ENGINEERING OUR NAVY

“DTC IS THE SECRET-EDGE WEAPON OF THE SAF”

DR NG ENG HEN MINISTER FOR DEFENCE II The opinions and views expressed in this work are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Ministry of Defence TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

Message

Preface

1 CHAPTER 1 : Naval Engineers And Naval Systems Engineers – Who Are They and What Do They Do?

6 CHAPTER 2 : The Anti-Ship Missile

18 CHAPTER 3 : Beyond the Horizon

36 CHAPTER 4 : Collaborative Systems – Force Multiplication

40 CHAPTER 5 : Organisational System-of-Systems – Overcoming the Challenges of Size and Sustainability

43 CHAPTER 6 : Naval Platforms – Multi-Role and Multi-Dimensional

66 CHAPTER 7 : The Electromagnetic Battlefield

79 CHAPTER 8 : The Under-Sea Environment

87 CHAPTER 9 : The Information Domain

94 EPILOGUE

99 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

104 GLOSSARY

107 INDEX FOREWORD

The journey of Singapore’s Defence engineers and scientists stands at the frontier The stories that are told in this book Technology Community (DTC) parallels of technological progress. Indeed the DTC is series chronicles should lift the spirits of that of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) the secret-edge weapon of the SAF. Singaporeans, old and young. They celebrate – indeed both were co-dependent and what pioneers and successive generations of iterative processes which fed off As the DTC celebrates its 50th anniversary, committed scientists and engineers have each other’s success. Pioneers in both we want to thank especially its pioneers accomplished over the years. But they also communities recognised very early on the who were committed to achieve the give hope to our future, as they will serve as stark limitations of a small island with no unthinkable and were not daunted by severe reminders during difficult times to overcome geographical depth and limited manpower. challenges along the way. Their efforts and challenges and continue to keep Singapore But despite this realisation, they were beliefs have spawned world class agencies safe and secure for many years to come. undaunted and shared a common resolve such as DSTA and DSO, and the family of to mitigate Singapore’s vulnerabilities Singapore Technologies (ST) companies. and constraints, and build a credible SAF through sheer will, commitment and the More hearteningly, the virtuous effects harnessing of the powers of technology. In extend into mainstream society too. Dr Goh Keng Swee’s words, “we have to Today the defence cluster of DSTA, DSO, Dr Ng Eng Hen supplement the SAF’s manpower with new MINDEF, the SAF and ST employs the Minister for Defence technology, as manpower constraints will largest proportion of scientists and engineers Singapore always be there. Our dependency should in Singapore – almost one in every 12! It be more on technology than manpower. is not an overstatement that these entities And we must develop indigenously that have been the main receptacles to maintain technological edge.” As worthy and the science and technology capabilities in important as these ideals were, it was an our nation, providing life-long careers in the arduous journey for the DTC. With poor process. standards of general education, let alone engineers or scientists, how could Singapore Beyond defence, the DTC has also positively develop such capabilities? impacted our society in a variety of ways: in producing mass thermal scanners to combat This book series chronicles the last 50 years the 2003 SARS outbreak, in designing and of that ascent that begun in 1966. The DTC building the iconic Marina Bay Floating has indeed come a long way from its humble Platform to host the National Day Parades and beginnings and with it, a transformation sports events, in breaking new ground and of the SAF’s capabilities. Today, both old mindsets when we built the underground the SAF and the DTC are respected storage for munitions, in forming the nucleus professional bodies and the requests from to start the MRO (maintenance, repair and advanced economies to collaborate reflect overhaul) industries to service airlines in the standards which we have achieved. Singapore and globally. Our closely-knit community of defence

ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY MESSAGE

The Defence Technology Community (DTC) • The integration of the RSN’s missile renowned R&D partners locally and around has steadily evolved over the last 50 years. We gunboats and missile corvettes which the world, I am confident that the DTC will started off as a small, three-man technical built up the DTC’s confidence to move remain steadfast in delivering the critical department in the Logistics Division in 1966 on to specify and acquire best of breed technologies and innovative solutions for supporting defence equipment procurement systems to integrate into new ships like the SAF and the nation. May the stories in and there was much work to be done. The the frigates. It also laid the foundations these books inspire our current and future Army then was largely equipped with for ST Engineering’s capabilities to design defence engineers and scientists to continue second-hand vehicles and surplus equipment and build ships for the RSN and some to push boundaries and think creatively to left by the British. The Republic of other navies. deliver capabilities that will safeguard our Singapore Navy (RSN) had two boats, one • The conversion of old US Navy’s A-4 sovereignty for the years to come. steel and the other wooden. Recognising the Skyhawk aircraft into the A-4SU Super need to overcome the immutable challenges Skyhawk for the Republic of Singapore of geography and resource constraints Air Force, building up ST Engineering’s facing Singapore, we extended our scope to capabilities to undertake further aircraft include conceptualisation, development and upgrades such as for the F-5E Tiger fighter upgrade of defence systems. These efforts aircraft, and to undertake servicing and Mr Ng Chee Khern leverage the force multiplying effects of repair of commercial aircraft. Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) technology to meet the unique challenges • The system-of-systems integration Ministry of Defence, Singapore and operational requirements of the Singapore efforts to evolve the island air defence Armed Forces (SAF), beyond what could be system, building on legacy systems left had buying off-the-shelf. by the British to seamlessly incorporate new weapons, sensors, and indigenously This four-book “Engineering Singapore’s developed command and control systems Defence – The Early Years” series covers the to extend the range and coverage of entire spectrum of the DTC’s work in the Singapore’s air defence umbrella, and land, air and sea domains to deliver cutting- the build-up of the DTC as a system-of- edge technological capabilities to the SAF. systems to deliver cutting-edge capabilities It chronicles our 50-year journey and and systems to the SAF, and to meet the documents the largely unheard stories of technology requirements of the nation. our people – their challenges, struggles and triumphs, their resolve and ingenuity, and While not exhaustive, these stories provide their persistence in overcoming the odds. us with a glimpse of the “dare-to-do” and These stories include: enterprising spirit that our DTC personnel and forerunners possess. • The upgrading of the French-made AMX-13 light tank to the AMX-13 SM1 There is no end to change and transformation. configuration by the DTC, the Army and Singapore and the SAF will continue to face ST Engineering, laying the foundation for many challenges in the years ahead. However, the design, engineering and production of with the capabilities and expertise developed the Bionix, Bronco and Terrex armoured over the years in its more than 5,000-strong fighting vehicles for the Army. personnel, and its established linkages with

ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY PREFACE

Well before the turn of the last millennium Systems engineering as applied in the defence As the Defence Technology Community and before the advent of internet search, if one and aerospace sectors has resulted in many celebrates its 50th anniversary, this book is wanted to learn about the world’s navies it of the modern technological innovations that dedicated to the defence systems engineers would be usual to turn to Jane’s Fighting Ships — we see today, including air and space travel, whose efforts and ingenuity have contributed a compendium of the world’s naval forces that the Internet, the Global Positioning System to the Singapore Armed Forces and the RSN was published annually. Leafing through the and robotics. Systems thinking approaches of today. pages it would be unusual to find many navies have also been developed in fields such as with a manpower strength below 5,000 that biology and the social sciences however. could boast a balanced range of capabilities. Systems thinking is therefore not confined to One such anomaly, however, was the Republic the field of engineering, but the combination of Singapore Navy (RSN). It had a wide of systems and engineering approaches has range of capabilities, including surface strike, been a powerful conceptual approach to the RADM (Ret) Richard Lim amphibious, mine hunting, underwater development of large-scale engineered and Editor, Engineering Our Navy warfare and maritime air within an human activity systems. This approach (not organisation of less than 5,000 people in active the hardware) is the force multiplier that service. How could an organisation of this size underpins the ability of the RSN to attain build and sustain such a range of capabilities capabilities not immediately evident by an and keep it in a high state of readiness? examination of its constituent parts.

Engineering Our Navy is our attempt to narrate the development of the RSN from Lessons from Engineering A Navy an engineering perspective. It endeavours to Constraints of Size show how the application of engineering and Coastal Defence & SLOC, HADR, & Geography International Maritime Security systems approaches has provided the means Peacekeeping to advance the RSN to what we see today. Create strategic Surface Strike Surface Strike Multi-dimensional This is not just a narrative of technology depth and force (Radar horizon) (Over the Horizon) Naval Warfare acquisition, but an attempt to narrate the multiplication by exploiting the time conceptual approach guided by the principles dimension Specialised Warfare Specialised Warfare and concepts of systems engineering (or (Mines) (Submarines, Special forces, Unmanned systems) engineering systems; this being considered Force multiplication Joint Services, Civil- Multi-national, more appropriate by some prominent through technology, Military, Whole of Single Service International institutions such as the Massachusetts high readiness, Government organisation, sound Institute of Technology as they take a wider planning and Emerging view of engineering that includes other execution (Counter-terrorism, Cyber) disciplines beyond the traditional fields of hard engineering disciplines).

ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY Chapter One Chapter 1 NAVAL ENGINEERS AND NAVAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERS

NAVAL ENGINEERS in Singapore shipyards (although the first of building block in establishing our present left to its own devices to seek solutions AND NAVAL SYSTEMS class ships were constructed in overseas yards) capability of keeping the RSN in a constant to its unique requirements. This provided and the outfitting, integration and testing high state of readiness. Concepts of reliability, both challenges and opportunities for our ENGINEERS - of these ships and systems by established availability and maintainability; modelling naval systems engineers and scientists of Who Are They and What Do international systems integrators supported and prediction of systems and component the defence technology community. The They Do? by our local engineers. These activities were failures; procurement and stockpiling of chapters within this book narrate some of the valuable learning opportunities for our critical spares; and the development of lean work of our engineers as they mastered and fledgling group of naval systems engineers and efficient base support operations were applied the discipline of large-scale systems that included both uniformed engineers in the learnt, practised and improved during these engineering over the system development After the Independence of Singapore in RSN and civilian engineers from the Ministry years. life cycle: conceptualisation, architecture and 1965, the Royal Malaysian Naval Volunteer of Defence (MINDEF). These engineers were design, development, test and evaluation, Force became the Singapore Naval Volunteer specially selected for these roles and included Just as important was the establishment and support. Force. The name was changed to Sea many scholarship holders who had returned and refinement of the readiness condition Defence Command in September 1967 after completing their engineering studies (or ‘REDCON’) system that integrated the Who were our naval engineers and naval and changed again in December 1968 to both in local and overseas institutions. engineering and supply system with the systems engineers? They were a diverse group Maritime Command (MC). MC assumed Important systems integration, testing and mission and readiness requirements of the RSN, of people with different backgrounds but responsibility to raise naval forces for the evaluation expertise were established during an end-to-end efficient value chain producing with a shared focus on applying engineering defence of Singapore from the sea. On 1st April these early years that would subsequently set the right level of high readiness operational and systems thinking in the maritime 1975, MC was re-designated as the Republic the stage for more developments in the RSN. units to meet mission requirements. This domain. They included naval architects, of Singapore Navy (RSN) when both the Navy was possibly our first attempt in developing marine, mechanical, electrical and electronics and Air Force were established as separate For naval engineers, building and fielding a systems architecture for a high readiness engineers (even aeronautical engineers!) services in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). new ships and weapons systems had to, for military force production system, although from the traditional engineering disciplines; some time, take second priority to supporting we were not consciously going about it from but also people from the sciences (physics, During the early build-up of MC, there was operations though. The fall of Vietnam and a systems architecture perspective. chemistry and biology), information a need to establish an engineering support the subsequent wars in Indo-china in the technology, medical sciences, naval operations, capability as sophisticated naval platforms 1970s threw the young RSN into a decade of Even as defence policy and budget priorities the social sciences and management. Their were being acquired. These included the six continuous maritime patrols and enforcement eventually allowed the RSN to build the expertise covered both depth of understanding patrol craft (PCs) and six missile gunboats operations that took a considerable toll on both capabilities for a balanced navy that would in a specific domain complemented by the (MGBs) that were to be brought into service. people and equipment in the RSN. Training move beyond the capability of seaward ability to work across multiple domains – Besides being sophisticated ship systems and doctrine development in the use of its defence to the protection of our sea lines of the T-shaped competency profile. these ships had integrated weapons and sophisticated weapons and systems played communications, the RSN was limited in sensor systems. Sophisticated search and second fiddle to the continual grind of day-to- looking for good solutions in the developed fire control radars were interfaced with guns day patrols. The naval engineers had to focus navies. Unlike the Army and the Air Force, and missile systems. For a long time naval on the challenging tasks of ensuring ships it was extremely difficult to find a suitable weapons were standalone systems mounted and systems readiness and reliability to meet platform or weapons system deployed by the on board ships. Ship systems were supported the demands of prolonged operations. These developed navies that could suit our needs. by marine engineers, and weapons systems new ships were not specifically designed for Most of the existing multi-role ships were were supported and maintained by weapon such prolonged operations at slow speeds, and large vessels that were manned by crews electronics engineers. There was minimal their sophisticated weapons systems were of several hundred: a manning concept that integration between these two domain areas. not exactly suited for low-intensity military was not feasible for a navy with limited operations. manpower resources. Many of their weapons The arrival of these new PCs and MGBs were developed for areas of operations with required that a systems integration capability However, these trying times in the history quite different characteristics compared to the be established. Marine engineers and weapons of the RSN enabled the development of a tropical littoral waters of our operating area. electronics engineers had to work together different set of skills and expertise in the field to integrate and support these sophisticated of systems engineering – the application of The RSN could only look to cooperating systems. The PC and MGB programmes had systems engineering knowledge to support with a limited number of smaller navies that largely involved the construction of the vessels operations. This would become a critical had similar requirements; but was largely

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before I could even speak a word, the secretary Over the years the contributions of our 1998 DTP Team Award signalled to me that it had been approved and engineers have been recognised through The Underwater Shock Technology I could leave. That was my first experience of various Defence Technology Prize (DTP) Programme Team: trust placed in me to produce a perfect staff Awards. The DTP is awarded annually Led by Associate Professor Lam Khin Yong paper. And that trust was mutual, otherwise to individuals or teams who have made and comprising members from Institute it would not have been re-drafted 14 times. significant technological contributions to of High Performance Computing, Naval the defence capability of Singapore: Logistics Department and DSO National A few years earlier, RSS Sea Dragon had Laboratories completed its systems integration and testing. 1990 DTP Team Award Some of our pioneering naval engineers, It was time to test-fire the Gabriel surface- The Missile Corvette Team: circa early 1970s. to-surface missile. On the day of the firing, Led by Mr Quek Pin Hou and comprising 2001 DTP Team Award the sea was rough, but spirits were high. members from Defence Materials The New LST Integrated Project Reminiscences of an Early Defence When everything was set, a message was sent Organisation, Defence Science Organisation Management Team: Technology Community Pioneer – to the HQ to inform the Skyvan aircraft to and the Republic of Singapore Navy Led by Dr Koh Hock Seng and comprising What I remember most about these proceed to the firing area. But not long after, members from Defence Science and early days a fault developed in the radar system. The Technology Agency, Singapore Technologies By Mr Ho Jin Yong engineers and technicians were frantically 1992 DTP Team Award Marine, Singapore Technologies Electronics trying to get it fixed. As the clock ticked The Naval Electronics System Team: and the Republic of Singapore Navy What do I remember most? It is not the away, it was clear that the firing had to be Led by Mr Loh Quek Seng and comprising excitement of weapons systems testing, aborted and everyone would be disappointed. members from Defence Materials nor the desperation of trying to conclude a The engineer from the radar company then Organisation, Defence Science Organisation 2006 DTP Team Award contract in a smoke-filled room. It is about suggested that we cannibalise the whole and the Republic of Singapore Navy The Specialised Marine Craft Team: trust − trust in people. radar transmitter rack from another MGB Defence Science and Technology Agency, nearby. A quick consultation among the naval DSO National Laboratories and Singapore Some parts of a weapons system must be personnel and the project team was held in 1995 DTP Team Award Technologies Marine regularly replaced due to their limited shelf the Combat Information Centre. The decision The Maritime Patrol Aircraft Project life. This would cost lots of money, and was to go ahead. The rest was history. It was Team: therefore approval must be sought from the a resounding result with a direct hit. Looking Led by Mr Lee Kian Kong and comprising 2007 DTP (Engineering Award) higher management. In the middle of 1970s, I back, I realised that everyone on that day, members from Defence Materials The Formidable Class Stealth Frigate was asked by James Leo, then Commanding except the field engineers from the weapon Organisation, Defence Science Organisation Integrated Programme Management Officer of the Naval Maintenance Base, to system suppliers, was so young and had never and Air Logistics Department Team: prepare a staff paper to the Naval HQ to gone through any major exercise before. It Defence Science and Technology seek that approval. Writing a staff paper was was the trust in everyone that made history. Agency, the Republic of Singapore Navy, definitely not my strength as I was a young 1996 DTP Team Award DSO National Laboratories, Singapore engineer then. The first draft that went up to In the 1980s, we moved into the MCV Patrol Vessel Programme Team: Technologies Electronics and Singapore James Leo was, as expected, returned with a programme. One of the weapons systems Led by LTC Thomas Vergis and comprising Technologies Marine lot of comments. The second draft suffered encountered some technical issue. It was a members from Defence Materiel the same fate. We met up and discussed, but major impasse that was beyond the contractor Organisation, Command, Control, the third draft was still not good enough. A to resolve. We had to raise it to the defence Communications and Computer Systems 2010 DTP (Engineering Award) new draft was written. It went on and on. ministry of the contractor’s country. I wrote Organisation, Defence Science Organisation The Comprehensive Maritime Remember, those were the days when the to the then Second Permanent Secretary, Mr and the Republic of Singapore Navy Awareness Team: only office automation was the typewriter. Philip Yeo, for guidance. He called me to his Defence Science and Technology After many amendments, the draft eventually office. After comprehending the situation, he Agency, the Republic of Singapore Navy, passed the high standard of James Leo. It was asked me to draft a letter for him to send to DSO National Laboratories, Singapore the 14th draft and quickly tabled for Naval his counterpart. The next day, I brought the Technologies Electronics HQ’s approval. Nervously waiting outside draft letter to his office. To my utter shock, the conference room, I was called to enter the he simply put his signature down without room when my paper was to be discussed. But reading it. While it did not make history, the

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letter did resolve the problem quickly. But the then Singapore Institute of Standards and THE ANTI-SHIP MISSILE which had an active seeker head. Exocet more than that, it was trust in people that Industrial Research, that the casting process had an advantage of range but was more I most appreciated and fondly remembered. was faulty. Engineers also found out that vulnerable to electronic countermeasures some heat exchanger tubes were of the wrong (ECM). The fire control radar of the MGB material. The anti-ship missile brought about a revolution would track the target and give guidance in naval warfare in the late 1960s and 1970s. commands to Gabriel. Besides being more In the very early days (the 1970s) our PC The Arab-Israeli Wars of 1967 and 1973 resistant to ECM, Gabriel could be directed engines were also plagued by over-speed trips, demonstrated the lethality of the anti-ship to another target in flight, giving the MGB from those dreadfully unreliable electronic missile in naval surface warfare. Our naval greater operational flexibility. Gabriel has a controls overheating in the engine room. The systems engineers were at the forefront of 20km range as compared to Exocet’s 30km. maintenance base actually did the first “Work this development. In 1974, RSS Sea Wolf Improvement Team Scheme or WITS” project successfully fired a Gabriel surface-to-surface Our engineers were schooled in the art of (before we had even heard of that term): they missile, making the RSN the first navy in the systems integration, and test and evaluation designed and fabricated new speed control region to fire such a missile successfully. during the installation of the various combat units, using IC chips (considered “advanced systems on board the MGBs. As the MGBs Our pioneers in their finest, circa mid 1970s. technology” in those days!). The six MGBs of 185 Squadron armed with were subsequently upgraded with new the Gabriel anti-ship missile were the principal capabilities, these engineers upgraded the RADM (Ret) James Leo, then Chief The early days illustrate the enthusiasm, dare strike craft of the RSN till the arrival of the platform, weapons, sensors and command of Navy recalls… (sometimes even foolhardy) and enterprising MCV in the late 1980s. Gabriel was a semi- and control systems to keep the RSN spirit that drove the young engineers, who active homing missile as compared to others abreast of developments in the offensive and We started in two rows of shabby “boldly” took on the task for which they had such as the French Exocet anti-ship missile defensive aspects of missile warfare. “buildings in Pulau Blakang Mati, moving on little practical experience. Their contribution to Pulau Brani to take over the slightly better to Ops Thunderstorm was unsung, but facilities vacated by the UK Royal Corp of without them some of the refugee ships Transport. would not have been rendered ready to sail when ordered. Our engineers provided the requirements for the building of the Brani Naval Base. ” We took some equipment left by the British forces and set them up in the new Brani workshops. Apart from buying a new brake- dynamometer, the Brani engine test bay was designed, fabricated and set up on our own. Electronic test equipment was basic, and so was the set-up for rewinding of electric motors/alternators. In those days we had few resources and did all sorts of things ourselves. For example, our engineers helped to set up the missile maintenance facilities and performed damage control operations (from the outside). ” Our ships’ engines were plagued by “recurrent cylinder heads cracking, so our engineers resorted to experiments to coat them with ceramic. This was before they discovered, during metallurgical analysis with The Gabriel anti-ship missile, created and manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries.

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enhanced so much so that the MGBs regularly in the design and construction of naval shot down the sleeve targets during anti-air surface strike platforms as well as the towed target gunnery exercises. integration of combat systems in these ships. This led to the next phase whereby As airborne weapons became even more the RSN was sufficiently confident to design sophisticated eventually, the guns on board and specify its next generation surface strike the MGBs proved inadequate and the 40mm craft. Unlike many small navies that had aft gun was replaced by the Mistral anti-air to acquire their ships and combat systems missile. off-the-shelf from the established defence contractors, the RSN and defence engineers were confident enough in their own expertise to specify and acquire the best systems, and to integrate these into existing and new ships for the RSN.

