See More, Shoot Further, Smarter

17 Dec 2020

With the integration of key components such as the Aster-30 Missile System and the smart Combat Management System (CMS), the Island Air Defence (IAD) System demonstrated its capabilities at an event witnessed by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen on 17 December 2020.

Jointly developed by a multidisciplinary team of engineers together with the RSAF, the IAD System is a multi-layered, networked, and intelligent air defence system which integrates advanced sensors, capable weapon systems, command and control elements, and decision-support tools.

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(click to enlarge view)

DSTA played the leading role in the overall design of the system architecture, as well as managed the acquisition and integration of sensors and weapons within the IAD system. The engineers also developed the Combat Network and smart CMS indigenously to network the different air defence capabilities to meet the RSAF’s operational requirements.

Capable of analysing, prioritising targets and recommending actions, the smart CMS reduces the cognitive load on operators while continuing to provide a real-time comprehensive air situation picture by organising and fusing data from multiple sources to enable faster and better decision-making. The smart CMS and the Decision Support Systems also incorporate technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics to evaluate real-time situations, and assign and allocate the most effective weapon systems to deal with potential air threats decisively.

The Combat Network integrates the various sensors, weapon systems and smart CMS to enable the rapid and seamless dissemination of time-critical information and data to all entities within the IAD system. It provides an enhanced island-wide air defence coverage with reduced manpower, and prevents a single-point of failure with its high resilience.

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At the demonstration, Dr Ng was briefed on the IAD System together with Permanent Secretary (Defence) Chan Heng Kee, DSTA Chief Executive Tan Peng Yam, Chief of Air Force Major-General Kelvin Khong and Chief Defence Scientist Quek Gim Pew.

Project team member and Senior Programme Manager (Systems Engineering & C3 Centre) Teng Siang Loong, alongside RSAF servicemen and women, also took the opportunity to speak with Dr Ng to share more about their experiences with the IAD System.

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Expressing confidence in the IAD System’s capabilities to safeguard the safety and security of Singapore against aerial threats, Dr Ng said: “I feel confident that we have designed it well, both from the RSAF perspective as well as DSTA and DSO. These systems will serve us for the next few decades, and it is a culmination of efforts taken over the last 20 years.”

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Speaking of his experience working on the IAD System, Siang Loong said: “DSTA engineers were able to leverage the experience and expertise accumulated over the years to manage the project, and provide good alternatives and solutions to the complex issues raised.”

“As DSTA marks our 20th year of engineering Singapore’s defence, the IAD System that we’ve developed for the next-gen SAF is testament to the strong ops-tech partnership forged over the two decades,” he added.

All images credited to MINDEF.

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