshore oil terminals in April last year showed. With the presence of USVs, suspicious vessels can be investigated and terrorist craft countered without sending a crew out.
Even though the operator of the USV remains on the mother ship, communication with the crew of the suspicious vessel is possible via the info- communications system on the USV.
"The Protector offers enhanced surveillance, identification and interception capabilities against potential hostile vessels in the North Arabian Gulf," said LTC Bernard Miranda (right), Commanding Officer (CO) of 191 Squadron.
"Specifically, the Protector's high speed capability, coupled with an electro-optical system, remote-control General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and loud speaker onboard, enabled us to better establish and enforce protection zones around our ship and the Al-Basrah Oil Terminal."
"The camera device on the Protector was very effective and made the job of vessel identification easy," said 1WO Dalbeer Singh (left), currently Coxswain of 185 Squadron, who operated the Protector as Coxswain of 195 Squadron during the deployment.
"The operator can easily see the activities onboard the vessel, so we can close in on the vessel heading into the ship protection bubble to conduct queries and shoulder the fishing dhows out without putting our men in danger."
The USV was no doubt effective as the dhows and fishing boats in the region heeded the warning of this unfamiliar and unmanned craft.
"Whenever the operator conducted the hailing procedures (communication to the people on board the vessels), or whenever the craft closed in to do shouldering, the dhows heeded the hailing and left immediately," 1WO Singh said.
"The Protector generated interest among the coalition forces, as unmanned surface vessel technology is still relatively new and employment of such craft for security operations in an operational environment is unprecedented," said LTC Miranda.
"The commanders and ship COs were intrigued and impressed by what the craft could do."
In the North Arabian Gulf, the Protector was deployed for more than eight hours at a go. Being able to operate for long periods of time is an added advantage offered by a USV, particularly for surveillance purposes, where fatigue may set in for sailors.
Uniquely Spartan
In its continual efforts towards becoming a 3G Navy, the RSN is actively involved in research and development. It has the privilege of being involved in a multi-national collaboration with the US Naval Undersea Warfare Centre, the French Navy and other agencies in the Spartan Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) programme to develop the Spartan USV.
Started in mid-2002, the ACTD programme will create significant changes to naval warfare, especially in littoral waters. With Singapore as an island situated in littoral waters, the RSN can value-add in the programme with its relevant expertise in littoral warfare.
Together with the experts from the various agencies, the RSN personnel have been testing and evaluating the Spartan to refine its operational requirements.
This USV is armed with 'plug-and-play' mission modules - FP/-ISR, MIW, ASW and AsuW/Precision engagement. Depending on the mission modules, the Spartan can be equipped with different capabilities that are interchangeable.
According to the RSN Operations Manager for the Spartan ACTD programme, the ACTD is a manifestation of the RSN's intent to be at the leading edge of unmanned technologies.
Some of the early results of the Spartan include its deployment in ISR and FP missions "to augment the RSN's maritime security capabilities".
There are many points unique to the Spartan that cannot be found on other USVs like the Protector. One is its coalition interoperability, where a single host can control multiple USVs, or multiple hosts can control a single USV.
This is a strong and added advantage in terms of naval combat, especially when allied forces have to work hand-in-hand to counter maritime threats.
Its beyond line-of-sight datalink capability is another unique factor. Used together with a UAV, the Spartan can be deployed at an out-of-sight distance from the mother ship and transmit data retrieved back to the mother ship using high-speed broadband datalink.
And unlike the Protector, the Spartan need not be remotely controlled. With way-points (various points in a route) and targets set, the Spartan can be an autonomous system.
Its 360-degree rotation camera device aids in object avoidance along its intended path.
Being a multi-national collaboration, the ACTD programme has also served as a platform to enhance operational interactions amongst the warfighters from the RSN, the United States Navy and the French Navy in sharing operational ideas.
The Spartan is due to arrive in local waters early next year
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