With the advent of sophisticated weapons that were guided and controlled using electromagnetic waves (especially radar), naval combat moved away from fighting within the visual horizon to the coverage The Sea Wolf-class MGB was the first vessel in the RSN fleet to be The Simbad missile defence of the radar horizon. Initially, platforms equipped with an over-the-horizon attack capability. system, as mounted on the Sea Wolf-class (ships and aircraft) were within radar missile gunboats. coverage of each other to engage in combat. Given the lethality of anti-ship missiles, lesson learnt was that these sophisticated Subsequently, given the prevalence of guided significant effort was invested by our engineers electronic sensors also had to be installed Throughout the continual upgrades of the weapons, platforms could stay beyond the in upgrading the defensive capabilities of the with lightning protection systems. MGBs to fulfil their role as the principal strike radar horizon, launching guided weapons MGBs. Electronic sensors were fitted to craft of the RSN, naval platform engineers to seek out and attack their intended targets provide early warning of a missile attack and As military aircraft became more sophisticated had to upgrade the MGB hull and platform autonomously. A revolution in naval warfare enable the effective deployment of electronic and could deploy smart weapons, the defence systems to carry the increased load of took place with revolutionary attack and countermeasures. Modelling and simulation against airborne attacks became a challenge equipment. Ship stability studies including defence techniques enabled by sophisticated studies allowed the planning for the most that had to be grappled with. The Falklands damage-controlled conditions were carried technology. Modelling and simulation, and effective deployment of such countermeasures. War in 1982 showed just how vulnerable ships out extensively to ensure that these ships operational analysis became mandatory The electronic defences of the MGBs were were to airborne attacks, especially when continued to be effective platforms to support to understand and operate effectively in then evaluated during operational test and smart weapons such as laser-guided bombs their improved capabilities. As more complex scenarios involving one-on-one and evaluation trials at sea. These efforts were and anti-ship missiles were deployed from compartment spaces were used for electronic many-on-many combat encounter situations. supported by scientists and engineers at the air platforms. systems, a major drawback was the loss of For example, the optimal types and number then Defence Science Organisation (DSO) habitability for MGB crews. However, one of gun ammunition and missiles on board (now known as DSO National Laboratories) Sometime in the 1990s, the RSN was upgrade that the crew appreciated was the ships were computed through such studies. and led to the accumulation of considerable challenged to improve the accuracy of its anti- installation of reverse osmosis plants, which professional expertise within DSO in air gunnery capability. The performance of its provided adequate freshwater for long Two main insights were derived from the electronic warfare. anti-air towed target shooting was then less deployments. The MGB could be described rigorous modelling and simulation studies as than satisfactory, especially when the target as a 45m pocket battleship given the extensive well as by exercises in the Tactical Training To improve the detection ranges of electronic was a slow-moving sleeve target travelling upgrades and equipment installed. Centre. The first was that our missile craft sensors, the MGBs were installed with a tall on a steady course. Naval engineers worked had to be able to work with each other in mast to house these sensors. With limited with shipboard crews to improve the overall With the extensive experience accumulated a coordinated fashion in combat scenarios mast space available, the engineers struggled to system level performance of the MGB’s anti- in the integration, test and evaluation against an adversary force with anti-ship best position these sensors to ensure minimal air capability. Through extensive system test of weapons and platform systems, our missiles. The second was that battles had to electromagnetic interference. An important and evaluation, the sensor-shooter loop was planners and engineers built up expertise be fought beyond the radar horizon.

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An account of the Navy’s first major together − whatever little we could muster that appeared to be a highly motivating Systems Integration Management and compute from the “guesstimates” and adventure – there was challenging and for the MGB (1970 – 1975) explanations we could gather from the various interesting technical work to explore and By Mr Quek Pin Hou senior officers at Pearl’s Hill, plus our common work on, very high value knowledge and skills technical sense as young engineers. Some of to master, and a definite chance to take over How I Got Involved at the Start of the the people we talked to turned out to be quite from Littons when their contract expired. Project well-known figures in subsequent years − names like Mr James Aeria, LG (Ret) Winston Learning about the Signaal After my studies at the University of Choo, Prof Lui Pao Chuen, Mr Philip Yeo, WM28 Fire Control Radar and Gabriel Western Australia in Electrical Engineering Mr Chew Bak Koon and Mr Ong Kah Kok. Missile under a Colombo Plan Scholarship, I was initially posted to Radio and Television At another interview with the Acting Second It was sometime in late October 1970 when Singapore (RTS) as a broadcasting engineer. Permanent Secretary after the study, he I went to Littons’ office located on the upper One fine day, around June 1970, I received mentioned the MGB systems integration most floor of an HDB apartment at the a message from Dr Goh Keng Swee’s office for its complex suite of weapons systems, highest point of Pearl’s Hill. It was originally that he wanted to see me about possible especially the integration between the fire a resident quarter for police constables. The new postings. I recall at the interview control radar and the Gabriel ship-to-ship topmost floor had been vacated to house the that he asked me about my work at RTS missile. MINDEF had hired a US system Littons team. As the General Manager (GM) and my interests. I told him that I would consultant, Littons Scientific Support Team, Mr Topham was away with Mr Cheong Quee prefer to do some advanced technical work to engineer and manage the MGB project. Wah on an overseas assignment, I met the before considering management openings. Deputy GM Mr Red Morrow. Red welcomed Control systems and communications I liked the prospect of looking into high-tech me and was happy that I had the background were my areas of interest. At one point, he interfaces between the fire control radar and in radar and missile work, after I told him commented that the technical assignments the radar guided missile, the fire control I studied control system, electronics and in RTS did not appear to offer me sufficient gunnery interfaces, and the chance to play communications. I then met Mr Ed Clifford scope. From the discussion, I had the with X band search and fire control radars. and his fire control radar team. impression that he was looking to field That year was immediately after the 1969 fresh scholarship engineers to certain new Apollo moon landing space programme, I had expected to be able to see some high-tech assignments. which fascinated me very much as an engineer. equipment, but was told that the equipment Compact and agile, the 45m Sea Wolf-class I imagined then that playing around with was only on order, and I would not be able to see vessels were kept relevant during their In early September 1970, a posting order radar, missile and gunnery control would it for at least another two years. When I asked years of service through a slew of weapons came to RTS that I was to report to the be our version of a mini-Apollo project – for the equipment specifications or manuals, I and systems upgrades. Acting Second Permanent Secretary, something within our reach and would be learnt that they were also not available except Mr JYM Pillay for an interview. Coming highly useful for our Navy, for me as a job for the summary specifications in the fire to the same interview were two and for my own curiosity. control system contract signed with Hollandse Public Works Department engineers, Signaalapparaten (HSA). They, however, had a Mr Lim Siong Guan and Mr Tang CC. Mr Pillay obviously could sense the project copy of a manual for an earlier version of fire After the interview, the three of us were was a good match for me. From MINDEF’s control radar system WM22, and the simpler asked to comment on and estimate the angle, he needed then to send in a few good surface gun fire control radar WM26. cost of the Order of Battle (or ‘ORBAT’), local engineers to understudy Littons as the the SAF’s build-up plan. We worked on initial Littons contract was for only two years, I spent the next few weeks reading through it for about one month. We had great with an option for another year so as not to be these two manuals. I learnt that the RSN’s first difficulties as we had little knowledge of permanently reliant on Littons. He mentioned sophisticated fire control radar system, the defence and military terms. This gave us something to the effect that we had to learn Signaal WM28, was to be an upgraded version a chance to visit and talk to the various the trade quickly, and be prepared to take of the WM22, to be modified to interface and heads and senior officers at the Upper over from Littons when their contract expired. control the Gabriel missile. Barracks at Pearl’s Hill. After nearly one month, we managed to put something To a freshly qualified scholarship engineer, The WM22 and WM26 manuals turned out to

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be fascinating reading materials. In the next no local officers had any real experience or not meet the missile’s requirement four-month schedule extension as claimed few weeks, I read up from these the basics working knowledge on these subjects. • The radar’s azimuth detection voltage by HSA. As the equipment contract was of Signaal search and tracking radars, the gradient had yet to be defined, and it was signed without clear specifications for workings of the search and tracking radar, While I had just read up on the radar and uncertain whether it could meet missile major interface definition, and without how air and surface targets were detected missiles, I was told the first systems integration guidance requirements contractual provisions for such interface and tracked by a specialised digital computer. conference would be held in Singapore. changes, cost and schedule would be at risk. I enjoyed reading the technical manuals Integration between all systems and with There was quite a long discussion on the This was something overlooked at the as they were practical applications of my the ship would be presented and defined. frequency issue for both the radar and the equipment contracting stage, and a key point theoretical studies on radar, electronic, and Among these, the most important missile/ missile. From the bandwidth specification noted by the project team for future dealings. control systems just a year before. I also got radar interface technical integration would and channel separation requirement of the hold of the technical description of the Gabriel be presented and defined. It was about end missile, I pointed out to the meeting that the Littons helped to negotiate the cost impact to missile from the neighbouring missile team. November to early December 1970. system could have more than 10 frequencies. a reasonable level that was deemed acceptable We then spent some time going through In fact, the system could have many sets of to MINDEF. The bonus was nevertheless that how the fire control radar was supposed to The venue was to be the conference room in 10 frequencies at different times. This key the fire control radar was much improved with control the missile in flight, and what and the Singapore Command and Staff College finding had a very profound impact on the better performance, and frequency availability how the contractors were supposed to do or (SCSC) at Fort Canning. What an interesting final redesign of the radar hardware and much increased from three to 30 channels. The improve on. historic site! Part of the reason was that SCSC number of frequency channels for the radar- schedule impact was subsequently minimised had a large air-conditioned conference room. missile radiofrequency (RF) interface control. by expediting the final packaging and shipping The First Major Systems Integration Large conference rooms were rare then and process to Singapore. Transporting the first Conference an air-conditioned one was even more so. To meet missile requirements, the radar system by airfreight instead of seafreight That was why we had to travel to the Fort transmitter was redesigned with crystal was offered by the supplier at their cost. In mid 1970s, before I came into the picture, Canning SCSC conference room. control with 10 frequency channels. Two more In addition, by interchanging the order of MINDEF/RSN had already decided on the sets of 10 frequencies were made available by shipboard installation between the missile Signaal fire control radar, probably because a Radar and Missile Control Interface way of interchangeable modules so that the system and the fire control system, the final surface gunnery fire control radar, the WM26, ships could change to different frequency nett impact on overall programme schedule had already been ordered and would soon During the missile/radar interface conference, sets in different operational situations, such was reduced to about two weeks from the be delivered on three gunnery PC by end Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI, now known as during periods of tension or war time. original four months. 1970. Signaal WM28 radar would have been a as Israel Aerospace Industries) presented the natural choice. Signaal is the military version principal design and interface requirements The meeting also resolved the following: Systems Integration Engineering of Phillips, one of the most well-known of the Gabriel missile, while HSA presented Programme Management and Formation electronic brands then. The MGBs and PCs the principal performance and specifications • IAI to define precisely the frequency of Systems Integration Management would then have the same brand of radars, of the search and tracking radar which would stability, bandwidth, channel separation, Team with commonalities in technicalities, training interface and control the Gabriel missile in signal-to-noise ratio, and other relevant and support. flight. Among other things, IAI stressed that RF and technical control specifications Apart from the ship platform and its attendant the technical design and parameters of the to HSA ship support systems, other major systems Littons had earlier made a ship-to-ship missile missile could be varied, as the missile had to • All above requirements to be reviewed to be interfaced and managed included the selection study. The study report pointed to the remain identical in all respects with the Israeli and finalised with the Singapore project forward main gun, the aft gun, the search Israeli Gabriel missile as being most suitable Navy’s own missiles and also to ensure parts team and HSA to confirm their ability to radar, fire control tracking radar, the optical for the RSN’s operational requirements. The availability and interchangeability. meet the requirements director, the rotating triple launcher and fire control radar and the missile contracts • HSA to draw up preliminary interface fixed launchers for the ship-to-ship missile, were already signed before I joined the team. It became clear at the conference that three specifications and implementation design, the missiles in their launching boxes, the The two contracts were also signed with major aspects were incompatible between the and submit the redesign proposal to the Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system, a rather big uncertainty on the technical HSA radar and the Gabriel missile: Singapore project team within three navigational radar, anemometer and radio specifications on how the radar would talk months comms systems in high frequency, very to and control the missile, and how the missile • The radar had only three frequencies high frequency and ultra-high frequency. would respond to the radar. In 1970, this was while the missile frequency was variable The redesign of the WM28 tracking radar to In the course of the following year, which rather high-tech, and a first time for MINDEF. and not limited in number meet Gabriel missile technical requirements was 1971, different system teams of Littons Other than the consultants and contractors, • The frequency stability of the radar could entailed a significant cost increase and a with MINDEF counterparts would work

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through with the respective interfacing Planning and management for • Air and sea targets for sea and air gunnery manually into the centre of the radar beam. suppliers to vet and finalise the respective Installation, Check-out, Integration and and missile firing trials interface specifications and installation control Testing • Booking of test ranges for air and sea Specific tests both in the shipyard and out documents. The MINDEF counterparts then trials, support ships and aircraft as well at sea had to be conducted to verify the consisted of six officers initially with Mr The acronym ICIT, which stands for as spectator ships and aircraft RF closed-loop functioning between the Cheong Quee Wah as the project director, Mr ‘installation, check-out, integration and testing’ radar and the missile transponder. Bearing Lim Ming Seong and Mr Teo Kim Siak on ship for the MGB project, sounded similar to the The planning, provisioning, and preparation measurements of the radar for the differential systems, Mr Wong Kok Seng and Mr Chan brand of paint ‘ICI’ when it was first coined took many months, followed by a full briefing bearing angle between the target echo and Chee Hon on missile system, and myself by Littons. ICIT activities for the six MGBs to the Commander of Maritime Command missile transponder video pulse also had to on fire control radar and the IFF System. Mr were carried out for the first time, and the scale (now known as Chief of Navy) and his be carefully measured and calibrated. This Steven Chen joined a little later to work on and duration was quite unprecedented for the principal staff, the MINDEF project team differential bearing was the well-known logistics support and training, making the RSN − for that matter, for MINDEF and the and other relevant Ministry officials. At the Delta B measurement and calibration. This team a total of seven engineers. By the end SAF then. First, it involved the most advanced same meeting, I was also appointed the ICIT series of testing and calibration involved of 1971 and early 1972, all these had been missile boats for Singapore and in the region, Monitoring Representative for MINDEF in real-time microwave frequency RF transmit/ defined and finalised, thus allowing all system and second it entailed major trials with radar, February 1973, with the authority to represent receive measurement and calibration in the suppliers to complete system production missiles, air and sea targets, over an extended MINDEF/RSN and to monitor and oversee all shipyard and later in actual sea conditions. It according to schedule. period of time. Third, it was a major project activities by Littons and all weapons system represented a rather advanced level of radar RF for the RSN and MINDEF costing more than contractors. In addition, I was to plan and transmission/reception and missile guidance By early 1972, the MINDEF project personnel S$150 million. manage all aspects of MINDEF/RSN support control signal measurement and testing realised the need to form a more permanent resources, ICIT project finance and more. conducted for the first time in Singapore then. team out of the initial seven officers and to Littons initiated the planning for ICIT have a more permanent structure for their sometime in 1972, headed by Littons’ Director Highlights of Special ICIT Programme The static field measurement done in the career advancement, with the ability to of Engineering Mr Dick King. Sometime later, Activities shipyard was by way of a measurement T Bar take over Littons’ work when their contract I was assigned to assist Dick in the execution erected at the roof top of the SSE administration expired in another one to two years. It was of many of the detailed tasks. The whole task The ICIT programme for the first MGB building. Feed horns simulating the target also necessary to expand the size of the entailed the drawing up of the installation, RSS Sea Wolf began in early March 1973. It echo and missiles transponder signals, with team of engineers to include some technical check out, integration and weapons systems was originally planned to be completed by precisely known bearing differential angles support personnel and administrative support installation, testing, sequencing, harbour and January 1974 with the final missile firing trial. between them, enabled precise delta bearing personnel. Mr Cheong Quee Wah and I sea trial schedules. It also involved supporting However, Littons had not fully anticipated calibration in static environment. worked on the structure of the organisation. resources requirement for all the weapons the impact of bad weather and high sea states The System Integration Management Team systems and shipboard systems to be carried at the end of the year due to the monsoon This was subsequently repeated at sea (or ‘SIMT’) was formed in mid 1972 with Mr out in Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering season. The weather and sea state conditions using a light house as a target, and RSS Cheong Quee Wah as the project director, and (SSE, present day Singapore Technologies in December 1973 and January 1974 were so Panglima carrying the missile transponder myself and Mr Lim Ming Seong as the branch Marine Ltd (ST Marine)). For illustration, severe that testing and target towing and and feed horn to simulate missile in- heads for Weapon Electronic Systems, and resources planning and provision would instrumentation at sea were highly dangerous flight. RSS Panglima was to criss-cross the Ship and Support Systems, respectively. The include the following: and impractical. The RSS Sea Wolf’s missile line of sight to the target, thus enabling total engineer strength was increased to 13. firing test was postponed to early March 1974. Delta B measurement to be reconfirmed at sea. • Local and factory trained manpower The above is just a highly simplified • Skilled and unskilled labour to carry out The most critical system interface between Below are some other special findings or description of the tasks. Detailed engineering installation the WM28 fire control radar and the Gabriel points of interest in the RSS Sea Wolf ICIT programme management work progressed • Equipment testing missile system involved the RF interface when activities: throughout 1971 and 1972 till various system • Office and wharf side berthing facilities the missile was in flight in the beam rider acceptance tests and deliveries began in late • Utilities and air-conditioning mode and the semi-active homing mode. • Weapon seat tilt-setting on board ship 1972, which continued into 1973 and 1974 • Provision of general test and support Immediately after the missile launch, there was traditionally done by an analogue for the six platforms and shipboard systems equipment was also an optical gathering phase. While polar plot method. With the advent of in serial production. • System equipment spares support the missile was being viewed in the WM28’s high precision digital pocket calculator, • Support ship and aircraft for equipment Optical Director, RF guidance signal had to the HP35 in 1973, numerical calculation testing be sent via the radar signal to steer the missile became possible on-the-fly in field work.

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I worked out the analytical formulae from significant multipath fading and target barge in early March 1974, thus Milestones of the RSN’s MGB for the tilt-setting geometry. Shipyard signal attenuation. The realisation successfully marking the completion of technicians could then work out high and calculation of the impact of this the ICIT programme for the first MGB. Operationalisation Timeline precision calculations in the field with phenomenon resulted in the modification the HP35 for precision tilt-setting milli- to the sensitivity time control function of The second to sixth ship programmes 1972 — Arrival of first two ships, RSS Sea radian calculations and adjustments. the IFF transceiver. It was also established proceeded as planned behind the RSS Wolf and RSS Sea Lion in Singapore. This method was much more precise and that multipath fading at L band caused Sea Wolf’s schedule. With the experience much faster than using traditional polar significant signal attenuation. To gained from RSS Sea Wolf, the ICIT of 1974 — The remaining four ships of the plots. compensate for this loss, the shipboard the subsequent ships were able to avoid squadron, RSS Sea Dragon, RSS Sea Tiger, • An Instrumentation Control Unit (ICU) cables had to be changed to ultra low many of the difficulties encountered. The RSS Sea Hawk and RSS Sea Scorpion were was developed to collect and collate all loss type. I was able to show that the IFF second ship, RSS Sea Dragon, completed built on the same design and delivered. signals and data systematically to be supplier (Cossor Electronics) overlooked its missile firing in September 1974. The measured and recorded. The ICU was this effect in the system specifications subsequent ship programmes were spaced 22nd January 1975 — RSS Sea Wolf, highly helpful in the measurement and and cable specifications. Cossor finally out at two to three-month intervals, with RSS Sea Lion and RSS Sea Dragon were calibration of critical signals in missile agreed to absorb the modification and the sixth MGB, the RSS Sea Scorpion, commissioned. and target tracking and firing trials, and to cable replacement costs. completing its ICIT trials in August 1975. facilitate their recording and compilation 29th February 1976 — RSS Sea Tiger, for analysis and record keeping. It was to Completion of RSS Sea Wolf and MGB RSS Sea Hawk and RSS Sea Scorpion be used subsequently for many weapon ICIT Programme were commissioned. All the six ships firing trials for numerous years in the were commissioned by then Minister for MGB fleet. After completing all the installation and Defence, Dr Goh Keng Swee. • X band and L band signals were well equipment check-out works followed by known to suffer from significant multipath preparatory testing and calibrations, RSS Sea Key Milestones propagation fading near sea surface. This Wolf was ready for surface and air gunnery was surprisingly overlooked by the radar, trials by September/October 1973. These 31st January 1974 — RSS Sea Hawk, missile and IFF suppliers. In the case of were successfully completed. By December together with other RSN ships and the the radar missile transmission and bearing 1973, RSS Sea Wolf was ready for the final Marine Police boats surrounded the Laju measurement testing, the contractors missile firing trial. A special ship target was ferry which was hijacked by four armed happened to be doing measurements constructed, which would be used for many terrorists, and successfully prevented them at a range very near to the multipath subsequent navy firing trials. It was named from escaping. fading region for the X band missile the Jolly Roger by Littons. Unfortunately, just signal. The result was very low signal as we were ready for rehearsal and final firing 1974 — The RSN became the first navy and very high noise. A few sea trials ended trial round about December 1973 to January in the region to fire an anti-ship missile with unusable results. I did a range and 1974, sea conditions at the South China Sea successfully, when RSS Sea Wolf fired the antenna height calculation using the HP35 firing range turned very adverse. Sea state Gabriel surface-to-surface missile. This calculator and concluded that the trial conditions of up to 5 were encountered for marked the RSN’s entry into the missile age. range was near the fading range. After a few rehearsal and firing runs. The bad convincing the contractors, measurement weather conditions severely hampered the 2nd May 1975 — Operation Thunderstorm was re-done at an unaffected range. Good filming and recording instrumentations, the was activated as a result of the large exodus results were quickly obtained and systems safety of observation ship and aircraft filming of Vietnamese people due to the success rapidly calibrated. This finding was also operations, as well as civilian technical of the North Vietnamese Communist critical in noting the fading regions and personnel’s work to support the firing trial. group. The MGBs were activated to characteristics of the missile tracking It was decided then to postpone the trial to assist in the operation. Despite logistics and guidance signals which should be March 1974, when weather conditions were and manpower challenges, the MGBs avoided in the testing and operational use expected to be more favourable. contributed significantly to the success of of the missile. the operation. • IFF L band signal at the specific heights RSS Sea Wolf successfully fired two Gabriel applicable in shipboard use also suffered missiles which scored direct hits on the

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1976 — MGB participated in first foreign With the decommissioning of the MGBs, the BEYOND THE HORIZON to traverse along “external lines” through the exercise - Ex EAGLE. Since then, the MGBs new Formidable-class stealth frigates made environment. were also involved in various other bilateral their way into 185 Squadron. and multilaterals exercises such as Ex In order to remain relevant in this new order MALAPURA (Malaysia), Ex PELICAN An RSN recruitment video in the late 1980s had a of modern warfare, the RSN acquired the (Brunei), Ex SINGSIAM (Thailand), Ex tagline: “Nowadays battles are fought without seeing long-range Harpoon missile. The MGB had STARFISH, Ex FLYING FISH and Ex the enemy – We have the technology!” This short some of their short range Gabriel missiles BERSAMA PADU (FPDA countries), statement represented a significant development in replaced with Harpoon missiles. The MCV SIMBEX (India), Ex SINGAROO (Australia) military systems engineering in the Navy. that were acquired to augment the MGBs were and Ex CARAT (USA). also armed with the Harpoon missiles. In The naval ship is a platform within which the order to exploit the long range of the Harpoon 1986 to 1988 — The MGBs were upgraded crew and mission equipment can be housed, missiles, our engineers and planners began to with the long-range Harpoon anti-ship supported and protected. It represents a hard take steps to link naval platforms with secure missile. This missile, with an over- system boundary that encapsulates a self- digital communications and data links. In the-horizon firing range of over 90km, contained collection of combat systems. addition, the Republic of Singapore Air Force enhanced the ships’ strike capability and Within this system boundary it would (RSAF) Skyvans were also fitted with these complemented the existing Gabriel missile, be easier for the system elements to be capabilities to provide long-range over-the- giving the ship wider versatility in surface- optimised collectively in a given real estate. horizon targeting. to-surface combat. A consistently high level of mission performance could be designed and controlled “But the Navy should accept that nothing worthwhile 1990 — MGBs participated in the within the platform. Adverse influences is easy. Over the next few years as more efforts are Presidential Sea Review, National Day from the external environment affecting put in to improve the quality and combat efficiency of celebration. mission performance could be mitigated the Navy, you will find that your intellectual capacity, as the platform serves as a shield. Accurate logical thinking, initiative, and originality will be June 1994 — MGBs were upgraded with firepower could be projected and controlled taxed to the maximum. Only those with superior the Mistral surface-to-air missiles to replace from sensor and guidance systems within the intelligence can define the different scenarios, devise the Bofors 40mm gun. The twin-missile platform. This works well so long as combat various alternative strategies, and evolve suitable system improved the ships’ ability to is conducted within the range of shipboard tactics and counter measures to meet a wide range defend themselves against enemy aircraft. sensors and control systems. of assumed or possible situations under which RSN will have to fight to defend Singapore. The tactics July 1994 — The Mistral surface-to-air As combat began to be waged at increasingly so evolved will have to be tried, tested, practised, missile was successfully fired by the MGB. longer distances well beyond the radar and exercised by RSN ships, commanders, and men horizon, system engineers found that they so that when the emergency comes they are ready.” Throughout their operational service, the had to deal with achieving consistent, reliable MGBs were involved in numerous operations and effective performance of a family of Excerpt from address by the Minister for Defence, at sea and exercises. Over 5,600 men and platform based systems. The system boundary Mr Howe Yoon Chong, at the commissioning women have served on board the MGBs, of this enlarged system (of systems) was no ceremony of the coastal patrol craft at Pulau Brani including Deputy Prime Minister and longer a hard and finite boundary but a shifting Naval Base on Tuesday, 20th October 1981 Coordinating Minister for National Security one as the platform systems themselves RADM (NS) Teo Chee Hean, and ex-Minister manoeuvre. Linkages between platforms were for Transport RADM (NS) Lui Tuck Yew. open to interference from the environment as well as deliberate disruption by enemy action. As a testament to the MGBs’ combat readiness, Traditional systems engineering had to move operational proficiency and administrative on to System-of-Systems (SoS) engineering. excellence, the MGBs won the Best Ship Information warfare became a critical domain award five years in a row from 1986 to 1991. of expertise as information networks that They also clinched Best Ship for a total of were hitherto operating along protected 11 years. “internal lines” within a platform now had

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aircraft although these provisions were not Victory-class MCV ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial activated as other solutions were found to be board RSS Valour was able to detect and Vehicle (UAV) more suitable. One challenge then was the track the target and launch the Barak extremely low reliability (measured in mean missile, intercepting the target at a range time between failures) of such rotary aircraft of about six kilometers. systems. The MCVs were eventually equipped with an organic surveillance capability when The successful firing demonstrates the the ScanEagle UAV system was integrated for effectiveness of the Barak missile point operations. This represented an important defence system. The Barak missile, development in their over-the-horizon together with the MCV’s 76mm OTO surveillance and targeting capabilities. Melara Super Rapid gun and ECM equipment, provide the RSN MCVs As naval guided weapons became even with a comprehensive capability to smarter, with many having multiple terminal counter airborne threats such as sea- guidance sensors and sophisticated electronic skimming missiles and low flying counter-countermeasures, the defence aircraft. against such weapons required moving beyond soft-kill electronic defences to hard- The Barak missile system was acquired kill capabilities. Our engineers participated by the Navy in 1996, and was fitted The Victory-class MCVs were The ScanEagle UAV system was in the development of an anti-missile system on board all six RSN MCVs. Armed commissioned in 1990 and 1991 and acquired as part of the missile corvette’s suitable for our small ships and unique with eight Harpoon missile, six are equipped to deal with air, surface upgrade programme to give it an organic operating environment. Our naval architects Whitehead anti-submarine torpedoes and underwater threats. They are the surveillance capability. The ScanEagle had made provisions in the design of the and a sophisticated Electronic Warfare backbone of the RSN’s strike capability UAV is made up of four components: MCVs for the subsequent retrofitting of a (EW) suite, the MCV is fully capable and provide seaward defence and the Launcher, the UAV, the Skyhook, hard-kill capability. Upon successful of carrying out multi-dimensional protection of Singapore’s vital sea lines and the Control Station. development, the MCVs were fitted with the maritime operations to contribute to of communications. Barak anti-missile system. The development of fulfilling the RSN’s missions of providing • Length the Barak was one of the earliest collaborative for Singapore’s seaward defence and • Length 1.2 meters development projects embarked upon by protecting Singapore’s Sea Lines of 62 meters • Wingspan our scientists and engineers, starting from Communications. • Beam 3.1 meters a theoretical concept. 8.5 meters • Speed The RSN conducts regular live • Displacement About 53 – 55 knots firing exercises as well as rigorous 530 tonnes Singapore Navy’s Anti-Missile training programmes under • Speed Article credit: MINDEF Missile Scores Direct Hit realistic conditions to hone the In excess of 30 knots proficiency and professionalism of its • Range Several initiatives were embarked upon to The RSN successfully carried out the first personnel as well as to ensure that its 2,000 nautical miles network our combat platforms (both sea and firing of its Barak anti-missile missile equipment is always at the highest state • Crew air). Lessons learnt with the Skyvans were during a live firing exercise conducted of operational readiness. Such exercises 46 implemented in the maritime patrol aircraft in the South China Sea yesterday, 10th include successful Harpoon missile and • Weapons project. The MCVs were upgraded to work September 1997. Launched from RSS Mistral Surface-to-Air missile firings HARPOON anti-ship missiles, with the RSAF E2-C aircraft. In addition, VALOUR, a MCV, the Barak (meaning conducted earlier in the year. 76 mm OTO Melara Super our planners and engineers began to look "Lightning") missile scored a direct hit Rapid Gun, Barak anti-air for solutions using autonomous and semi- against an airborne target simulating a Article credit: MINDEF missiles autonomous aircraft that could be deployed modern anti-ship missile both in terms and controlled from our naval ships. Our of size and speed. The fully automated Article credit: MINDEF naval architects had made design provisions Barak missile fire control system on for our MCVs to deploy unmanned rotary

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The MCV was a critical node in the RADM (Ret) James Leo, then networked enabled SoS for naval Chief of Navy, recalls… warfare. It was interoperable with RSAF strike aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft, On the MCVs, we wanted to operate other surface ships, and autonomous aircraft “unmanned helicopters off the vessels to and surface vessels. It could deploy and extend their radar detection ranges. Various control various guided weapons above and technical solutions were looked into and we under the sea. This capability was enabled almost considered doing a development on and supported by the strong indigenous C4I an unmanned helicopter. After extensive expertise built within the defence technology studies and evaluations we dropped the community. idea because the cost was prohibitive and the technology immature. An interesting feature of the MCVs was their “crooked” masts. Given a small platform, ” various sensor systems vied for space at the What this shows is that sound highest point of the ships, and engineers engineering“ judgment was made on had to design a specific configuration to maturity of existing technologies and of the accommodate them and to minimise potential viability of future developments. electromagnetic interference. Subsequent Naval commanders were fortunate in that upgrades did away with this unique we had good engineering staff officers who configuration. Another unique feature of provided sound advice when sought. the MCVs was their C band radars, again a design decision to balance trade-offs on ” small naval platforms. This time it was C band radars first featured when between range and resolution. “we were looking at their use for the shore based radar chains that were planned. We RSS Vigilance, pennant number 90 were fortunate that we had the Giraffes (air defence radars) to do detection trials Benefitting from their experiences in The acquisition of the MCV provided our with. We applied the lessons to determine successive upgrading of the MGBs, our engineers and scientists with yet another what was required for the MCVs. We also planners and engineers specified the design learning and development experience. The wanted an optronic and night detection of the MCVs to the exacting standards MCV had been specified to perform anti- system for the shore based surveillance required for operating in the littoral submarine warfare missions. This was a chain, but the quality and performance environment, and to meet the demands relatively new domain area for our engineers. of systems available in the early days was of RSN missions for the protection of Within a hull length of 62m, this was a laughable. Singapore’s sea lines of communications. challenge. Hull mounted sonars were not The MCV is arguably one of the most capable compatible with the operational profile of the ” naval strike craft that can be put together MCVs. Modelling, simulation and technical in a hull of 62m length. The MCV is based trials and experiments were conducted against on a well proven hull form with good sea- various anti-submarine warfare (ASW) keeping and resistance characteristics. The scenarios to select suitable ASW systems hull is constructed of light gauge steel to a for the MCVs. special longitudinal framing system while the superstructure is constructed using marine Together with the support of the RSN in grade aluminium alloy. The end result is a mine warfare, the work in ASW had led to rugged, highly manoeuvrable platform deep expertise for our engineers and scientists capable of surface, anti-air and anti-submarine in underwater warfare. warfare capabilities.

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Development of the 62m Victory- when the decision was made to build the • Surface and anti-air gunnery interface. The overall scale and complexity class MCV (1984 to 1992) MCVs meant that many of the engineers and • Internal and external communications of the MCV systems integration and By Mr Quek Pin Hou technical officers had left the organisation • Ship systems performance requirements for ICIT – though much or changed assignments. Other senior larger than the MGB programme due to From MGB to MCV technologists who remained were also by These specific operational requirements the sheer number of different weapon then heavily committed to other project then served as guiding documents for the systems – were more manageable, less The completion of the MGBs in 1975 marked assignments. respective system teams in the joint project uncertain and laborious. This was thanks to a very significant milestone for the RSN. It team from the then Defence Materials the absence of major RF control calibration scored a first in Southeast Asia for a small Two key officers, however, still remained: Organisation (DMO), DSO and the RSN, to and testing. nation’s little navy to have successfully myself, the project director of MGB project draw up systems specifications and potential integrated a sophisticated fire control radar after Mr Cheong Quee Wah, and Mr Ho solution options which would form the tender Another real-life experience centred on the to a battle proven anti-ship missile, and Jin Yong, a key systems engineer in the specifications for a later phase of acquisition test-firing of missiles which also had its origin successfully fired the missiles in actual sea MGB project who later became the Officer procurement. in the MGB programme. With the best of trials. The RSN had acquired the technological Commanding of the Missile Maintenance effort and intention in live-firing test, there expertise and had trained combat officers and Facility. A third officer, Mr Alan Bragassam With the experience from the MGB was always the concern of missile malfunction technical personnel to operate and maintain who was experienced in the ship platform programme, guidance was given to the in-flight, and the attendant contractual the sophisticated and operationally effective systems, was recalled from the private sector. respective project teams to draw up the responsibility of the missile supplier. A rather missile armed boats. RADM (Ret) Larry Loon from Naval Plans system configuration design in mid 1985. interesting story on the Harpoon missile Department served as the operations manager system procurement for the MCV (also the The fact that the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) and leader in operational support planning. Experience from the MGB Programme upgrading of the MGBs) is thus worthy of would, in 1975, procure three MGBs of similar mention here. specifications and design from Singapore Operational Requirements and System The choice of the MCV main strike weapon Shipbuilding and Engineering (SSE) with Configuration Study for the MCV system, namely the ship-to-ship missile, was The Harpoon is a US missile system which the blessing of the RSN, was a further largely influenced by the experience of the was subject to US Foreign Military Sales endorsement of its standing in the eyes of In early 1984, the RSN engaged a consultant MGB programme. Apart from the fact that (FMS) control. For the MCV and MGB another regional navy. to help review the operational requirements missile range advantage over the competitor upgrading programmes, the US Government and study the system configuration to best is paramount, the other important point (USG) had decided that the Harpoon missile However, towards the end of the 1970s, meet the RSN’s needs. This better ensured was to avoid complicated and problematic rounds (the flying ammunition round) would another regional navy acquired a longer range a comprehensive operational requirement radar/missile radiofrequency (RF) control only be supplied under the FMS regulations, active homing missile with advanced fire definition, and various system configuration interface and manual optical control interface. which meant the missiles would be delivered control radar. It was increasingly felt that the options were examined before defining the The radar/missile control interface would via the US Military supply channel according shorter range Gabriel missile, limited to radar preferred system configuration with sufficient require complex hardware and software to FMS terms and conditions. Basically, that horizon range, was a significant operational growth potential. design, extensive factory level testing and meant the missiles would be fired ‘at our own disadvantage. calibration, and even more elaborate harbour risk’, with no recourse for any malfunction The operational requirement review and sea environment testing and calibration. from the FMS. How then could we solve the In 1979, a study was made to build three established the capabilities and possible In the MGB experience, these took extensive great uncertainty for the Harpoon missile, larger 57m missile armed craft to be equipped solutions for the following requirements: efforts at the factory level, and many months should it malfunction or miss the target during with longer range active homing missiles. of extensive testing and calibration efforts firing tests? Another proposal was to upgrade the existing • Radar air and surface surveillance by highly trained technical personnel. The MGB by removing two to three of the Gabriel • Ship-to-ship missile optical control interface likewise involved The Harpoon shipboard system and the missiles to be replaced with longer range • Anti-air defence complicated hardware and software design missile rounds were both supplied by the US active homing missiles. However, a decision • Anti-missile defence and testing. It further required extensive manufacturer McDonnell Douglas. The USG’s was not made until early 1983 to upgrade the • Sub-surface surveillance and anti- operator training using shipboard simulators. decision only concerned the missile rounds MGB, and later in December 1983 to build six submarine and not the Harpoon shipboard equipment. larger 62m MCVs. • Electronic warfare and electronic support The choice of using only active homing ship- US FMS did not deal with this, and it had to measures (ESM) to-ship missile for the MCV programme be bought separately under commercial terms. The lapse of time from 1977 when the RTN • Tactical communications intelligence avoided the most problematic technical USG might have thought that by controlling MGBs were completed to December 1983 (TACOMINT) uncertainty in the real-time RF control the missile supply, they actually could

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control the entire deal and the entire Harpoon McDonnell Douglas finally bought our just before the award of the platform contract easily placed on lower pedestals in front system supply. argument and agreed to provide us a and all the weapons systems and systems and behind the main mast. contractual bank guarantee to cover one firing integration contract. This change would This was where we had a breakthrough. We round for each class of ship – the MCV and require SSE to take over the hiring of the The highest points were normally reserved told McDonnell Douglas in a preliminary the upgraded MGB. In the unlikely event of a systems integrator under its contract, and for the ESM and TACOMINT antennas. discussion that even though the missile repeat missile malfunction, the contract also SSE would then be contractually directly This would require an auxiliary mast to be rounds were supplied by USG, USG only defined the terms and processes for detailed responsible to DMO for the delivery of the erected on the main mast, normally standing acted as an intermediary. We would be calling technical and instrumentation analysis, entire MCV system. behind the search radar. tenders to procure the shipboard systems, subject to mutual discussion and negotiation, and we would need to evaluate the entire to find suitable resolutions. While all the players in the overall project had There were additional requirements system performance cost effectiveness essentially remained the same, this particular arising from the antenna pattern and EMI together with the missile rounds supplied With the above missile firing performance change in system delivery did significantly consideration of the ESM and TACOMINT through the FMS channel. During the pre- test uncertainty largely resolved, McDonnell change the contractual role of SSE as the antennas that they should be placed tender discussion with McDonnell Douglas, Douglas participated in the shipboard system prime contractor. SSE would have contractual concentric with the search radar centre of we raised the issue of performance guarantee supply tender, and was the eventual winner responsibility, albeit on paper, to ensure rotation. The state-of-the-art in the mid for the missile rounds in firing tests. After a for both the MCV and upgraded MGB ship- integrated system performance beyond that 1980s’ ESM and TACOMINT system that we few rounds of discussion, we managed to to-ship missile system supplies. of a ship platform supplier. had selected did not have enough computing convince McDonnell Douglas to consider power to compensate for two issues: the supply of shipboard systems and the SSE as Prime Contractor The complexity of the large number of missile rounds as a total aggregate business, system interfaces, coupled with the new • The antenna bearing pattern and side-lobe only that they were sold through different The initial thinking on the project inject of SSE as the prime contractor, led asymmetry when their antennas were channels. If we did not find the overall system management was for DMO to manage the to added complexity for the MCV project. not concentric with the search radar and performance-wise cost-effective, McDonnell project directly, who would then hire a The prime contractor, being a MINDEF other reflective structures below them Douglas risked losing the shipboard deal in systems integrator to carry out the detailed controlled company, would finally report • The coordinate and bearing parallax our procurement tender evaluation, and with task of systems integration. The systems back to MINDEF management just like effects between the ESM, TACOMINT it the entire system supply. They would thus integration task mainly concerned the inter- the DMO project team. There were thus bearing measurements and the search risk losing the missile supply business through weapon systems interface specification and unavoidable tensions and conflicts between radar coordinate and bearing the FMS as well, and that would be the real installation control. Initially, the systems the DMO project management team and the measurements, with non-concentric centre of gravity of the whole deal. integrator was to report directly to the DMO prime contractor where the responsibilities origins project team. overlapped or where boundary lines were We also convinced McDonnell Douglas that not entirely clear. This presented significant It was therefore necessary to bring the centres while they were unable to deviate from US As this was a large-scale state-of-the-art naval additional challenges for the DMO of ESM and TACOMINT back to the centre FMS conditions which stated they could not project, MINDEF top management had also project team in the overall MCV project line, concentric with the search radar centre provide missile round warranty (i.e. they intended to use the project as a platform management. of rotation. This could actually be achieved could not provide terms more favourable to not only to build up the capability of SSE just by slanting the auxiliary mast forward after foreign buyers than USG), nothing would as a shipbuilder, but also as a warship prime Mast Configuration Design Optimisation it rose above the search radar. The slant angle stop them from providing us a contractual contractor with the ability to design and and slant length were then determined to performance bond predicated on the good build future integrated ship and weapons The MCV mast consisted of two parts – the locate the TACOMINT and ESM antennas performance of the missile in firing tests. systems as a total package. SSE would also main mast which was part of the main ship directly above the search radar centre line. Should the missile malfunction, we would engage Singapore Electronics Engineering structure, and the auxiliary mast which would The connecting cables for the TACOMINT obtain financial compensation via the Ltd (SEEL, now ST Electronics) to work carry additional antennas and equipment and ESM were run on the interior of the performance bond. We argued that as a closely with the systems integrator and above the main mast. auxiliary mast and ESM cables were run business proposition, McDonnell Douglas DMO technical teams on weapons systems through the interior of the TACOMINT would be selling a very sizeable number of matters. This would have the potential to The heavy items were the rotating air/surface centre pole. The navigation radar and rounds at great revenue, and ‘insuring’ the elevate SSE and SEEL working together to search radar, and the front and back air/surface communications antennas were further risk of one round out of a great many ought that of a full-fledged warship builder. tracking radar. The air/surface search radar located along the slant mast with suitable to be commercially viable. was placed on the main mast top platform. mounting fixture designs. This significant change in approach happened The front and back tracking radar could be

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The shipbuilder went through detailed the first ship's ICIT was able to recover much mechanical design and choice of material of the time lost due to the incident. DSTA delivered RSS Valour, the final to be operationalised much earlier than for the slant mast design to attain the upgraded MCV to the RSN in September planned. required mechanical strength, rigidity and The first MCV successfully completed the 2013. The upgraded MCVs are now fatigue life span. torpedo firing, surface gun firing, and Harpoon equipped with enhanced and persistent Commissioned in the 1990s, the MCVs missile firing by the fourth quarter of 1990, surveillance capabilities to ‘see further’. have served as the principal strike Thorough study by both the mechanical and thanks to generally favourable weather and They are fitted with a modern and craft of the RSN. To support the SAF’s electrical/electronic experts finally confirmed minimal technical glitches. Since the anti- customised Combat Management System transformation, DSTA undertook the task the feasibility of the design solution. The air firing phase and anti-air, anti-missile (CMS) to help the Combat Information of upgrading the MCV with a new suite solution thus achieved optimal electronic missile firing were still under a separate Centre (CIC) team make faster and more of combat capabilities. performance, avoiding complex equipment joint development programme with IAI and effective decisions. modifications and contractual disputes. Rafael, a decision was made to reschedule One of the key features of this upgrade these activities to a later phase. The essential is the unprecedented integration of the Given the state-of-the-art system available part of the first MCV, RSS Victory ICIT was ScanEagle UAV system onto the MCV. then in the mid to late 1980s, the mast design considered completed by the end of 1990. The UAV was initially designed to be used solution was necessary to meet the system on land. In its original form, the UAV is interface requirements. It also reflected the too large for the MCV. DSTA thus came DMO project team’s willingness to try out up with the innovative idea of fitting the new ways to stretch the envelope, undeterred UAV launcher on a turn-table, allowing by conventional norms that the auxiliary the UAV to be launched at optimal angle mast must normally be straight and upright! while maintaining sufficient clearance from nearby weapons when it is not in use. MCV ICIT Programme The team also customized a CMS for the The MCV ICIT programme began in early MCV, enhancing the CIC workflow as a 1990. With the experience gained from the result. To improve operational efficiency, MGB programme both in the MGB ICIT and In delivering this upgrade, the DSTA team DSTA mounted the CMS onto the subsequent operational trials, programme worked within the constraints of the Commanding Officer’s chair, enabling management and scheduling of the MCV ICIT The upgraded version of the existing platform and overcame challenges him to access key information at a touch. benefitted greatly. The ICIT and trial schedule Victory-class MCV of limited ship capacities such as the lack for various weapons systems combination of space on board. An example is the The upgraded MCVs have since was planned to be completed in nine months, integration of the UAV launcher at the aft demonstrated their operational capabilities with a three-month contingency period for deck. As the launching clearance for the in numerous exercises, such as the joint unforeseen technical, operational or weather UAV overlaps with the safety clearance live-firing exercise with the United States related provisions. area of the nearby missile launchers, the Navy in July 2012. team conceptualised and delivered an During the sea testing phase for the search innovative turntable to mount the UAV Article credit: DSTA radar, one serious incident happened when launcher. When rotated, the UAV launching the search radar from Ericsson, Sweden clearance is achieved, and when kept, the was damaged due to interference with the missile clearances are maintained. ship structure. This resulted in substantial mechanical damage to the front feed horn Paying close attention to detail, the team of the radar. Urgent discussion and design continuously sought process efficiency and modification work were carried out in the UK. improved task productivity to enable a high The second set of search radar was modified trial success rate. The team thus completed and substituted for the first ship, while the the upgrade programme ahead of schedule, first set was repaired to be installed on the enabling the squadron of upgraded MCVs second ship. Through this urgent swap action,

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Development of Naval was also limited antenna radiation pattern pair RFI analysis. plate further. Instead, a special radar absorber Electromagnetic Interference/ information available. Without full antenna with high surface wave attenuation was Compatibility (1982 to 1992) radiation pattern, it was difficult to predict the At around the same time, the MCV programme used to line the edges of the isolation plate By Dr Koh Wee Jin interference margin if the transmitting and had also started. DSO, having worked on the to reduce surface wave and edge diffraction. receiving antennas were not pointing directly MGB upgrade programme and developed This reduced the interference and formed the In 1982, given the lessons of the Falklands towards each other – which was the case in EMC capability for naval platform, again final design. War, DSO Microwave Division Head most of the operating scenarios. led the Electromagnetic Control Advisory Mr Tay Wei Meng realised the importance of Board (EMCAB) and worked closely with Another challenge came from the reflections Electromagnetic Interference/ Compatibility With the limited information available, a the systems integrator from Honeywell of communications antenna. There were (EMI/EMC) and engaged US consultant firm worst case transmitter-receiver pairing EMI International. The EMC challenges for the altogether 10 communications antennas Don White to conduct a two-week course in analysis was carried out and it showed severe MCV were much higher as compared to the installed above the MCV’s bridge. Various EMI/EMC for DSO engineers. After attending fundamental frequency interference from high- MGB, due to the larger number of systems options were considered including coating the course as a young engineer, I was tasked power transmitters to the various receivers. on board the MCV. The transmitters were the antennas with absorbers, incorporating to set up an EMC Test Centre to test and Armed with a simple computer software also more powerful and the receiver more hinges to the antennas to lower them when certify in-house developed systems to meet to model the radiation of electromagnetic sensitive. interference was encountered and relocating the military EMC standard – MIL-STD-461. (EM) waves and knowledge of antenna, the antennas. After carefully evaluating all Collaborating with SEEL, a predecessor of estimation of some missing information With the challenges faced in handling the the pros and cons of the various options, Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST concerning critical systems’ performance MGB upgrade programme EMC issues still relocating the antennas was chosen as the Engineering), DSO set up its first EMC Test was made. The simple software we had fresh in my mind, the first step we did with most practical solution. Centre in Paya Lebar Air Base in 1984. then was inadequate to model complex the MCV programme was to gather all the situations but we managed to mitigate it detailed specifications of the transmitters, When I returned from my Master’s degree somewhat with the use of the knife edge receivers and antennas from the suppliers. course in Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), diffraction calculation chart from radio When information was not adequately Monterey, California, USA in 1987, I led engineers’ handbook. The same technique provided, we would request the system an EMC study team in the MGB upgrade was applied to determine the pattern suppliers to perform measurement. We programme to identify and resolve existing distortion of antenna radiation when it was also incorporated EMC requirements into and potential EMC issues arising from the blocked by the mast structure. In addition to the system specifications that the suppliers upgrade programme. The MGB upgrade determining the radiofrequency interference must meet. This was especially critical for programme started in 1986 with the addition margin, radiation hazards to ordnance and transmitters and receivers to meet not just of systems such as the ECM system, Harpoon personnel were also looked into. in-band but also out-of-band performance. missile and communications system. This was the first of a series of EMC studies performed At the end of the MGB upgrade programme One key EMI issue was between a very on the RSN’s platforms. in 1991, EMC solutions were implemented, powerful broadband transmitter and a very including redesigning the ship mast to reduce sensitive receiver placed one on top of the The first step for the EMC study was to transmitter-receiver coupling, the use of other. Computation showed that a certain gather the system specifications of all the shielding plate to increase isolation between level of isolation was needed in order that systems, both new and old, on board the transmitter and receiver, and marking of the transmitter and receiver could operate MGB. This posed a first challenge as the radiation hazard zone for personnel. No at the same time. The system supplier had older systems were either not designed to radiation hazard to ordnance was found. designed an isolation shield that they claimed meet any EMC requirements, or the EMC would be able to provide the isolation needed. data were not available. The previous EMC From this project, we identified several areas However, after installation, the sensitive design of a radar receiver placed above deck to look into to address EMI issues. These receiver was still picking up strong signals had caused it to be interfered by the operation included the need to obtain detailed system from the transmitter. DSO, together with of communication systems on board. There specifications for transmitter, receiver and the Navy, performed several rounds of RFI were no EMC specifications for the receiver. antenna, information on their EMC design measurements in the open sea to determine While we were able to gather the specifications and specifications from vendors; and the need the level of interference. Due to the wide for other transmitters and receivers, the to acquire capability for antenna radiation elevation coverage of the transmitter and information available was incomplete. There pattern prediction and transmitter-receiver receiver, we could not extend the isolation

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Upgrading the MCVs hull and equip it with a UAV. The ScanEagle UAV system was a land-based commercial The RSN’s MCVs were successfully upgraded off-the-shelf system. It was typically deployed from 2009 to 2013. The performance of on the wide flight deck of large ships such the upgraded MCVs has since been validated, as frigates. In its standard configuration, with the vessels having been deployed there was insufficient space to launch and extensively in operational and search and recover the ScanEagle UAV on smaller ships rescue taskings, as well as in live-firing such as the MCV. and exercises with foreign navies. Notably, the upgrade went beyond extending the Enabling Efficient UAV Launch operational lifespan of the MCVs and has Operations included an expansion of their capabilities through the application of innovative Our engineers had to explore innovative solutions. means to install the launch and recovery systems of the ScanEagle UAV. The MCV’s The design of the modified UAV launcher The MCV upgrade programme preserves aft deck area supports a wide range of installed aboard the corvettes after the MCVs’ still operationally capable hull operations that includes missile firing the upgrade added additional functionality built in the 1990s, while undertaking the as well as the launch and recovery of sea through a turntable. deliberate and thorough enhancement of boat and mooring operations. Installing the their onboard combat systems to UAV launcher in its standard configuration Enabling Safe UAV Recovery equip them with state-of-the-art at the aft deck would use up all the Operations capabilities. The introduction of advanced available deck space and prevent the surveillance, communications, as well undertaking of other deck operations. The ScanEagle UAV is recovered in-flight as a modern and customised CMS, has As such, our engineers conceptualised using a skyhook arrestor. The skyhook system enabled the MCVs to be incorporated a modified ScanEagle UAV launcher – which in its original design requires an area into the SAF-wide integrated knowledge- mounted on a customised turntable. The of 25m2 – was re-engineered such that it can based command and control capabilities. turntable can be stowed to allow existing be extended to recover the UAV and retracted deck operations to continue unimpeded. It for stowage within a reduced space of 10m2. also enables optimal UAV launch envelop This reduces the amount of space required to be achieved through the controlled by the UAV recovery system by more than rotation of the launcher. The turntable 50%. However, the lack of open spaces on performs its rotation while remaining deck poses a potential safety risk during the secured on the ship deck, thereby ensuring recovery of the UAV. To overcome this and that UAV operations can be conducted on enhance the safety of recovery operation on The recovery system when fully deployed board the MCV safely under high sea state board the MCV, the UAV was programmed (top), and when collapsed (bottom). conditions. The customised UAV launch to maintain an angle away from the ship as system has reduced the overall launch it flies towards the recovery system. Re-conceptualising Mast Layout: preparation time by 90%. In addition, it can Optimised Sensor Suite to See be operated by a single crew member, thus Innovative Systems Integration Further The post-upgrade MCV, with the straight reducing manpower requirement by 66%. mast configuration. As the SAF transforms into a Third In the pre-upgrade MCV, the arrangement Generation networked fighting force, of the sensors on its mast was optimised Smart Platform Integration enabling interconnectivity among its to reduce the impact of electromagnetic various assets is essential. Therefore, a key interference. In the upgraded MCV, modern Space was a major issue, with the limited element of the MCV upgrade programme electromagnetic interference management deck space of the 62m MCV. Through smart was to ensure that the MCVs would be techniques were applied to further mediate platform integration, our engineers were able able to interoperate with other assets to the MCV’s electromagnetic environment to optimise the use of the vessel’s existing achieve higher operational synergy. and facilitate the incorporation of advanced

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sensors into a straight and taller mast. The broadband mobile communications and allowing a better appreciation of the situation new sensor suite allows the upgraded MCV networking technologies, we are used to picture. to sense targets at further distances. working in a collaborative environment that has no geographic limits. This was not the The standalone communication unit (SACU) case before the current millennium. was the first RSN tactical datalink system to integrate with the AIS for the exchange and The RSN was a first mover in using many of relay of target information, short text messages these collaborative technologies, well before and other data. Although the encrypted short they became household words. For example, text message was limited by the speed and the the RSN was using cellular mobile telephones number of characters, it was quite similar to for communication well before these were the mobile SMS we have today on our mobile available for widespread civilian use. The phones. The message could also be relayed RSN also used short messaging technologies to another wireless network via SACU. The (SMS) well before SMS was available as a additional integration of Differential Global feature in our mobile phones. Positioning System in the 1990s led to more enhancements to the AIS and SACU with Automated Action Information time-sensitive and more accurate position Systems and Digital data to improve RSN operations. Communications The pre-upgrade MCV with its slanted mast Various RSN platforms such as the MCV, (left) compared to the upgraded MCV with The Action Information System (AIS) on coastal patrol craft or patrol vessel, landing its straight mast (right). board the MGB, upgraded in the late 1980s, ship tank, maritime patrol aircraft and the was the RSN’s first generation of AIS which shore coastal surveillance centre fitted with The MCV upgrade programme provided was a computerised system to do situation AIS and SACU would have the capability a unique opportunity for our engineers picture compilation. Prior to AIS, naval to exchange target information including to innovate and deliver a wider range combat crew were using clear perspex (acrylic short text messages in a secure and wireless of capabilities that have enhanced the glass) writing boards and “china graph” to network-centric environment. operational effectiveness of the MCVs. Since plot the situation picture. They literally had 2013, the upgraded MCVs have contributed to to write mirrored images/characters (i.e. The deployment of these sophisticated national and international security through writing laterally inverted) for the officer-on- information systems led the RSN to require operational and search and rescue taskings, watch looking from the other side of the that weapon electronics officers (WEOs) as well as its active participation in live-firing perspex board. AIS replaced all these manual serve on board its ships starting from the and exercises with foreign navies. In 2014, the intensive plotting of situation picture with upgraded MGBs. They were initially named MCV upgrade programme was awarded the a colour graphic display with map overlays electronics technical officers (ETOs) before Defence Technology Prize Team (Engineering) and graphic drawing tools. With the sensor this was changed to WEO. Award. data inputs to AIS, a digital radar video picture was overlaid on top of the AIS Enabling Platforms to Operate as map graphical display for tactical situation an SoS appreciation, target acquisition, tracking and designation to the weapon systems. Influencing the battlespace beyond the It changed the entire operations in the horizon is not about having bigger or more CIC which traditionally used the radar sophisticated platforms, but the ability to plan position indicator (PPI) monochrome enable individual platforms to work together display for target acquisition, tracking and as an SoS. designation to the weapons. The use of colour also opened a new dimension in situational Today, with widespread access to the internet awareness whereby tactical entities displayed and with the pervasiveness of modern on the screen can be easily differentiated

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COL (Ret) Choo Ah Choon, the first The AIS also had a state-of-the-art (at that COLLABORATIVE surveillance platform will provide significantly WEO to be appointed to serve on time) digital scan converter which converted SYSTEMS – FORCE improved over-the-horizon capabilities. board the upgraded MGB recalls… the traditional radar PPI picture into a raster- Adding strike aircraft to this collaborative scan picture for the Barco colour-monitor. MULTIPLICATION system for example will additionally confer The need for having an electronic technical Another impressive feature of the AIS was a small surface force the capability to take on officer on the strike craft was because of its ability to track large numbers of contacts a much larger enemy force by concentrating the increased sophistication of electronic and display their course and speed combat power rapidly to achieve local sensors and weapons that were being automatically – this improved the capacity An SoS is defined as a set or arrangement of superiority where it counts. introduced during the MGB Upgrade of the combat systems many-fold using systems that results when independent and Programme. The AIS and SACU were inputs from both the MGB navigation radar useful systems are integrated into a larger additions that enhanced the warfighting and fire control radar. system that delivers unique capabilities. In capabilities of the old MGB to a completely a collaborative SoS, the component systems new level. With the SACU datalink, information interact more or less voluntarily to fulfil agreed exchange and sharing between ships was upon central purposes. The vertical plot on the MGB – a labour effortless with the AIS. Watch keepers used intensive picture compiler – was made obsolete the AIS system to "chat" between ship teams Three examples of collaborative systems are Maritime Air in the mid 1980’s with the introduction of – before the AIS, such chat was unheard of. described in this chapter showing different Strike Force the new AIS. The most obvious feature of aspects of emergent capabilities that can the AIS was the colour Barco display in its Those were the days... while the MGB result from such collaboration. The first is main console... at that time it was a very squadron office was excited about replacing the collaborative system (of systems) resulting impressive piece of equipment that provided the manual-type writers with desk-top from connecting various platform systems the situation picture in fine details. I computers... ship crews on the MGBs were (ships and aircraft) together. Here the result remember the naval officers, warrant officers also going through the transformation of is a significant increase in combat power. The and specialists commenting that they were their fighting capabilities with the new second is the integration of two information Surface Task glad that their manual plotting days were AIS and a whole host of other upgraded systems – a real time coastal surveillance Group over. Of course, this was in comparison systems on the ship. system and a sense-making system. Here to what the vertical plot could do then. the pay-off is a significant capability leap in The AIS allowed synthetic contacts, digital the information domain, providing enhanced chart and even real-time radar picture to be capabilities in early warning and actionable A maritime task force’s overlaid and presented on the main display – insights for strategic decision making. The capabilities are multiplied manifold with providing a truly complete situation picture third example is the collaboration across the inclusion of aircraft. to the CIC team. organisations and national boundaries enabling organisations and nations to work A Collaborative Surveillance and To me, the true advancement in capabilities together to achieve shared outcomes beyond Sense-Making System was beneath the console and what the the means of a single entity. new AIS was designed to do. Its abilities When our naval planners and engineers to interface with the various sensors and The Surface Task Group and the were putting in place a coastal surveillance weapons systems was a big leap in capability, Maritime Air Task Force and command and control (C2) capability as it allowed contact information to be for the Singapore Straits and its approaches, processed for detection, identification and Collaborative systems (of independent systems they faced significant challenges. Maritime classification. With the AIS, the interface each designed for a particular purpose) enable traffic of all sorts and sizes operated in the with the ESM system was also enhanced and operational effects to be enhanced in both Straits and numbered several hundred at any bearing lines could be sent across scale and scope. In the case of a naval surface one time. Just putting in place a chain of automatically or selectively. The system task group for example, independent naval surveillance radars did not quite provide an interface also allowed target designation to platforms can collaborate to provide wide-area adequate capability to meet the maritime weapons systems on board for engagement – surveillance coverage or through cooperative security needs. A radar system could detect completing the full detection to engagement engagement to saturate an enemy’s defences. various targets but could not provide a fully cycle for the operators. The further integration of an airborne recognised sea situation picture. Vessels closely

35 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 36 Chapter 4 COLLABORATIVE SYSTEMS Chapter 4 COLLABORATIVE SYSTEMS

spaced together gave rise to multi-path effects directing naval platforms for investigation or complicating the compilation of a recognised for sensor and weapon employment. However, sea situation picture. High relative humidity, surveillance systems have inherent limitations regular rain and thunderstorms contributed to in that by themselves they lack contextual the difficulty of detection and identification information and insights and only display the using radar and electro-optical sensors. C band current situation. Integration with a sense- radars had to be used in conjunction with X making system confers significant capabilities band radars to provide for good performance that each of the individual systems cannot in both range and resolution. Electro-optical provide. The sense-making systems can sensors using the 8 to 12 micron wavelengths provide contextual information, insights and had to be replaced with those using the 3 foresight using data analytics from various to 5 micron wavelengths to suit our local sources of data. operating environment. Harbour craft had to be equipped with transponders to facilitate The diagram below is a conceptual depiction identification. of the integration of a maritime surveillance system with a sense-making system providing Surveillance systems are good to provide both actionable real time information as well actionable real time information such as as actionable foresight and insight. An integrated maritime awareness picture of the type used by the Maritime Security Task Force. Real-time Surveillance System Current Situation Collaboration Across Organisations Centre, in the event of maritime incidents Active Surveillance Data Actionable real and National Boundaries or crises. Data Fusion & Display time Information • IFC: The IFC is a centre where maritime ea te tra Engineering collaborative networks can information is collated and shared with Open Source Data enable multilateral forces to work together like-minded regional and international for maritime security, humanitarian and security partners, to enhance awareness Past, Present, Future peacekeeping or enforcement operations. of the maritime security situation, and Actionable Data Analytics Foresight, Insight The development of the Changi C2 Centre is where necessary, serve to cue or shape Other Data an example. maritime security operations. Ctet re ae MOEC Sense-making atter ar ar • : The MOEC is a centre for the System Changi C2 Centre planning and conduct of multinational operations or exercises. For example, The concepts that go into creating a reliable collaborative system The Changi C2 Centre comprises three the MOEC can be used to host exercises functional centres, namely, the Singapore conducted by the Five Power Defence Maritime Crisis Centre (SMCC), the Arrangements and the Western Pacific Information Fusion Centre (IFC), and the Naval Symposium. Should the need arise, Multinational Operations and Exercises the MOEC can also be used to facilitate Centre (MOEC). international cooperation in maritime security, humanitarian assistance and • SMCC: The RSN’s Maritime Security Task disaster relief operations. Force headquarters and elements from the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore and the Police Coast Guard make up the SMCC. The SMCC plans its maritime International Liaison Officers from France security operations from a common room hard at work during the known as the Inter-Agency Co-ordination 2015 Maritime Information Sharing Exercise.

37 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 38 Chapter 4 COLLABORATIVE SYSTEMS Chapter Five ORGANISATIONAL SYSTEM-OF-SYSTEMS Fact Sheet: shipping companies to report sightings — OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES OF Information Fusion Centre or nil sightings to the IFC. This was to create awareness for all the partners, SIZE AND SUSTAINABILITY and also to assist the SAL coordinators, Hosted by the RSN, the IFC is a who could take into account the relevant regional Maritime Security (MARSEC) information to decide the allocation of information–sharing centre. Inaugurated resources for their subsequent searches. Engineering a Sustainable Organisation on 27th April 2009, it aims to facilitate information-sharing and collaboration The IFC also conducts capacity- between partners to enhance maritime building activities such as international security. Through the speedy sharing information-sharing exercises and of information, it facilitates timely MARSEC workshops, for example, the and effective responses from partner biennial Maritime Information Sharing countries for MARSEC incidents. Exercise (MARISX) and the annual With linkages to 68 agencies in 40 Regional Maritime Security Practitioner countries, and with 16 International Course. Liaison Officers (ILOs) from 16 countries currently working in the IFC, the IFC The Association of Southeast Asian has played a role in resolving various Nations (ASEAN) ILOs in IFC also MARSEC incidents. For example, it has serve as the Permanent Secretariat of the provided timely situational updates on ASEAN Navy Chiefs’ Meeting. As the ships hijacked by pirates in the Gulf Permanent Secretariat, the IFC facilitates of Aden to facilitate better operational and monitors the development of new decisions. In November 2012, through MARSEC initiatives among ASEAN the IFC’s real-time updates, the Vietnam navies. The IFC also hosts maritime People’s Navy and Vietnam Marine information sharing portals such as Police (now renamed Vietnam Coast the ASEAN Information Sharing Portal Guard) were also able to localise a and the Regional Maritime Information The departments and squadrons that make up the RSN hijacked Malaysia-flagged tanker, the eXchange (ReMIX), which facilitates MV ZAFIRAH, in the South China Sea information sharing among ASEAN Organisations such as the RSN can be to 200 a year. This has the added advantage and arrested the perpetrators. navies and western Pacific Naval viewed as systems of human activity. System of reducing training effort and improving the Symposium members, respectively. concepts can be useful to design and manage experience level of the RSN. To support the Search and Locate (SAL) organisations to ensure their continued operations for the missing MH370 flight, viability in the face of continual change within Navy planners had taken an overall active the IFC first consolidated a situation the organisation, as well as in the environment. manpower strength of no more than 5,000 picture of the SAL operation in the South Given a designed manpower strength of 4,000 personnel as a hard system constraint in China Sea and Malacca Strait. The active personnel, and assuming that at the planning for the development and force details of the SAL operation, including aggregate level the average length of service of structure of the RSN, recognising that it assets deployed and search sectors where navy personnel is 10 years, an average flow of would be unrealistic to expect that it would available, were then shared among the 400 personnel per year can be expected. The be feasible and acceptable from the national various ILOs and Operation Centres that RSN will need to recruit this number annually perspective to keep on increasing manpower were linked to the IFC. With the shift amid a competitive environment, given a strength. This is so even with the increasing of the search to the Southern Corridor, growing economy and adverse demographic scope and complexity of its missions. This the IFC also engaged commercial ships conditions of an ageing population and low hard system constraint meant that innovative transiting the Indian Ocean through The Malaysian Chief of Navy, birth rates. If the average length of service solutions had to be found to enable the growth specific IFC advisories to more than 330 ADM Kamarulzaman, visiting the could be increased to 20 years for example, and viability of the RSN. Lean manning, the Information Fusion Centre. the annual recruitment demand would fall increased use of National Servicemen, and

39 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 40 Chapter 5 ORGANISATIONAL SYSTEM-OF-SYSTEMS Chapter 5 ORGANISATIONAL SYSTEM-OF-SYSTEMS

increased integration with the private sector industry partners and the workforce ashore Engineering High Readiness and support engineering capability that is very in the provision of support services were some was increasingly composed of civilian Mission Performance responsive to operational demands. of the initiatives embarked upon by the RSN personnel. Given the requirement for ship in engineering its continued viability and shore rotation of naval crews, and to enable With limited manpower resources to meet The diagram below illustrates the systems enabling its continued development. crews to be exposed to higher levels of a wide range of mission and readiness engineering approach to ensure high readiness maintenance work ashore, the RSN redesigned requirements, our naval assets have to be and mission performance for our naval assets. The RSN had traditionally crewed its ships its work systems into integrated military– maintained at a high state of readiness. In order to enable such an approach, the RSN, with two broad categories of personnel: industry collaborative work systems termed In addition, the operating tempo of our our defence technology organisations and those who operated the ship and its combat the integrated workforce. This move also ships and equipment is extremely high industry partners have to work closely as a systems, and those who performed mainly facilitated the smooth crossover of trained given the small number of naval platforms. collaborative SoS. maintenance and repair functions on board. naval personnel into the industry as naval This requires an integrated operations and As more and more technologically intensive personnel who finished their service in the systems were introduced, the demand for RSN could find ready employment in the onboard maintenance personnel increased. industry. The integrated workforce initiative More operators with a good understanding also enhanced the attractiveness of careers in Mission & Systems & Equipment Readiness Operating Tempo & of the technologies driving the systems were the RSN as Singaporeans could see better job Requirements Profiles also required. Sticking to the paradigm of lean security beyond their naval service. Initially crewing, the RSN took the step to integrate conducted for the maintenance workforce, Operating Profiles Defects operator and maintenance functions onboard this initiative has been extended to training Rectification ships. Personnel competencies were upgraded, functions ashore. Systems requiring highly trained crews with cross Performance Maintenance

competencies in operations and maintenance. This happened in tandem with the increasing Systems Supply Reliability & educational attainment of young Singaporeans Resilience and allowed the RSN to tap a higher quality human resource pool. Systems modification, Logistics Support upgrades, renewal Modelling & Analysis As more new platforms were introduced into the RSN, shore support functions were The systems engineering approach that the RSN uses to ensure high readiness increasingly outsourced to the defence and mission performance, showing the three core support systems. Changi Naval Base, as viewed from a squadron building.

NS resource pool

Attrition Total active Experienced ex Recruitment naval personnel naval personnel Attrition Retirement

I E

Integration of operations and Integrated military — maintenance functions industry work force

ENGINEERING A VIABLE ORGANISATION

The flow of manpower into and out of the RSN, and how they can still contribute. Ships of the RSN on a fleet exercise

41 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 42 Chapter Six Chapter 6 NAVAL PLATFORMS

NAVAL PLATFORMS Patrol Vessels for Maritime Security expanded role of maritime enforcement before moving on to command the more — MULTI-ROLE AND Operations and security missions extending its area of sophisticated ships of the RSN. Besides operations to the entire Singapore Territorial their employment for maritime patrols and MULTI-DIMENSIONAL The RSN patrol vessels (PV) had to be Waters that included the territorial waters security operations the PV also participated designed to provide a cost-effective solution around Horsburgh Lighthouse (Pedra Branca). with the MGBs and MCVs in naval task group to our maritime security missions. The operations and in anti-submarine exercises development of the Fearless-class PVs was The PVs were larger than the coastal patrol with international navies. Building a balanced navy with the range of the first indigenous naval vessel design and craft, for better endurance and seakeeping. capabilities to meet mission requirements production programme for our engineers. They formed two squadrons, one of which was during both peace and war is a major challenge Systems integration of combat systems was designated for shallow water anti-submarine for a navy with a small human resource pool. also performed indigenously. In addition, the operations and equipped with shipboard Given such a constraint, our naval platforms design and development of the C2 system for sonars and anti-submarine torpedoes. have to adopt lean crewing and play multiple the PV was also performed by our defence roles. engineers. This programme was a tremendous From lessons learnt in operating in shallow learning experience and harnessed the waters, the RSN designed the PVs with waterjet “The case for larger and more sophisticated ships capabilities of the entire defence technology propulsion. These were less susceptible to depends on the role of the Navy in war. With no community to ensure its success. Its successful damage from hitting submerged floating clear definition of our potential aggressors, their completion was a boost in confidence and set objects such as large logs. These vessels were invasion fleets, or their strengths and capabilities, the path for subsequent local design and very manoeuverable and facilitated their RSS Daring, pennant number 98 and with no definite knowledge of the conditions development programmes. ability to perform maritime security patrols as and circumstances under which RSN will engage the well as warfare missions within the Singapore Equipping the PVs invading forces in combat, it may be difficult to justify The PVs were designed to replace the coastal Strait and its approaches. huge expenditures of scarce financial and manpower patrol craft that were being transferred to ST Marine, part of ST Engineering, built resources to build a large and powerful navy.” the Police Coast Guard (PCG) that the The PVs were also equipped with electronic 12 Fearless-class PVs for the RSN. The RSN RSN helped to establish. The PCG warfare equipment for detection and anti- awarded the contract to ST Marine in February Excerpt from address by the Minister for Defence, was initially the Marine Police and missile defence. With the advances in electro- 1993 and the first of the Fearless-class PV Mr Howe Yoon Chong, at the commissioning performed mainly constabulary missions optical technology, the PVs were also fitted was commissioned in October 1996. The ceremony of the coastal patrol craft at Pulau Brani within the port limits of Singapore. with electro-optical systems that could final vessel of the class was commissioned Naval Base on Tuesday, 20th October 1981 The PCG was established to perform the control the main 76mm gun of the PV. An in August 1998. unintended effect encountered was that in some specific situations too much smoke The first six vessels of the class are armed from weapon firings affected the ability of for anti-submarine warfare missions. The these electro-optical systems to maintain remaining six vessels are for patrols. The 55m their continued tracking of targets and this PV has a steel monohull with a round bilge could pose a safety problem when gun firing semi-displacement hull, incorporating very was in progress. Our engineers had to make fine V-shaped frames in the forward sections. modifications which included adjusting the The superstructure is constructed in marine positioning of the electro-optical sights to grade light alloy. The design of the vessel resolve the problem. allows the layout to be reconfigured to accept a range of sensors and weapons systems to The success of the PV programme proved the meet evolving operational requirements. mettle of our naval planners and engineers. The deployment of the PV allowed the The first six vessels are armed with triple tube MGB and MCV to perform less patrols and Whitehead A244S torpedo launchers supplied to focus on their roles of operations for the by Whitehead Alenia. The air defence system seaward defence and security of our sea lines is the Simbad twin launcher for the Mistral of communications. The PVs also allowed the surface-to-air missile, supplied by MBDA. RSS Independence Fearless-class patrol vessel training of naval officers for junior command The Simbad launcher is installed on the

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stern deck. Mistral provides short-range air combined SAF operations in a single platform. hydrography had been extensively affected by transportation for 200 troops. It has two defence against hostile fixed-wing and rotary- The first ship RSS Endurance became the the Tsunami. 25t deck cranes for loading and unloading wing aircraft and against incoming anti-ship first RSN vessel to circumnavigate the of cargo. missiles. The target range is from 0.5 to 5km. earth shortly after attaining full operating The LST programme was a significant one Mistral has an infrared seeker, a speed of capability. In the aftermath of the Indian in building our capability to design and build Mach 2.6 and is armed with a 3kg warhead. Ocean Tsunami the effectiveness of these a sophisticated naval vessel indigenously. The PV’s main gun, installed on the bow ships in humanitarian operations was proven. The experience and confidence of our naval deck, is the OTO Melara 76mm Super Rapid These ships also participated and proved their planners and engineers to perform this was gun. The gun fires 6kg shells to a range of worth as command platforms in multinational due in large part to the successive learning 16km and is capable of a firing rate of 120 maritime security operations in the Arabian cycles in the various shipbuilding and upgrade rounds per minute. The PVs are also armed Sea and in the waters off Somalia. programmes. Several international navies with four Chartered Industries of Singapore showed interest in our LSTs and this led to (CIS) 50 12.7mm machine guns. The LST programme incorporated significant ST Marine building one for the RTN. integration of bridge and engineering systems The vessels are fitted with the MSIS optronic with the design intent of reducing crewing director, which provides fire control for the and to improve efficiency and mission Anti-air defence is provided by the Mistral Super Rapid gun supplied by Elbit. The surface performance. The level of automation allowed surface-to-air missiles fired from two Simbad search and fire control radar is the EL/M- these ships to have manning levels (it has twin launchers. The main gun is a 76mm 2228(X) radar supplied by Elta Electronics a crew of 65) that were not to be seen in OTO Melara Super Rapid gun. It can fire at a Industries. The radar provides simultaneous comparable vessels of other navies. Various rate of 120 rounds per minute to a maximum detection of air and surface search targets. The studies into the ability of the LSTs to carry range of 30km. Five CIS 50 12.7mm machine first six ASW vessels are fitted with Thales and deploy land platforms such as armoured guns are also mounted on the ship. Underwater Systems TSM 2362 Gudgeon vehicles as well as various classes of helicopters hull-mounted medium frequency active sonar. allowed engineers to incorporate SAF level The ship features a large flight deck equipped requirements into this single platform. Even RSS Endurance, pennant number 207 with Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and The PV is powered by two MTU 12V 595 TE large Chinook helicopters could land on Traverse (ASIST) system. The flight deck 90 diesel engines coupled to ZF gear boxes. these ships. The Endurance-class LST is larger in size allows day and night operations of two 10t It is equipped with an MTU ship control than its predecessor. It features a twin screw helicopters. Hangar facilities are provided for monitoring and management system. Just as significant was the opportunity that displacement hull with a bulbous bow. The the embarked helicopters. this programme allowed our engineers well-dock has a wide stern ramp for loading In a departure from traditional conventional to design and develop a joint services C2 and off-loading equipment and troops. The The propulsion system provides a drives, the PV is fitted with twin waterjet system that facilitated the LSTs to function ship is highly automated to reduce manning. maximum speed of more than 15kt and systems developed by KaMeWa of Sweden, as command and support platforms for The vital areas of the ship are protected against range of 5,000nm. offering increased manoeuvrability various SAF operations. The LSTs served a certain degree of shock. The class has an throughout the vessel’s entire speed range as the command platform for the SAF Joint overall length of 141m, beam of 21m and a and the ability to operate in shallow waters. Task Force that was formed to conduct draught of 5m. The standard displacement of humanitarian operations in the aftermath the ship is 6,000t. The vessel can complement Multi-Purpose Landing Ships for of the Indian Ocean Tsunami. An important a crew of 81. Military Support and Humanitarian capability that was validated was the ability Operations for these ships to deploy heavy earth moving The Endurance-class LST has the capacity equipment over the shore to facilitate to carry tanks, vehicles and bulk cargo. The Landing Ship Tank (LST) programme reconstruction operations. Given the severe The tracked and wheeled vehicles of up to was an ambitious programme for a naval damage to existing airports and roads this Military Load Class 60 can be self-driven platform system that could meet the needs was the only way for such heavy equipment on to the tank deck through a bow door of combined land, sea and air operations. to be brought to the area of operations. The or ramp. Boats and landing craft carried The programme challenged our planners and landing craft of the LSTs were able to carry include four 13m fast craft equipment engineers to put together the operational, bulldozers and other earth moving equipment, and personnel and two 25m fast craft information and technical architectures for landing on shores from waters where the utility vessels. The ship also provides

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ST Marine, a local company, and managed equipment from the ship, besides being our by DSTA. Flashes of my days on board the ‘organic’ swimming pool! County-class Endurance created a sharp contrast to the new Endurance which was Another important aspect of the new to become my obsession for the next five years Endurance was that it brought all three (as CO Endurance and subsequently as the services of the SAF onto a common platform Squadron CO). At 141m, the vessel was 40% where synergies in operations were further larger and possessed capabilities way beyond enhanced and refined. Within days of the 2004 what could be found on the County-class tsunami in Sumatra, RSS Endurance, then an ships, including larger and modern Roll On experienced dame of four years, sortied with and Roll Off equipment, the biggest helicopter a full load of men and equipment geared to deck and hangers afloat in the RSN, a well conduct a Humanitarian and Disaster Relief dock and extensive vehicular decks. The non- (HADR) Operation. For the month she was obvious parts of the vessel were even more deployed to Meulaboh, Aceh, Indonesia and impressive. together with her sister ships RSS Persistence and RSS Endeavour who joined her later, One of the old County-class landing ship tanks, designed for The new RSS Endurance was designed to be they conducted daily operations to alleviate amphibious operations and landing troops and vehicles directly onto a shore. operated by only a crew of 65 and consequently the hardship and suffering of the local was heavily automated. The bridge adopted populace. The Endurance-class LST was an extremely were suffering from severe sea sickness, felt a cockpit design, and the Integrated Bridge capable vessel for SAF operations. These were like babies in a cot as we laid on our bunks System needed only one crew to access the But this was the future. Meanwhile back in significantly more capable than the County- amid the heavy rolling and pounding we navigation and communications systems, the 1998, mixed with both a sense of apprehension class LSTs that they were to replace. encountered throughout that day. Electronic Chart Display and Information as well as thrill of the challenge, together with System (ECDIS) and other vital systems a magnificent set of pioneer crew, we helped COL (Ret) Siow Chee Khiang There she was. Sitting high and mighty atop needed to sail the ship effectively; while the to build, operationalise and finally embarked recounts his service on board both the launch way at ST Marine, she beckoned Ship Control, Monitoring and Management on a historic round-the-world deployment on the former and present landing to me, as I stared and started to wonder what System controlled, monitored and managed 5th May 2000 (RSN 33rd Anniversary), ships of the RSN below: I had landed myself into as the Commanding most of the platforms on board. Various returning home safely on 2nd September Officer (CO) (designate) of the biggest vessel automated systems (including the ASIST 2000. From her launch on 14th March 1998, “Endurance To Endurance” to date for the RSN! It was sometime in 1998 system) allowed helicopter operations to to her commissioning on 18th March 2000, that I had my first sight of RSS Endurance, be ‘automated’, enhancing safety while the pioneer crew had 26 months to help In 1981 and as a young Midshipman, I tasted the lead ship in a new class of LST the RSN reducing the need for more deck crew. The build, conduct the trials and operationalise my first sea voyage on board a big ship. It was was building to replace the County-class LST. system works by automatically tracking the the ship before sailing on her own for this the 8th Midshipman Sea Training Deployment With her high bow’s majestic silhouette, I landing of a helicopter such that upon landing, 121-day odyssey, including transiting both the and we sailed aboard Endurance, a County- was both apprehensive and yet amazed that the helicopter, with an extended probe, is Panama and Suez canals. In the process, RSS class LST of WWII vintage to various ports not only was this ship to be my responsibility immediately captured by a Rapid Securing Endurance also became the first ship in the in the region. To a 19-year-old (and a comic and command, she was designed and built by Device which, besides securing the helicopter world to use official electronic navigational buff reading about WWII naval battles), while to the deck, also allows the helicopter to be charts with the ECDIS to circumnavigate there were no surface raiders nor U-Boats, moved into the hangar. the world. The adage, “Be careful what you it was indeed an adventure worthy of any wish for” (part of the plan for the trip was to schoolboy’s dreams. And at all of 100m, Boat operations were similarly enhanced with validate the ship and systems and we did wish the vessel was a huge ‘playground’ at sea. compensating systems for the sea states and for heavy seas to test all systems!) hit home The lady showed her age as vibrations and modern hydraulic system that not only made when we encountered a Sea State 7 storm creaking noises could be felt and heard the work safer and faster, but needed fewer as we crossed the Pacific Ocean heading for throughout the ship with each pounding of men to launch a greater number of boats. Acapulco in Mexico. As memories dimmed the waves! Crossing the South China Sea, we The Well Dock, while not a new concept, and we added some romance recalling the had such severe weather that training had to introduced new capabilities and enlarged storm, it was indeed a beast with the ship be cancelled. Most of us, besides those that RSS Resolution, pennant number 208 the envelope for projection of both men and being tossed about even as all hands went ‘on

47 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 48 Chapter 6 NAVAL PLATFORMS Chapter 6 NAVAL PLATFORMS

deck’ to best manage the situation. Later Acquiring a New Principal Strike I learned that a legend was born, in that Craft for Seaward Defence and a crew actually slept through the storm! Safeguarding Our Sea Lanes

Another ‘highlight’ was when an engine In studying the options for the replacement decided to shut down as we manoeuvred of the MGBs, our planners and engineers into the Miraflores Lock and with some challenged their own notions – that our superb ship handling by the pilot and much human resource constraints meant that we calm and cool from the crew, we managed! were only able to crew and operate small While undesired, such are the trials and naval surface combatants effectively. The tribulations of any new platform and all LST programme showed that automation that we managed to do can be attributed to through technology could significantly reduce the excellent set of pioneer crew. Averaging the crewing requirements while maintaining 25 years, the crew went about their daily mission capability. Operational experience work with great enthusiasm and despite also indicated that small vessels lacked the RSS Formidable, pennant number 68 being on a new platform with much ability to conduct sustained autonomous to assimilate and learn, their fantastic operations at long distances from shore – spirits and boundless energies allowed us the very elements necessary to exploit the To facilitate the RSN’s participation to overcome all challenges and achieve full strategic advantage of sea power. Small in peace-support missions, DSTA was much on behalf of the navy we all love. surface combatants operating in the littorals approached to equip the frigate with a were also limited to a defensive posture as Launch and Recovery System (LARS) to The four LSTs of the Endurance-class went they lacked the ability to carry sensors and deploy two water craft. With a touch of on to serve the RSN well, with deployments weapons to dominate their operating areas inspiration, the DSTA team delivered the to the Persian Gulf (2003, 2004 and 2006) effectively above, on and below the sea. first unconventional LARS in July 2012 and and off the Somalia Coast (from 2009) Extensive studies, operational analysis and completed the harbour trial for the second for peacekeeping and counter-piracy the application of cutting-edge technologies system in February 2013. operations and numerous other major resulted in the requirements definition for exercises and HADR operations. We the RSN stealth frigate and the eventual With limited space on the frigate, the In addition, the team equipped the can all take pride in the achievements acquisition of six frigates to replace the MGBs only viable location to install the LARS LARS with both automated and manual of these fine vessels – conceptualised, in the role of principal naval combatants for was the Surface-to-Surface Missile (SSM) operations, making it easier for operators designed, built, and operationalised by the RSN. deck. A large section of the bulwark had to manoeuvre through the small footprint many Singaporeans coming from our local to be removed for the LARS to launch the of the SSM deck. With the automated industry (ST Marine), DSTA and the many A very distinctive feature of the Formidable- craft onto the sea via the side of the vessel. operation, reliance on the crew’s skills men and women from the RSN and her class frigate was the multi-function radar Without this feature, it would compromise and judgement is reduced. This innovation sister services from the Singapore Army developed by Thales to the specifications of the combat capability and stealth of the has enhanced the safety and precision and the RSAF. While many will remain our planners and engineers. A later version of frigate, forcing the DSTA team to think of operators without compromising the nameless, it is this combined spirit and this radar was later deployed on the Aquitaine- out of the box for a creative solution. The stealth and capability of the frigate. great sense of purpose that collectively class frigates of the French Navy. team modified the design of a conventional we can achieve, which will continue to davit successfully, making it compact, propel our beloved ‘Red Dot’ Onwards collapsible and capable of being launched and Upwards! over the bulwark.

Article credit: DSTA

49 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 50 Chapter 6 NAVAL PLATFORMS Chapter 6 NAVAL PLATFORMS

The Protector USV is based on a 9m RHIB and locally by ST Electronics in a move to build up has a complete sensor, navigation and weapon in-country capability in this new and growing suite which can be remotely controlled from domain. shore or from ships at sea. It has proven to be highly effective for maritime security In collaboration with France, the Venus 9 USV and interdiction operations, as demonstrated demonstrator was integrated with a Towed during the LST RSS Resolution’s deployment Synthetic Aperture Sonar (TSAS) for seabed to the North Arabian Gulf under OBO. In the scanning; and an Expendable Mine Disposal North Arabian Gulf, the Protector USV was System (EMDS) for subsequent neutralisation deployed for more than eight hours at a go. It of detected mines. USV autonomy was also had also operated under harsh environmental enhanced with collision detection/avoidance conditions, with temperatures often soaring capability developed by DSO which enabled it above 40ºC or the opposite – extreme cold to conduct autonomous missions during both in some OBO deployments. Being able to daytime and nighttime. The R&D programme operate for long periods of time in a harsh was successfully completed in 2013. Since environment is an added advantage offered by then, DSTA has worked closely with the RSN a USV, particularly for surveillance purposes, to implement the underwater survey system, where fatigue may set in for sailors. including the design and integration of an automatic LARS for the TSAS. The LARS will RSS Steadfast, pennant number 70 allow the TSAS to be autonomously launched once the USV arrives at the area of operations, Unmanned Surface Vessels collaboration programme with the US Naval and automatically recovered once the survey Undersea Warfare Centre, the French Navy operation has been completed. As the SAF embarks on the move to transform and industrial partners to develop the Spartan to a Third Generation fighting force, USV. The Spartan Scout USV was a remotely The DTC is currently developing USVs for unmanned vehicles linked by a network of controlled 7m Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat maritime security operations. Venus 16, sensors and communication systems form (RHIB), which could be flexibly configured for the latest USV for the RSN, was unveiled part of the modernisation drive to “enable Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance in Exercise Highcrest 2015, an anti-terrorist the SAF to see first and see more, understand (or ‘ISR’), mine countermeasure (MCM), anti- exercise conducted by the Singapore Maritime faster and better, decide faster, and act more surface warfare and ASW. Crisis Centre involving 20 national agencies decisively and precisely,” said DPM Teo Chee including the SAF, the Singapore Police Hean and former Defence Minister in 2004. The SPARTAN ACTD was a proof of concept Force, the Singapore Civil Defence Force, demonstration that focused on the assessment the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) serve and integration of technologies to expedite Singapore Customs, and the Maritime and practical purposes of being cost-effective the transition of maturing technologies from The Protector USV participating in Port Authority of Singapore. The 16m long while being less manpower intensive. developers to users. The RSN, however, Operation Blue Orchid. and 5m wide Venus 16 is capable of attaining In addition, USVs play the salient role of identified a pressing need for a USV to be a maximum speed of 40 knots and can be reducing risks of sailors, by taking their place deployed with the LST in Operation Blue Following the Protector USV, which is a deployed at sea for more than 36 hours. in potentially dangerous environments or Orchid (OBO)1 to reduce the risk of exposure remote-controlled vehicle with limited contaminated waters. This is especially so to unknown threats. Thus, the Protector USV autonomy, the DTC gradually progressed when maritime threats like terrorist attacks was acquired from Rafael Advanced Defense towards the development of a USV with and piracy are becoming increasingly Systems in 2004. mission autonomy. widespread. 1 Operation Blue Orchid (2003-2008) was in response to the United In 2008, the Defence Research and Technology Nations Security Council Resolution 1511 which urged countries Singapore’s development of the USV began in to join the reconstruction efforts in Iraq, in support of the Iraqi Office of MINDEF initiated the development the early 2000s where the DTC and the RSN people during their transition towards self-government. Singapore, of a USV R&D test-bed to demonstrate the alongside more than 30 countries joined the multinational effort participated in a multi-national Advanced to rebuild Iraq. The RSN was tasked to safeguard Iraq’s Al Basra concept of unmanned MCM operations. The Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) Oil Terminal. Venus 9 USV was designed and developed

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Naval Platform Technology VLOPMNT OF SV APALT OVR T ARS to minimise the size of the team after a Expertise Development careful study. The prime contractor supplied the majority of the systems, installed and Capability In supporting the wide-ranging missions of the integrated them with existing systems, and Mission autonomy, A UV A RSN platforms, our engineers and scientists was responsible for the performance of the collision avoidance capability developed deep expertise in various domain total system. This allowed a core PMT of half areas such as C2, weapons, electronic warfare, the typical size to manage the entire LEP. underwater acoustics, mitigating the effects of underwater explosions, system reliability and resilience and submarine safety and rescue.

UV These deep expertise is distributed among the elements of the defence technology ecosystem including DSO, DSTA, ST Engineering Remote-control, E UV E Year and R&D expertise in the universities and limited autonomy, no collision avoidance research institutions.

Managing Complex Upgrading The development of USV capability over the years Projects for Naval Platforms

Service Life Extension and upgrading of naval The Engineering Resource Lab (ERL) platforms is a core competency of our naval RSS Punggol, pennant number M108 is developed by DSTA’s Naval Systems engineers. The following narrative by DSTA Programme Centre and comprises engineers Goh Yong Han and Lam Su Ying a sophisticated suite of software Audrey on the upgrading of the RSN mine and computational tools for Ship countermeasure vessels (MCMV) is illustrative Performance Analysis, Integrated of the expertise acquired by our engineers in Topside Design, Sensors and Weapons successfully undertaking an upgrade project Integration, as well as Underwater with a very lean project management team. The Venus 16 USV, performing in Performance Analysis. Exercise Highcrest. The RSN’s four Bedok-class MCMVs were With the aid of these specialised acquired from Sweden and commissioned RADM Frederick Chew Chih Chiang, engineering tools, DSTA engineers in 1995. In view of their ageing systems The K-STER EMDS uses a shaped charge Commander of the Maritime Security Task can perform engineering and trade-off and the advent of new technologies, DSTA to detonate suspected mines. Force said, during an interview at Exercise studies, propose design concepts and embarked on a modernisation programme for Highcrest, that “unmanned technologies options, and review systems design. the MCMVs. This programme commenced can help to complement manned platforms. They are also able to analyse performance in 2009 with the installation of an advanced Instead of one or two patrol vehicles that can data and validate measurements and and integrated mine countermeasure combat influence only their immediate surroundings, test results of integrated systems more system, comprising a Mine Information unmanned surface vessels can protect a larger efficiently with shorter time spans. System, Hull Mounted Mine Hunting Sonar area around the Singapore Strait.” With their (MHS), TSAS and an EMDS. distinct advantage of operating without A team from the Naval Systems personnel on the frontline, the USVs act Programme Centre clinched the National The conventional approach to managing a as force multipliers to perform useful Innovation and Quality Circle Gold Life Extension Programme (LEP) of a naval surveillance and presence roles. Award in 2012 for their innovative use of vessel of such complexity is to form a core the tools in the ERL to boost productivity integrated Project Management Team (PMT) RSS Kallang, pennant number M106, and address technical challenges. of more than 10 engineers to oversee major sailing to help in the search for Indonesia combat, platform and shore systems. The AirAsia flight 8501, as part of Article credit: DSTA PMT adopted a prime contractor approach the Underwater Search Task Group.

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Managing Developmental Items during Managing Integration Risk with Legacy offers an automatic detection and classification Equipped with just a small charge, the vehicle Contracting Systems capability to ease the operator’s workload in is designed with a tiltable warhead, sonar, mine detection and classification. sighting laser, video camera and searchlights During the tender exercise in 2008, all The delivery of the upgraded programme to locate and attack mines accurately and submitted proposals had some key systems capability was heavily dependent on the Compared to the previous sonar system which efficiently. The K-STER Combat vehicles are that were still in the high risk development successful integration of the existing systems was hull-mounted and not towed, the PMT stored in the EMDS magazine on board the phase due to the demanding technical with the new systems. This is a more complex conducted an extensive safety review on the MCMVs. To minimise manual handling of performance specifications of the tender. task compared to newly built programmes procedures provided by the contractors for the vehicles, the PMT worked closely with the By applying the procurement principles of as some of the information required for launching, recovery and towing operations. prime contractor to design a set of customised competition and value for money, the PMT integration is not available for some legacy All the emergency safety features of the jibs and fixtures to facilitate a more efficient employed competitive bidding exercises and systems. To mitigate this risk, pre-condition TSAS, such as emergency surfacing, cable transfer of K-STER Combat vehicles. included contractual clauses to protect the assessments (PCA) were performed to breaking tensions and emergency stops, were SAF’s interests in the event of possible failure establish and record the baseline configuration individually analysed during design reviews The RSN is the first navy in the world to of the developmental systems. This ensured of the ship through a series of inspections and tested thoroughly during sea acceptance conduct live-firing using this vehicle. As the tender returns would be cost-effective, and tests. This enabled the reconstruction tests to ensure safe operations. The launch this is a new weapon system, there were no with acceptable risk management measures and extraction of missing information. At and recovery procedures were also improved previous firing templates or references. The put in place by each of the tenderers. the same time, the PCA served to verify the and simplified through numerous sea trials. PMT collaborated with the RSN to develop legacy systems’ performance and interface test scenarios and safety firing templates. Achieving Cost Effectiveness during specifications to facilitate integration with Delivering Improved Mine Neutralisation Subsequently, with the knowledge gained Contracting the new systems. Capability from the first firing, the PMT worked out a new weapon danger area template which The PMT had originally mandated all Delivering Improved Mine Hunting The Mine Disposal System (MDS) has been significantly reduced the safety radius tenderers to engage the original designer of Capability used by the RSN for mine neutralisation since compared to the first firing. This achieved the MCMV as the platform consultant to 1995. The vehicle used in the MDS weighs further cost savings in terms of assets and oversee the platform modification works as Underwater mines are located using sonar about 900kg and requires a crane and handling time required for safety clearance. In addition, a risk mitigation measure. Subsequently, the which is traditionally a slow and tedious system for launching and recovery during over the several sea trials and live-firing, the PMT conducted a thorough technical risk process. With the advent of new technologies, mine neutralisation missions. As part of the PMT enhanced the preparation procedures assessment and explored engaging an alternate for example the SAS, mine hunting can be MCMV modernisation programme, a new progressively, and implemented additional platform consultant with the tenderers to performed better and faster. The principle of EMDS was acquired and installed on board instrumentation to further automate achieve greater cost effectiveness. The PMT SAS is to combine successive pings along a the MCMVs. The K-STER EMDS is capable of the pre-launch process. These served to conducted detailed ship surveys on each known track coherently in order to increase identifying and neutralising mine-like objects reduce the preparation time needed before MCMV, reviewed the existing documentation the resolution of the azimuth direction (along- to support the mine clearance operations of each firing. and drawings, and determined that minimal track). Hansen (2011) explained that with the RSN. It is a remotely operated vehicle platform modifications were required. All this increased “synthetic aperture” length, that consists of a lightweight vehicle and Through the application of sound system required information could also be obtained the sonar is able to obtain higher resolution supporting shipboard systems. The vehicle engineering, the PMT successfully completed through measurements. By systematically images with respect to conventional sonar has two configurations – the K-STER the MCMV modernisation programme for going through the risks of modification and processing. The coverage rate for a TSAS is Inspection for identification of mine threats, the RSN in 2014 in a cost-effective manner. integration, the PMT selected an alternate about five times faster than the legacy hull- and the K-STER Combat for neutralisation This has resulted in new and enhanced platform consultant with experience in mounted MHS. This is achieved due to a of mines. The expendable K-STER Combat mine countermeasure capabilities to keep managing MCMV platform upgrading and higher survey speed and wider sonar swath vehicle is designed to neutralise a mine with Singapore’s sea lanes mine-free and safe. achieved further cost savings. With the added widths. Being hull-mounted, the one-sided a single shot. This vehicle has led to vast risk assessment and management processes MHS array limits the MCMV speed during improvements in mission effectiveness as it Acquiring, Supporting and put in place contractually and through project survey, while the TSAS is a two-sided array is lightweight, simple to operate and easy to Upgrading Pre-Owned Naval milestone review meetings and progressive able to cover more area, and can be towed deploy. At 50kg, it is less than 10% the weight Platforms monitoring, this approach led to the effective at a higher speed to achieve a much higher of the previous MDS vehicle, and its lighter and successful execution of the programme. coverage rate. In addition, the TSAS provides weight simplifies the launch and recovery The acquisition of a submarine capability significantly higher resolution for improved process. It is estimated that the operation for the RSN illustrates a pragmatic and classification capability. The new TSAS also time per mine is reduced by about half. cost-effective approach in building a new

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capability. Submarines are very sophisticated temperature, high humidity and high salinity by opportune pre-owned military platforms tend to be ad hoc purchases, and have unique vessels and the RSN did not have operating environment. has not been completely dismissed. This is project management and technical challenges. experience to adequately specify what it clearly demonstrated by the acquisition of As such, the existing framework can be needed. An opportunity arose when the Royal This programme provided our engineers the Challenger-class submarines as well as adapted to better reflect the unique challenges Swedish Navy was to phase out its Sjoormen- with significant lessons on the challenges in the Leopard 2 tanks. Our engineers know of such acquisitions. class submarines. This presented an excellent acquiring and supporting the operations of there is a wealth of experience in the realm opportunity to build up a new capability for pre-owned naval platforms. The following of acquiring pre-owned platforms, and Unique Challenges in Acquisition of Pre- the RSN through the acquisition of these narrative by DSTA engineers Cheah Yew Jin, many project teams have since drawn on owned Platforms vessels including arrangements for both the Ong Li Koon and Tan Beng Hock illustrates this knowledge. RSN and our defence engineers to acquire the the learning experience in such programmes. Time pressure to conclude opportunistic operational and technical knowledge through Framework for Acquiring Defence acquisitions usually leaves the project team training by the Royal Swedish Navy. Lessons Learnt from Managing Systems with little time to examine the state of the Acquisition of Pre-Owned Naval component systems on board the platforms In the submarine acquisition programme, Platforms Over the years, the MINDEF has developed a thoroughly and properly, look out for defects two significant aspects of engineering and structured approach to manage the life cycle of or to validate the prevailing performance of maintenance practices should be highlighted Acquisition of pre-owned military platforms defence systems. The framework (MINDEF, the systems before contractual commitment. here – the first being the implementation can be a cost-effective solution to meet 2012) serves to guide the management of Without in-depth system knowledge, the of the Submarine Maintenance and Safety operational requirements but it also poses systems through the system’s life cycle, project team will also face difficulty in Programme (SMSP). The RSN has adopted significant challenges. beyond just the acquisition phase. It has been specifying the modification and upgrades the SUBSAFE programme from the US Navy useful in the management of new systems and required to customise the platform for the on the Challenger-class submarines. It is While these issues can be partially mitigated capabilities. new intended usage. to provide a high assurance for watertight through a well-crafted contract and close integrity of the boat and, at the same time supervision during the acquisition, the While the process for the acquisition of new Dealing with Uncertainty in Material should flooding occur, the ability for the boat challenge comes in handling the unexpected build military platforms is well defined and Condition to recover and surface. The RSN has made and resolving them swiftly in order not to the challenges understood, the same cannot be some changes to the US Navy system by impact the project schedule adversely. Our said of the acquisition of pre-owned military Normally, the material condition of pre- including the electrical and high pressure engineers provide some insight into the platforms. Being opportunistic buys, such owned platforms cannot be fully ascertained systems into the SMSP to make the safety challenges faced and suggest measures that acquisition projects of pre-owned platforms prior to acquisition as it is not possible to framework more comprehensive. This is a can be used to refine the existing framework unique requirement for the submarine as for the acquisition of pre-owned platforms. no surface warship in the RSN has such Life Cycle Key Activities demanding engineering, maintenance and Pre-owned military platforms are opportunity Long-Term Planning Strategic planning, formulation of concepts and master plans, document requirements. They are almost like buys that can be brought into service rapidly resource prioritisation aircraft requirements to ensure traceability and cost effectively. Compared to the long in material and workmanship. The RSN had lead time required to design, build and Front-End Planning System requirements planning, project planning, management to conduct training for the shipyards so test new military platforms, pre-owned and control that they can comply with the SUBSAFE platforms typically only require country Acquisition Management System definition, tender management, contract award, requirements. Regular audit on the work specific modifications and refurbishment and engineering development management, serial production processes and material control were conducted therefore can be inducted into service in a management by the RSN to ensure compliance. short time. Such acquisitions are not new to Transition to O&S Acceptance, delivery, system run-in, post implementation the SAF. Pre-owned platforms such as the reporting Second, as these submarines were of Swedish County-class LSTs, AMX13 light tanks and O&S Management System management, training and personnel development, origin designed for the brackish waters and A4 Skyhawks allowed the SAF to build up real estate management, operational test and evaluation, cold weather of Sweden, major modifications military capabilities which were required system modification, system upgrade, budget management to the piping system, sea water system and urgently in its formative years, in a quick and ventilation system were carried out. Different cost-effective manner. While the SAF has System Retirement Retirement planning, logistics support planning, sales planning and approach material and design were used and installed evolved over the years and many new systems to enable these boats to work in our high have been acquired, the advantage offered The life cycle management process

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strip the entire platform down to its phase of the system’s life cycle. to improve the performance. The resulting Such a configuration could pose a dilemma. component level. As it is impractical and cost and impact on schedule would be another Enforcing blanket changes to English text too costly to order a complete overhaul and Handling Existing Systems point of contention. would likely incur a substantial cost, bearing renewal of every component, it is not unusual in mind that the related documentation such to adopt the existing refurbishment scope of Besides being unable to ascertain the exact To handle such issues, it is important to as drawings and technical manuals will need work of the host country since the project material conditions of existing components, provide acceptable tolerance to handle the to be updated as well. In many cases, trade- team may not be equipped with sufficient the project team would also likely be likely deterioration of performance due to offs will be necessary to achieve the right knowledge to specify the required scope of hard-pressed to provide the detailed ageing as well as a mechanism in the contract balance between operational efficiency/safety refurbishment accurately. modification and upgrade required to to handle the liability and responsibility in the and cost effectiveness. Based on experience, convert the pre-owned platforms to suit event of such an occurrence. The mechanism all text with safety implications (such as However, adopting the existing maintenance local needs due to insufficient system should include cost-sharing formulae to handle warning signs, operational instructions and scope of work is inadequate. It is not unusual knowledge. Likely shortfalls will occur in situations where additional modifications push buttons) should be replaced to reduce the for the existing owner to drop selective scope areas such as adaptation to local conditions of existing systems are required. Such a likelihood of human error during operations. of work for overhaul to manage cost and (different environmental conditions), mechanism would have to be proposed during This would have to be imposed on the OEM availability. This is usually an acceptable safety (due to differing workflows and the acquisition management phase to gain during the acquisition management phase. practice for the existing owner since the safety tolerances), monitoring system the OEM’s acceptance on the cost-sharing platform’s original equipment manufacturer (different operating philosophies), host approach prior to contract signing. Unfortunately, it is impractical and impossible (OEM) is able to provide timely support when country laws and regulations. Additional to identify all the text that needs to be changed defects occur due to their close proximity modifications not included within the Configuration Management Challenges at contract signing. Hence, the remaining with their armed forces. The same would original scope of work will likely incur configuration issues would have to be resolved probably not be valid for the new owners substantial cost and adversely impact the Over the course of the project, it is not during the project implementation. of the pre-owned platforms as the OEM is schedule especially if identified late in uncommon to note discrepancies between most likely located at extended distances the project management when design has the documented information and the physical Since many configuration issues cannot be and thus unable to provide the required been finalised. To mitigate such issues, a configuration found on board the platforms. fully anticipated, it is necessary to set aside repair at short notice. In this case, there is checklist of potential modifications would The most common observations are missing adequate budget to update the configuration a need to perform the additional overhaul be helpful. Such a list would be accumulated components, from items as minor as cable to reflect actual conditions, and without scope of work not normally performed during over time drawing from the lessons learnt tags to major items like sub-assemblies as compromising safety. the refurbishment, especially for safety from similar projects. The applicability and well as the mismatch between the actual critical systems, to mitigate potential future critical level of each lesson would have to component and its description as stated in Dealing with Obsolescence availability issues due to component failure. be assessed during the front-end planning the technical manuals (e.g. normal nuts were The additional scope of work would be next phase. used instead of self-locking nuts). It is common Equipment obsolescence is a key requirement to impossible to establish at such short notice to discover additional components fitted but that must be addressed to ensure supportability under a normal contract situation. Another likely issue on existing systems not reflected in drawings (typical items are and maintainability post-delivery. This relates to the performance of the pre-owned electrical sockets and storage boxes) as well is especially critical when the pre-owned Poor material conditions are picked up platform and the onboard system. While as electrical connections in the drawings platforms are expected to be supported for typically through close supervision of the the refurbishment and upgrade would have differing from physical connections on board. an additional service life of greater than 10 refurbishment process. The presence of an rejuvenated and extended the service life of It is also possible to note discrepancies in years. It is important to demand that the on-site supervision team, otherwise known the pre-owned platforms, it is not realistic configuration between different platforms of OEM provide evidence during the acquisition as the Resident Programme Office, enables to expect the pre-owned platform and the the same class (such as additional structural management phase to identify potential the prompt identification of defects over onboard system to perform to the originally fittings, elbows and extensions on various obsolescence issues upfront. It is also important the course of the refurbishment phase and specified performance. This is especially so piping). Ad hoc corrective actions will be to continue to keep a close watch during the helps to mitigate potential schedule delays. for electromechanical systems. In the event required to manage such discrepancies or to refurbishment or upgrade to identify further In addition, the availability of a fast-track where the existing or modified system fails document the non-conformity. occurrences of potential obsolescence and process will greatly facilitate the project to meet specific performance requirements, resolve them promptly. Solutions to overcome team’s engagement with the OEM to resolve disputes would arise between the OEM and Other than inaccurate configuration, it is obsolescence include acquiring the remaining issues expeditiously. The boundaries of the project team on the acceptability of the also likely that the text on the labels, tags, spares, contracting the OEM for an extended such a fast-track process would have to be performance demonstrated and whether gauges, instructions and warning signs are maintenance agreement or warranty, sourcing defined during the acquisition management additional modification would be required written in the language of the host country. third-party maintenance and supply support,

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and re-designing, replacing or upgrading the Managing Differences in Standards which needs to be budgeted adequately. existing components or system. Due to differences in the design standards Building Relationships with Host-country To mitigate potential schedule delay, it between the pre-owned platform and the new Armed Forces is necessary to purchase the remaining systems such as electromagnetic compatibility available spares to ensure at least short- and/or quality of power supply, issues such as With acquisition of pre-owned platforms term supportability while efforts are interference and performance degradation can involving two countries, it is pertinent to foster taken to review the feasibility of the other arise. To mitigate such issues, it is important good relationships between the armed forces solutions to obsolescence. Redesign and to ensure that the new systems to be installed of both countries to promote the sharing of upgrade of obsolete components/systems are sufficiently robust so that they do not experiences and lessons learnt. In many cases, are usually undertaken after a proper cost- become a source of interference or become support like trial assets and safety clearances effectiveness study is conducted since it will affected by the existing equipment or system. from the host country’s armed forces would typically incur substantial cost and impact However, such issues are difficult to identify also be required during the acceptance trials on schedule. Nevertheless, re-designing, beforehand and it is therefore necessary to for the pre-owned platforms. Interactions replacing or upgrading existing components cater for interoperability tests. This is to check between the armed forces would also improve may be necessary during the course of the for equipment interference so that corrective understanding of each other’s culture and project implementation and it will therefore actions can be taken promptly. facilitate planning and discussions during be important to address, if possible, how the testing phase. to manage such obsolescence issues in the For pre-owned platforms, the safety standards contract. that were adopted back then to design the Refining the Existing Framework platform could be legacy standards that are Implementing New Systems probably obsolete and/or superseded by Drawing from the lessons learnt, it can be newer and more stringent standards. seen that the existing framework would To meet the operational demands, there could Therefore, efforts may be required to ascertain need to be adapted to better serve the needs be requirements to implement and integrate the gap between the legacy standards and of managing the acquisition of pre-owned new systems to the pre-owned platforms. This the new benchmarks in areas such as military platforms. is especially true for combat systems which explosives, system and workplace or typically need to be replaced in order to meet occupational safety in order to identify While these insights were derived largely from unique operational demands or to manage corrective actions that can be implemented the experience of acquisition management of obsolescence due to rapid advancement of during the project phase. Such efforts have pre-owned naval platforms, the lessons learnt technology. The typical problem associated to be undertaken in the early phase of the and the proposed adaptations to the acquisition with implementation of new systems, project in order to prevent excessive cost framework are applicable to pre-owned especially electronic systems, relates to the and impact on schedule as a result of last land or air platforms as well. Awareness compatibility of the new systems with the minute modifications. In some instances, of past lessons learnt will help shorten the existing services and support systems such there may be no viable solutions available learning curve, placing project teams in a better as electrical power supply, hydraulic system and residual risks will have to be managed via position to handle the unexpected and resolve and cooling system. In many cases, there procedures. challenges swiftly to deliver capabilities to the may be insufficient electrical power, cooling SAF in good time. capacity or hydraulic supply to support the Managing Documentation system or the quality of the power supply may not meet the demands of the new Similar to the configuration issue, much electronic systems. The existing foundation existing documentation would have been may also be incompatible and require written in the language of the host country. redesign. Therefore it is necessary to factor Concise and precise translation of the in the required upgrade to the foundation, the documentation will be necessary to ensure power supply and the supporting systems effective operation and support in the future. during the front-end planning phase to prevent Such translation may not impact the project costly modifications late in the projects. schedule but is nevertheless a costly affair

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Life Cycle Adaptation to Activities Challenger-class Submarines Archer-class Submarines As part of the long-term planning process, the feasibility Long-Term Planning of using pre-owned platforms to meet the capability requirements should be explored.

With the acquisition of pre-owned platforms being opportunistic, the front-end planning cycle will be short. Typically, it consists of a quick assessment of the suitability of the pre-owned platform to meet the capability requirements. Project planning and control are difficult due to a lack of information. Multiple iterations with the The Challenger-class submarines were The Archer-class submarines (ex- Front-End Planning OEM or foreign government will be needed to distil the purchased from Sweden in the 1990s. Västergötland-class) were acquired from information required for decision making. Bearing in mind Their excellent hydrodynamic properties Sweden in 2005. They were designed and the challenges highlighted, generous budget provisions are achieved by its teardrop shape. This built as single-hull, double compartment and contingency planning are essential. It is also important minimises hull resistance when the submarines, optimised to reduce noise at this stage to set the key performance requirements submarine is submerged. These submarines and magnetic signature. The Archer-class and acceptance criteria in order to facilitate downstream now form the Challenger-class submarine submarines are also equipped with an Air- acceptance and transition to Operations and Support squadron of the RSN. Independent Propulsion system, which (O&S). enables them to have longer submerged • Length endurance and a lower noise signature, Other than the standard acquisition activities, it is critical 51 meters thus improving the submarines’ stealth at this stage to address the management of obsolescence • Beam capability. Equipped with an advanced and configuration prior to contract award. Emphasis 6.1 meters sonar system, the submarines are able to should be placed on identifying potential obsolescence • Crew detect contacts at a farther distance; the issues in order to secure the remaining available spares 28 torpedo system aboard also has a better or initiate alternative options to overcome obsolescence. • Speed target acquisition capability, allowing the Acquisition Management Configuration and documentation updates should also be 10 knots (surfaced) submarines the ability to engage contacts imposed on safety critical systems to ensure operational 16 knots (submerged) at a farther range. efficiency and safety while maintaining cost effectiveness. • Displacement Due to uncertainty in material condition, additional works 1,130 tonnes (surfaced) • Length could be required over the course of the refurbishment 1,200 tonnes (submerged) 60.5 meters or upgrade. Setting up fast-track processes and cost- • Beam sharing mechanisms are critical to allow smooth project 6.1 meters implementation. • Crew 28 Besides the normal challenges, the transition to O&S for • Speed Transition to O&S pre-owned platforms will be hampered by obsolescence 8 knots (surfaced) issues. It is therefore important to set realistic targets 15 knots (submerged) for obsolescence while not hampering transition to O&S. • Displacement 1,400 tonnes (surfaced) O&S Management No difference from new acquisitions 1,500 tonnes (submerged)

System Retirement No difference from new acquisitions Article credit: Cyberpioneer 2009, Proposed adaptations to the life cycle management framework. published by Public Affairs Department, MINDEF

63 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 64 Chapter 6 NAVAL PLATFORMS Chapter Seven THE ELECTROMAGNETIC BATTLEFIELD Project Magpie was a secret codename

Much of a naval operation above the sea is dependent on the ability to use the electromagnetic spectrum to one’s advantage and to deny its effective use to the adversary. Early naval operations were limited to exploiting only the visible part of the electromagnetic Then Deputy Prime Minister and spectrum. With the current sophistication of Minister for Defence, Dr Goh Keng modern sensors, weapons and their guidance Swee, foresaw the need to have a capable systems, mastery in understanding the military force to protect Singapore and workings of the electromagnetic environment her people. He predicted that warfare in is critical to the effective design, development the 21st century would enter the realm of and operations of naval systems. science and technology, with electronic warfare at its heart. With Singapore Always cognizant that the RSN would lacking in strategic geographical have to fight outnumbered, naval planners depth and a tiny population, Dr Goh RSS Swordsman, Singapore’s second integration of various combat systems with and engineers conducted various one-on- envisaged the use of technology as a Archer-class submarine, was commissioned the existing platform systems on board the one and force-on-force simulations using force multiplier to overcome Singapore’s in April 2013. The first submarine, RSS submarines. One of the major engineering various combat scenarios to better understand security challenges. Archer, was commissioned for active challenges was to pack all the required how the RSN would fare in these scenarios service in December 2011. mission systems into the tight confines of against various adversaries. Many of our Project Magpie marked Singapore’s a submarine, while retaining its ability to engineers and naval officers had received their first Research and Development (R&D) The Archer-class submarines project operate safely. A diverse suite of combat advanced degrees in the US NPS. Professor efforts in electronic warfare. Amid high was a large-scale, complex naval project and sensor systems was integrated into Wayne Hughes from NPS, an expert in naval security in an obscure premise, three that involved the integration of new and the submarines, including an advanced operations analysis, was engaged to help scientists began their first foray into old systems. To deliver the Archer-class sonar system which allows them to detect in the establishment of various operations defence R&D – and Singapore’s first submarines, the DSTA team played a leading targets at a further distance, and the analysis methodologies and tools to facilitate defence science laboratory was born. role in upgrading two Västergötland-class torpedo system which has a better target our naval planners and engineers’ work. They called it the Electronics Test submarines to a modern and capable naval acquisition capability for the submarines Less than favourable exchange ratios had Centre (ETC). The year was 1972. platform for the RSN. to engage targets at a longer range. to be addressed by having superior tactics and the use of advanced electronic warfare It was an arduous journey, but with a The critical upgrade was to modify and adapt With an extended submerged endurance, (EW) tools and techniques. Fortunately, determined mindset and commitment the platform systems to host the modern improved combat capabilities and the RSN could rely on the EW capabilities to protect Singapore’s security, ETC combat systems. Their arrangement, surveillance, the Archer-class submarines that were being built up in the then DSO. continued to build up on its research network connectivity, as well as electrical represent a leap in capability for the RSN. It is a tribute to Dr Goh Keng Swee’s foresight capabilities and development of cutting- and cooling systems were improved. The The team was conferred the prestigious that he realised the importance of technologies edge technologies. submarines were also equipped with an Defence Technology Price 2013 Team such as EW, sensors and remote control way Air-Independent Propulsion system for an (Engineering) Award for its outstanding back in 1972 when DSO was established. In 1977, it was renamed the Defence extended submerged endurance. contributions. Science Organisation.

To meet the RSN’s unique requirements, Article credit: DSTA The company was corporatised as a not- the team oversaw the acquisition and for-profit company in 1997 and became

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when the target was close to other vessels. as well as at sea. ESM systems and chaff known as DSO. The corporatisation However, several other anti-ship missiles that were soon complemented by more electronic highly capable platforms they were provided DSO the flexibility to embrace were subsequently introduced had longer countermeasure equipment such as jamming confident of defeating an adversary force best market practices for recruiting and ranges, posing a problem for our missile systems to provide more effective defence with larger numbers of platforms. An managing the best and brightest talents. gunboats with the challenge of closing the against newer anti-ship missiles. RSN recruitment commercial entitled “missile gap.” An adversary with such a “Did anyone order a missile” depicted This new autonomy also gave DSO the missile had the option to fire first, relying how RSN crew could spring into action opportunity to widen the scope of its on the intelligence in the missile seeker to In the late 1970s, a major learning to defeat an incoming missile attack collaborations and conduct joint research find its target. Given that guided weapons opportunity came when the RSN and then deploy shipboard weapons to with leading defence institutions and had a significantly higher probability of kill, acquired ESM and chaff systems for defeat the enemy.” universities around the world. whoever fired the first shot had an advantage their MGB. The ESM and chaff systems in a combat encounter. together formed an EW system for the Source: DSO Article credit: DSO MGB, protecting it against threats The equipping of the MGBs with EW such as missiles. The ESM is a radio Initially, the guidance systems of anti- capabilities was conducted in an environment receiver system which listens for and ship missiles were not that sophisticated The pioneering DSO engineers faced of secrecy. Overnight, several offices in the identifies radio signals emitted by a and could be fooled by well-executed EW many difficulties, as these were subjects Fleet Headquarters had sliding metal gates missile radar seeker during an attack. On techniques. However, as missiles became not normally taught openly. The installed and except for a couple of naval confirmation of an attack, it activates more sophisticated and enhanced with know-how was very closely guarded officers and various unidentified civilians, no the ship’s defence by launching chaff, electronic counter-counter measure capabilities and protected (which remains so even persons were allowed access to these offices. which is basically a physical decoy made as well as with seekers that operated in more today). They had to start from scratch, Engineers descended upon the MGBs and of a cloud of metallic strips of various than one part of the electromagnetic spectrum, compensating their lack of experience installed masts behind the radar dome and lengths designed to confuse the radar soft-kill defence was no longer fully effective. with commitment, passion, enthusiasm fitted equipment atop the masts that were seeker systems of the threat missiles. Fortunately, technological advancements and perseverance! covered in navy grey canvas covers. The petty also allowed the development of hard-kill officers’ toilets in the MGBs were converted A key challenge then was to develop capabilities and a combination of both soft- By the 1980s, the group had learnt enough to house electronic equipment but no chaff technique against such threats, kill and hard-kill defences was necessary to proceed with computer modelling and person on board was allowed to access the which involved the analysis and to enable a robust defence against anti-ship simulation tools. Computer simulation compartment – not even the commanding deployment of chaff as an effective missiles. not only allowed them to create the officer! These circumstances led to speculation target to lure the missile away from virtual systems and scenarios they that these were for intelligence purposes. its intended target. Modelling and Naval combat operations involve detection needed to aid their understanding and The reduction in the number of toilets meant simulation provided important insights and counter-detection, classification and analysis, it also allowed them to play a drop in habitability for crews and these into the dynamics and complexity of identification of threats, tracking and precision with a multitude of possibilities and developments were not particularly welcomed this multi-faceted problem. The DSO location of targets, as well as deployment of “what-ifs”, giving them a virtual test by the MGB crews as they were still kept engineers needed to understand chaff in weapons and countermeasures. All these bed to exercise their innovation and in the dark about the purpose of these new terms of a cloud of dipoles acting as an involve a mastery of various systems and creativity and to explore and test their equipment. effective radio wave “reflector” and how technologies – sensors, guidance and navigation, ideas quickly. its effectiveness could be complicated command, control and communications, Eventually the EW systems were integrated by the effects of environment and the decoys, weapons and propulsion systems. Source: DSO within the overall warfighting systems of behaviour of radar. For example, it was These requirements were met by our defence the MGBs and RSN crew began to conduct necessary to know how a missile radar scientists and engineers as they learned from Electronic Warfare as a force testing and evaluation of these improved seeker views an area of interest and how working on current generation systems and multiplier capabilities in various combat scenarios. it selectively accepts only the relevant developing the next systems. Tactics and techniques had to be developed, signals of interest. The RSN’s Gabriel anti-ship missile, given tested and validated before crews could Besides mastery of the associated technologies its semi-active homing guidance, was an be confident that these would work in “RSN crew became more confident of relating to naval combat, our engineers and excellent weapon for combat in the littorals. actual situations. Operations analysis and their equipment, training and tactical scientists had to overcome other challenges It had highly discriminative guidance features computer simulations were complemented capabilities. With a small number of of deploying sophisticated electronic systems so that it could hit the correct target even by evaluations in the Tactical Training Centre on board ships. High temperatures and

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humidity required a sound understanding to be managed. Putting equipment high up for the development of EW competencies in of managing air-conditioned compartments. The RSN’s MCV programme in the on ship masts had its associated difficulties the subsequent decades. 1980s marked another important to overcome. Our operating environment has milestone in their learning and a high incidence of lightning strikes. After The many projects which engineers capability development. By then, what equipment had been damaged by lighting, Besides EW, the MCV programme had to work on often demanded the they had learned from the MGB project our engineers quickly learnt how to provide brought about the first low observable concurrent study of a range of different – modelling, simulation, operational for lightning protection. The strength and requirement (the need to make a ship topics, yet the collective learning from trials and system modification and behaviour of ship structures such as masts difficult for an enemy radar to observe) the various teams involved converged improvement – was applied to the MCV during heavy seas also had to be better for the RSN. The main requirement in a common mission to advance DSO’s programme. A very close relationship understood after an MGB lost an EW system was to lower the MCV signature and GW and EW capabilities. developed between the RSN personnel positioned on top of the ship’s mast. Our therefore reduce detection range within and the DSO EW engineers. The EW engineers also developed deep knowledge of which it could be significantly detected For example, at a particular time they engineers worked very closely with their the performance and reliability of electronic by radar for the purpose of enhancing might have been involved in studying RSN counterparts, meeting regularly to components and systems on board ships. ship survivability. The ship’s mast various aspects of a missile guidance discuss and brainstorm, and to integrate presented the main challenge. On the one system on board an MGB, such as the EW techniques and tactics into the best Signature management of ship structures hand, it provided the necessary height signal to noise ratio, match filtering, possible anti-ship missile defence for was another major requirement for expertise for its antennas, but on the other hand, probability of detection and false alarm, the MCV. development. Our ships had to be protected its height rendered it more detectable and how these should be applied in a not only against radar guided weapons by an enemy radar. The radar signature radar seeker for target signal detection. The knowledge and capabilities built but also electro-optically guided weapons (i.e. the characteristic image it presents They might also have to understand up over the learning years taught including laser guided weapons. Our scientists to a radar system) had to be reduced as and model the relationship between the DSO engineers how to verify and engineers were challenged to develop much as possible, in spite of the fact that the radar seeker’s detection of the target technical performance and challenge sound solutions to these operational problems. the antennas on the mast needed extra of interest and how the threat missile manufacturers’ claims when necessary. The MGB upgrade and the MCV projects electromagnetic shielding structures translates this information into flight They became confident enough to allowed our engineers and scientists to acquire which resulted in an increase in the mast command and control signals. recommend and select systems that a deep understanding of a wide spectrum of signature. Solutions were proposed, but were in development, and therefore technical domains needed to support combat found to have some limitations because At another moment, they might be more capable and closer to the state- and other operations at sea. radar signature reduction technology at trying to understand the physical of-the-art, instead of playing safe the time was much less advanced than characteristics of radio wave by selecting only systems already in The MGB and MCV EW programmes also it is today. propagation, including the effects of production (and therefore more likely offered opportunities for DSO engineers the sea surface, so that they could model to be outdated by the time they were to quickly ramp up their EW systems The MCV mast challenge triggered the effects of the sea environment operational). This forward-looking knowledge, through on-the-job training and facilitated the acceleration of the on the multipath propagation and approach greatly facilitated capability (OJT) arrangements under the EW system building up of DSO’s capabilities in radar reflection of the radar seeker realistically. development and had full support from acquisition programmes. DSO engineers cross section (RCS), or the visibility of Textbook learning and computer the RSN, so that each ship was “built were attached to the contractors as members a system to an enemy radar as well as simulation were supplemented with for its time and not timed at its build”. of their system development teams. These EMI/EMC. RCS prediction codes and actual sea trials to study and verify the engineers covered the different aspects of the software were subsequently developed performance of the systems on board Source: DSO EW systems, such as systems engineering, RF or acquired, and measurement and the MGB, so that solutions could be electronics, antenna sub-systems, mechanical test capabilities were put in place. developed to improve the relevant Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning and thermal design, EMC and software. Consequently, the capabilities needed systems’ performance. Many of the had to be sized to provide cooling at peak Equipped with deeper knowledge of these to optimise combat effectiveness of the experiments and trials were conducted heat loads and manage the condensation EW systems from OJT, these engineers were MCV radar systems, while maintaining on board ships and out in the open caused by high humidity. Electronic sensor able to optimise the EW systems’ responses low signature and ensuring EMC, were sea, often resulting in seasick DSO systems on board ships competed to be against the threats upon their return. These acquired and strengthened. engineers. positioned at the highest points of the masts OJT programmes were a significant turning to maximise detection range. Mast space is point in DSO to develop a core group of EW limited and electromagnetic interference has experts in the 1980s, and laid the foundation

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Electronic Warfare protection of military platforms against The acquisition of the Barak anti-missile critical factor being the player’s skills and missile attacks. It provides the capability of missile system for the MCV was another ingenuity. In the hands of a grandmaster, The IR seeker typically has a very narrow field examining the effect of a missile closing in golden opportunity to raise DSO’s GW strokes of genius often emerge. In EW of view (FOV) in the order of a few degrees. dynamically on a platform. The assessment capability further. DSO’s engineers the strategies are also limitless. Unlike It is designed with processing capabilities for of dynamic properties is vital in the participated with the manufacturer’s chess, however, the EW technique used autonomous target acquisition and tracking. effective analysis of flare countermeasures, experts in working to validate the GW has to work the first time, every time, Flares (infrared decoys) are one form of as the response of the threat at various points simulation software for the numerous and within split seconds. The challenge countermeasure widely used against the heat- in its flight is highly dependent on its relative firing tests. This gave DSO the capability is speed and time. Many man-years of seeking missiles. These are solid pyrotechnics geometry to the moving target platform, and to perform pre-flight analysis to determine effort have to be put in to design, develop, that are dispensed in response to possible the separating flares. safety templates and work out the extremes test and retest the solution to ensure that missile attacks. of the missile flight envelop. They also it is timely, precise and effective and will The software simulation that DSO developed became proficient in conducting post-flight work when it is needed. The MCV project DSO’s Capabilities in Developing comprises individual models that are analysis on the missile flight profile and allowed the DSO engineers to master Operational EW Solutions integrated to generate the desired outcome. behaviour, in particular to identify and the necessary EW and GW technologies, explain deviations in flight behaviour. and to accumulate valuable and relevant The capability that directly supports the hands-on experience. The MCV has been development and delivery of operational EW At the time of the MCV programme, there operational for quite some time now. DSO solutions begins with research of the threat. were many willing and eager suppliers of engineers are now applying the experience To support the research, software simulations EW systems but these were at best basic they have accumulated from the MCV and are carried out to study, develop and verify systems capable only of rudimentary other previous projects to the even more effective countermeasure against the threat. capabilities, akin to ovens sold without exciting and sophisticated challenges posed In particular, DSO has developed and timer controls and without recipes. In by projects such as the new naval frigate delivered one such EW simulation software chess, every player starts with the same programme. to support the RSAF in the evaluation of EW 16 pieces and plays by the same rules. techniques against potential adversaries. Yet the possible strategies are limitless, a Source: DSO A helicopter releases its flares as a EW Simulation Software Tool missile countermeasure.

Software simulation is a practical and cost-effective method of examining the

3D graphic presentation Aircraft modelling

Result database Missile modelling

Simulation Scenario database engine Threat detection User input system modelling

System Countermeasure Engineering database Administrator modelling

A gathering of DSO engineers posted overseas for on-the-job training, together with their families. A block diagram of a new simulation software tool

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effects through the various naval platform The main component models of an EW and gravity. The final signature value 5. Three-Dimensional (3D) Graphic radars, coastal surveillance and guided weapon software simulation tool are described of the flare is generated to represent the Presentation programmes. For example, through the below: IR signature profile (intensity vs time), implementation of RSN coastal surveillance taking into account of the effect of flare The generated results can be shown in sensors, PV and LST surveillance radars and 1. Missile Model altitude, and the velocity of air across the 3D mode to enhance the efficiency when integration of MCV fire-control radar with flare at each instance in the simulation. analysing outcomes. The view perceived Barak missiles, our radar engineers learned This model determines the performance by the threat displays the interaction valuable lessons about the unique challenges of a missile body in flight. It represents 3. Aircraft Model of aircraft and flares, and can also reveal of operating radars in the littoral environment a typical kinematic model of missile the moment when the missile shifts and ways to overcome these challenges. dynamics and aims to replicate the The aircraft model generates the position its LOS. The values of the simulation missile flight dynamics by considering of the target for the missile model. It uses can be shown in graphical plots for Singapore, being one of the busiest ports in rocket motor thrust, guidance and auto- a kinematic model and its flight path can detailed analysis of each instance in the world, is surrounded by busy and narrow pilot. The guidance comprises the seeker’s be specified through waypoints. The the simulation. water passages, where large numbers of gimbals model and proportional navigation manoeuvre of the aircraft can be specified vessels of varying sizes pass through. This algorithm to generate commands for the to evaluate the effectiveness of different Operational Support and Delivery results in a very complex littoral environment auto-pilot. The auto-pilot will translate flight tactics within the flare dispensing for local radar operations, posing a multitude acceleration commands into fin, wing period. This model also calculates the IR DSO had delivered operational EW of unique challenges for radar systems to and canard deflections within the signature of the aircraft at different aspects solutions and supported the RSAF track targets quickly, accurately and reliably. considerations of the airframe. viewed by the seeker. The main factors on several occasions to validate the It is important that these challenges are include the calculation of the IR signature effectiveness of solutions in real identified and tackled through upfront design This module also comprises known tracking for the waveband of interest, the source operational environments through considerations, iterative system testing and algorithms of a missile. The missile seeker intensity of the aircraft, its operating power various Operational Training and optimisation. will perceive a different scene at each setting or Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT), Evaluation (OT&E) trials prior to their instance. Based on a collection of decision and the view aspect angle reference from operational missions. These missions When designing and evaluating a sensor rules, this model replicates the response of a missile’s position. include the United Nations peace system, a thorough understanding of the the seeker to its perceived scene, generates support for multinational reconstruction chief design drivers – mission profile, area of the seeker’s desired line-of-sight (LOS) 4. Atmospheric Propagation Model efforts in Iraq. operation and targets of interest – is essential. and determines the final achieved LOS. This is especially critical in a complex littoral Thus, it represents the behaviour of the When computing the IR signature within Article credit: DSO environment where there are a large variety missile seeker under different conditions the countermeasure model and aircraft and density of targets affected by anomalous of irradiance of the target and the flares model, the atmospheric effect on the The Unique Challenges of Operating in propagation effects, multipath and RF perceived within the seeker’s FOV. transmittance of IR signature has to be the Littorals — Naval Radars interference. accounted for. An empirical formula can 2. Countermeasure Model be derived based on Moderate Operating in the littorals poses significant Urban Coastline and Narrow Passageways challenges in using sensor technology – radar, This is a model to specify the spectral Resolution Atmospheric Transmission electro-optics and sonar are all affected by the In the open sea, target returns are large signature of different flares and the data to estimate the attenuation in influences of dense vessel traffic, close land compared to background sea and weather dispensed trajectory of the flare. The different situations. The factors included masses, and shallow waters. clutter. As such, sufficient target strength flare’s trajectory is determined based in the computation are wavebands of for detection can be accomplished easily to on its initial condition which is the interest, look angles of sensor to object, Naval radars are the primary sensors for obtain a good surveillance picture. On the status of the aircraft before the flare was slant ranges between the sensor and navigation and long-range surveillance. A contrary, a target has to compete with land dispensed. The velocity of the ejected object, and the altitude of objects. sound understanding of the performance of clutter and many other targets in a littoral flare and its dispensed aspect determine radar in the littoral environment is critical environment. The Strait of Malacca is one the rate of separation from the aircraft. to effective naval operations in such an of the world’s most significant traffic choke The model also has a deceleration module environment. Our engineers and scientists points, with the Phillips Channel narrowing that analyses the effect of air flow drag were able to acquire very deep understanding down to 1.7 miles wide close to the south of of radar technology and radar environmental Singapore. This is exacerbated by coastlines

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aerial vehicles and submarine periscopes, all the radar’s instrumented range in a littoral of which possess very disparate kinematics environment. and physical traits, and are used for different missions. Interference

Local Propagation Conditions Compared to the open sea, a radar system operating in a littoral environment is within The equatorial location of Singapore results the range of interferences from shore-based in an absence of severe storms and typhoons. emitters. The next figure shows a frequency The wind speeds in and out of Singapore are allocation chart that depicts a crowded at a low average of about 10 knots, leading emission spectrum due to the proliferation to frequent periods of calm conditions of commercial communication networks for in the surrounding waters. The low sea aeronautical, land mobile, meteorological and states translate into reflective sea surfaces, satellite services. which could result in multipath effects. Another propagation effect affecting radar False Tracks performance is ducting. Although ducting An aerial view of the waters just off Singapore is not unique to the local environment, this One main challenge of a littoral radar system phenomenon, if not properly treated, may be is to maintain a large database of tracks exacerbated by strong urban clutter beyond while reporting at a very low false track Typical Velocity (m/s)

LEGEND: Air Targets Surface Targets

A G

V

Typical RCS (dBm 2)

Some examples of the wide range of targets a littoral radar might have to detect.

lined with buildings and man-made structures Diversity of Targets which typically have strong radar reflections. In addition, the presence of targets at close Due to the proximity to land, radars operating proximity decreases the amount of reaction in a littoral environment also need to cope time available. This implies a heavier demand with a greater variety of targets which can on the radar to be reliable in target detection be airborne, surface or pop-up targets from and extraction. nearby land areas. Examples include small This chart shows the various demands for frequencies within Singapore. fast craft, helicopters, low flying unmanned (Reproduced with permission from the InfoComm Development Authority of Singapore)

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rate. For automatic track initiation, a very Doppler measurement is often regarded only Simulations, Tests and Fine-tuning practices. In addition to these requirements, it frequent occurrence is the formation of false as a tool for determining a target’s radial is also pivotal to understand radar behaviour tracks on unwanted targets such as oil rigs speed. In fact, Doppler information can be System design reviews form the baseline under local conditions and validate system and buoys that are swarming the already harvested for target discrimination, false theoretical analysis of the radar’s capabilities. performance via simulations and trials saturated surveillance picture. These effects track rate control and clutter rejection, all In order to determine the actual integrated comprehensively. are seen to be more severe for areas near urban of which are indispensable properties of a radar performance, different types of tests coastlines with strong reflective points such littoral radar. In a cluster of targets where from controlled laboratory set-ups to local as buildings. detections might be within similar range, on-site trials are typically conducted. To azimuth and elevation cells, Doppler can be evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented Target Masking and Track Loss the main discriminator and help lower the signal processing techniques, simulations probability of track swaps or splits. of RF returns can be injected in the radar It is common to have large surface vessels signal processing units. Depending on the in the vicinity of one another in a littoral High tracking accuracy is highly desirable target scenario simulated, parameters, such environment, possibly with smaller targets for target engagement as it improves the as reporting thresholds and classification weaving among them. When a small boat probability of kill for weapons using radar criteria can be checked and further optimised. approaches a larger surface target, the smaller plots or tracks as their primary input for Full load scenario is one of the vital software target is masked by the larger target and its ballistic calculations. However, high track tests to be performed for littoral radar track drops. As radar systems are the ‘eyes’ accuracy could also affect the track filter’s systems. Another approach is to use raw data of surveillance ships, such track loss events ability to cope with target manoeuvres collected from similar systems. However, in could place the smaller target itself or others and sustain track continuity. To counteract the usage of raw data from other systems, in perilous situations. In general, high RCS the increased risk of interference, littoral several areas must be taken care of by analysis targets can easily cause a saturation of the radar systems should have adequate self- or scaling to ensure the validity of output radar, masking targets over an extensive protection measures. These measures can results. These include the actual test set- range. reside in the front-end design such as low up from altitude and grazing angles to the antenna sidelobes, and in signal processing scaling of RF front-end parameters such as Design Best Practices techniques, sidelobe blanking and frequency antenna patterns, effective radiated power agility. and attenuation settings. With the accumulation of experiences and identification of possible areas of Dedicated Techniques and Architecture Ultimately, local radar testing is the most improvement, the following best practices robust method of performance validation. have been established to improve front-end Littoral radar systems should also have Therefore, from a project management radar system definition and development, waveforms to cope with ad hoc events. The perspective, ample time, sufficient amount so that the radar is more suited for littoral closeness of the platform to surrounding of upfront planning and availability of a surveillance. coastal areas causes it to be more vulnerable multitude of test targets should be catered to pop-up air and surface targets. It is therefore to allow for comprehensive testing and fine- Inherent Features desirable for these tracks to be initiated tuning of the radar. False alarm performance with as few plots as possible, while trial is also very challenging in a littoral In a good littoral radar design, robust clutter retaining a low false track rate. To further environment compared to an open sea as a rejection and false alarm control techniques reduce reaction time, there should also be a false track cannot be verified easily. Hence, are essential. To prevent receiver saturation high degree of automation in the operation varied and reliable sources of ground truth and handle strong clutter, there should be of the radar. As much as possible, operator need to be made available to validate the adequate dynamic range, sensitivity and actions should be required only when they performance of the radar. gain control. Adaptive and sector-based have additional third-party information gain control methods may be more effective which can be used as inputs to supplement In summary, the complex littoral environment solutions. Similarly for constant false alarm the radar’s performance. imposes a unique set of challenges for radar rate, more sophisticated and rigorous methods systems. The accrual of experiences in will be needed to adapt to background noise this demanding landscape has resulted in and clutter statistics. the formulation of numerous design best

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THE UNDER-SEA withstand the shockwave of the explosions. ENVIRONMENT Additionally, the bubble pulse effect of an underwater explosion, created due to the momentum of a moving fluid, generates a series of secondary, weaker shockwaves. These secondary shockwaves may cause Mines: Weapons That Wait further damage through cyclic fatigue. Thus having a stiffer hull means a ship will suffer The underwater mine is one of the oldest less damage from cyclic fatigue. weapons in maritime warfare and a clear example of an asymmetric weapon, requiring significant expenditure of effort to counter this threat. It has evolved over time to become more sophisticated and lethal and traditional minesweeping methods are no longer effective in countering it. The earliest minesweepers in the RSN were two Bluebird- class minesweepers purchased from the United States Navy in 1975. Formerly known An MCMV demonstrating the sort of maneuverability provided by as USS Thrasher and USS Whippoorwill, they its Voith-Schneider propellers. were renamed RSS Mercury and RSS Jupiter. RSS Punggol, pennant number M108 After many years of faithful service in the The MCMV hulls were built in Sweden and to simulate field conditions. In 1993, his RSN, RSS Jupiter was scrapped on 15th August Second, the ship should have a low acoustic with the exception of RSS Bedok, the rest project proposal received a S$3.13 million 1986 and RSS Mercury was decommissioned and magnetic signature. While there are many were outfitted in Singapore. The outfitting grant — one of the biggest at the time — on 31st March 1993. different types of mines, some of the most work was done by SSE (now ST Marine). from the Naval Logistics Department (NLD) dangerous are influence mines. These mines The first ship, RSS Bedok, was launched and DSO. Thus was born the underwater Mines were deployed in conflicts such as the are triggered by the influence, or presence, of and christened by Mrs Yeo Ning Hong in shock laboratory at the National University of Vietnam War, the Falklands war and the first a nearby vessel, either through the noise the Sweden in June 1993. This was followed by Singapore (NUS). Professor Lam, with support Gulf War (where two American ships, the ship generates, the displacement of water due RSS Kallang in January 1994 (by Mrs Lee from his colleagues and students, used a mini USS Tripoli and USS Princeton, were damaged to the ship’s hull, or the ship’s disturbance in Boon Yang), RSS Katong in April 1994 (by supercomputer bought with the grant money by Iraqi mines). The RSN spent many years the Earth’s magnetic field due to the iron in Mrs Lim Siong Guan) and RSS Punggol in to model shock waves and the resulting seeking more cost-effective methods such ship hulls. Mines may have any one of these July 1994 (by Mrs Ng Jui Ping). bubbles travelling through water (such as as side scan sonars to counter the threat of influence sensors, or several in combination. from underwater mine explosions), analysing mines; but with the growing sophistication A low acoustic and magnetic signature means The new MCMVs were designed to be able their interaction with the surrounding water of modern mines, the need for sophisticated that a vessel has a smaller sphere of influence, to survive a high level of underwater shock environment. The research helped the mine-hunting vessels and systems saw and is therefore less likely to set off an caused by mines. At the same time other RSN design naval vessels that could better Singapore enter into an agreement with influence mine. RSN vessels and their onboard equipment withstand underwater shock. Five years Sweden in 1991 to purchase four new mine had to have the capacity for shock protection. later, the Underwater Shock Technology countermeasure ships – the Landsort-class Third, a mine countermeasure ship should Our defence scientists and engineers had to Programme Team led by Professor Lam mine countermeasure vessels (or ‘MCMV’). be as manoeuvrable as possible. Mine develop their expertise in this area to support was awarded the DTP for developing an in- countermeasure ships must be able to hover the RSN. country underwater shock analysis capability Due to the nature of their work, ships (also known as station keep) with respect to that undertakes Whole Ship Shock Analysis performing the mine countermeasure role a potential mine, even in strong currents. In In 1991, Professor Lam Khin Yong formulated (WSSA) for naval vessels which are subject must have certain characteristics if they are addition, in order to image a potential mine his first big research project for Singapore. to close-range explosion. Results from the to be effective. First, the ship must have good from all angles and increase its classification Having served his national service in the RSN, WSSA were used to enhance the warfighting shock-resistance and hull stiffness. As these confidence, a mine countermeasure ship he recognised the need for naval vessels to survivability of RSN ships. The efforts of ships are generally in close proximity to will often circumnavigate the mine while better withstand shock. Professor Lam and Professor Lam and his team established underwater explosions, they must be able to maintaining its bearing relative to the mine. his team carried out computational modelling Singapore as one of the few countries in

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the world with WSSA capability. Defence Landing Ship Tank, the locally developed when the transmitted shock exceeds its research agencies and software developers code was also tested in a civil application design specifications. in France and the US indicated their interest when the RSN found World War II (WWII) to collaborate with Singapore in this area of mines offshore. The mines were located Through the numerous naval platform research. near oil pipelines, multi-million dollar acquisition programmes managed by DSTA, investments owned by Shell and Esso which the project teams acquired an understanding DSTA engineer Tessa Gan shares her were concerned about explosions at close of the international practices with respect perspective on the capability build up in proximity. With the help of the code, the team to equipment design against UNDEX, and underwater shock technology: evaluated the risk of damage, and verified successfully tailored such practices to meet that it was safe to perform the detonation project needs. “In the 1990’s, the RSN was building up its without collateral damage to these pipelines. mine countermeasure capability through The mines were subsequently detonated and the acquisition programme for the mine- there was no damage to the pipelines. The The figures used in the equations to calculate countermeasure vessels. At that time, there locally developed underwater shock analysis hull shock factor and keel shock factor. Free surface were not many software codes that could code and capability was successfully validated perform analysis of ship structure subjected and demonstrated.” Except for some equipment that are installed Bulk Surface cut-off to underwater shock arising from an cavitation externally below the waterline, the majority underwater explosion. The DTC leveraged Managing Shock Requirements of Shock, of shipboard equipment are located within Incompressible local academia and developed the capability Shipboard Equipment flow & Bubble Reflected the vessel or on the superstructure above to model underwater explosion and analyse pulse shock wave the waterline and are not directly exposed to the underwater shock so as to ascertain the DSTA engineers Ang Boon Hwee and the shock energy from UNDEX. Instead, the effect of an underwater explosion on a ship Jeremy Han describe their work in managing A simple diagram showing the onboard equipment experience shock energy structure. It was a collaborative effort between shock requirements of shipboard equipment multipath propagation of shockwaves is transmitted via the ship structure. Shock NUS (and later, Institute of High Performance below. from underwater explosions. levels applicable to equipment are determined Computing), DSO and NLD. Typically, such by considering the equipment’s installation modelling and analysis code would be run on Underwater Explosion and its Effects In the initial phase of an UNDEX, a spherical location and orientation with respect to the a super-computer, in the days where normal shock wave propagates outwards from the ship. computing speeds (486, Pentium) were much The shattering and damage on a WWII detonation centre while a superheated gas slower than what is currently available. The submarine under attack from the depth charges bubble forms in the detonation centre. For a given shock factor, the structural design development started with analysis using codes or the breaking up of a surface ship after a Shock waves reflected off the seabed of the ship would affect the shock levels available in the market, and later progressed heavyweight torpedo explodes underneath may strengthen the overall shock wave transmitting to each equipment at the various to software code development to model non- the ship are all the devastating effects of loading at the ship’s hull. Bulk cavitation locations. The most appropriate way to derive linear effects from close-range explosions. underwater explosion (UNDEX). After the is caused by the reflection of shock waves the shock levels will be through analysis and detonation of any explosives underwater, at the free surface (air/water interface) and tests done by the ship builder. Thereafter, it took about three months to a pressure wave, or shock wave, is formed the closure of the cavitation region exerts develop the model, and another three or four and transmitted through water. As water is additional shock loading on the ship’s hull. To Design Against Shock months to do the analysis. With the build-up not easily compressed, much of the pressure The gas bubble exerts high pressure loads on capability and code, the DTC and the RSN formed by the UNDEX will be propagated the ship’s hull. For critical shipboard equipment, there are were able to calculate the stresses on new quickly, causing severe damage to any vessel typically two approaches to protect against vessels at the design stage and to strengthen along the propagation path. The magnitude of UNDEX that a naval vessel shock. One is to install resilient mounts them where necessary to enable the vessel is designed to withstand may be estimated to attenuate the shock and the other is to to withstand the required shock levels. With The RSN’s ships and the equipment on by an explosion energy parameter (shock harden the equipment that needs to be rigidly this capability, Singapore was, at that time, board are generally required to withstand factor) that relates the explosive quantity mounted. one of the few countries in the world able to and survive UNDEX that strikes the hull and position from the ship. A vessel designed perform such a sophisticated analysis. of the naval vessel. The shock energy that to a higher shock factor is able to withstand Equipment with shock mounts need only is transmitted via the ship structure to the larger and hence more damaging UNDEX. be hardened to withstand the attenuated In addition to the immediate application to various locations on board the ship has the or residual shock loads. With less stringent verify the hull strength of the Endurance-class potential to damage equipment on board equipment hardening requirements, the

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shock-mounted equipment will be lighter and Submarines for the Singapore Navy there will be more opportunities to exploit the high performance of Commercial Off- Submarines are a key component of a The-Shelf (COTS) equipment. balanced and capable navy. Armed with modern wire-guided heavyweight torpedoes, Shock qualification is another important submarines are able to deal a lethal blow to the aspect of shock management as it provides enemy surface fleet. The RSN’s underwater the technical evidence that the equipment capabilities took a major step forward with design meets the requirements against shock. the acquisition of four Challenger-class It can be achieved through testing, analysis submarines from the Royal Swedish Navy in or similarity, depending on the availability of the 1990s. They were modified for operations Life on board a submarine is tough, with MV Swift Rescue is the first ship in qualification data, cost and project schedule. in tropical waters. crew members rarely seeing natural light or the Southeast Asia region to be equipped for breathing fresh air for days at a time. submarine support and rescue operations. With an increasing trend in the insertion of COTS components and equipment in military Equipping Singapore’s Navy with a systems, the emphasis is to ensure these Submarine Rescue Capability COTS equipment are able to withstand the damaging effects of shock from the handling, The initial notion of equipping the RSN to transportation and service environments. An be capable of submarine rescue arose from intimate understanding of the equipment’s the acquisition of Singapore’s first submarine dynamic behaviour under these environments fleet, the Challenger-class submarines, from can uncover potential problems and verify Sweden. In the 2000s, the RSN envisaged the that applied solutions work as intended in need to be self-sufficient in submarine rescue. shock isolation work. One of the Challenger-class submarines As a result, the rescue capability comprising of the RSN. Submarine Rescue Payload and a dedicated Submarine Support and Rescue Vessel (SSRV) Origin Doc ID Doc No. Doc Name was developed. The former, which comprised the Submarine Rescue Vessel (SRV), LARS International and Transfer-Under-Pressure (TUP) System, Electrotechnical EN IEC 60068-2 Environmental testing would be on board at all times on the SSRV. Commision When activated, the complete system would be deployed to the distressed submarine 3021 Shock Manual (Metric) Volume 1 (DISSUB) site. The contract to develop this Britain BR 8470 Shock and Vibration Manual capability was awarded to First Response 00-35 Environmental Handbook for Defence Material Marine Pte Ltd (FRM) in January 2007 via a 20-year Public – Private Partnership. FRM Germany BV 043 Shock Resistance Specification for Bundeswehr Ships was to design, build, operate and maintain the Submarine Rescue System. The capability M I L-S 901 Requirements for shock tests, high-impact was delivered in 2009. The SSRV, named MV United States shipboard machinery, equipment and systems Swift Rescue, carries the free-swimming M I L-STD 810 Environmental Engineering Considerations and submersible, SRV Deep Search and Rescue Laboratory Tests Six (DSAR6). The design of the submersible is based on the DSAR 500 Class submarine France GAM EG 13 General Environment Testing of Materials rescue vehicle platform. Its dedicated SRV LARS is fitted at the aft of the SSRV main Some of the environmental test standards for shock test methods and procedures. deck.

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MV Swift Rescue and Rescue Payload The ship is also able to handle escape removable raft on which DSAR6 and scenarios. The six-man Rigid Hull Inflatable the TUP system are placed. This is a MV Swift Rescue is an 85-metre-long Boat is equipped with a scoop to facilitate removable raft that allows the transfer vessel built using the American Bureau the recovery of personnel at sea. Upon of the rescue assets in a clean, single lift of Shipping specifications and equipped recovery, they can either be transferred to the Vessel Of Opportunity thus saving with Dynamic Positioning-2 capability. to MV Swift Rescue via its side jetty, or precious time during the preparation It houses the rescue payload, certified by directly onto its main deck depending on phase. classification society Lloyd’s Register, on the sea conditions. its main deck where the main bulk of the System safety was a critical concern rescue mission will be executed. Centred Adherence to international standards, during the design phase. The DSAR6 at the aft deck, the 30t LARS is able to where possible, has been practised for the pressure hull has undergone hydrostatic launch and recover the submersible up to systems design evolution. For instance, all tests before its assembly. Moreover, Sea State 5 without the aid of swimmers. hatches and interfaces are standardised the lithium polymer battery system DSAR6, operated by two pilots and one to STANAG 1297 rules. This allows used in DSAR6 is certified by a Chamber Attendant with a capacity for interoperability with the systems and classification society, which validated 17 rescuees, is normally stowed in the submarines of other nations that meet its safety features such as automatic sheltered hangar mid-ship on the main the same standards. cut-off for charging, and its visual and deck where the TUP system is installed. audio warning system for low battery The submersible DSAR6 has an aft hatch Sophisticated technology, equipment status. These batteries are housed in to enable the pressurised transfer of reliability and redundancy as well as separate pressure pods from the rescue personnel into the TUP system. A Deck system safety are critical for the success chamber of the submersible – this adds Handling System is in place to move the of rescue missions. MV Swift Rescue is an additional protective barrier to the submersible from its stowed position to equipped with the Integrated Navigation crew on board the submersible and under the LARS for deployment. Swift & Tracking System which monitors the allows the pilots to jettison the battery Rescue also houses the Remotely Operated ROV, DSAR6 and DISSUB underwater pod if it is flooded. DSAR6 being lowered into the water. Vehicle (ROV) system which can be during operation. deployed to survey or inspect the DISSUB Overall, the complete rescue system is site and assist to clear debris around the There are some significant improvements one of the few in the world to incorporate rescue hatch before deploying DSAR6. in the RSN rescue system that are different various aspects of the rescue mission from many existing rescue systems. For onto a single dedicated platform. The comprehensiveness of the rescue instance, the lithium polymer battery, approach is evident, especially in the medical with its high energy density, is used Article credit: DSTA facilities that have been incorporated on on DSAR6 to enhance its performance. board MV Swift Rescue. Besides the An air-conditioning system has been TUP system, medical areas for various incorporated as part of the tropicalisation treatments (e.g. triage, sickbay and high efforts – a first in SRV design – and this dependency ward) have been identified. was made possible with the lithium These are all located on the same polymer battery. In addition, it has a deck as the TUP system to facilitate more capable trim system as well as an casualty movement and accountability. integrated skirt design complete with its In addition, the ship has a helipad that is own dewatering capability. Furthermore, able to land a 12t helicopter. This allows the LARS is designed to deploy DSAR6 flexibility to bring more medical support without assistance from swimmers, unlike from the mainland, and to transfer most systems currently in use. casualties to mainland hospitals when required. Another achievement is the creation of a

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THE INFORMATION that had to be manually updated. Positional stability, firefighting and damage control can and trust among operational users, DOMAIN inaccuracies, latency of information flow be performed here. scientists and engineers and problems in time synchronisation often led to rather confused and chaotic tactical The combat information centre is today Modern precision location and timekeeping situational awareness. the principal information node for combat and synchronisation systems have overcome operations, extending well beyond the visual the early problems associated with networked The Information Domain… Then The Information Domain… Now and radar horizons. In addition to information enabled operations. In the days of manual collected by shipboard sensors, information tactical plots, it was next to impossible to have Keeping watch at sea on board one of the Modern technology has transformed how from off board sensors and platforms can be a good appreciation of what really happened former “B Class” patrol craft of the RSN was information is collected, transmitted, made available, allowing the ship to be part in a post-mission debrief. Imprecise location a challenging experience for even the most integrated, analysed and displayed on board of a collaborative distributed combat system and the congested traffic environment posed experienced officers of the watch (OOWs). The our naval ships. Our engineers first specified that can influence an extended maritime a severe challenge to achieve a recognised OOW was stationed on the open bridge that and designed integrated communications area of operation. The information network situation picture around a naval ship or task was exposed to the elements. He had access systems so that important positions within today is so sophisticated that it is possible to group. Even with automated information only to the usual visual means for navigation the ship could be connected in a network. In orchestrate a coordinated attack from various systems, there was the challenge of as there was no radar display on the open addition, positions on the bridge and combat platforms to saturate an enemy’s defences. synchronising both positions and time until bridge. The radar was situated one deck below information centre could switch between This network centricity allows sophisticated the global positioning system and other in the operations room (or combat information internal ship communications and tactical emergent capabilities such as system wide satellite based systems provided solutions centre as it is known today), and the OOW communications with other units at sea. resilience as well as the ability to control to these challenges. had to rely on radar fixes provided by the Starting with the patrol vessels and then the networked sensors and weapons from various radar plotter on watch. Information exchange Endurance-class LST, our engineers designed remote platforms or locations within the Even more important were policy decisions was via voice communication using the ship’s and integrated the various systems on the network. regarding systems architecture. A common point-to-point communications system or by bridge, combat information centre and the operational data dictionary was implemented means of a voice pipe between the bridge and engine room tailored to the specific needs of Key Building Blocks to ensure coherence and interoperability the operations room. Periodically, the OOW our operations personnel. for operations across the entire SAF. Our had to validate the radar fixes personally and The current capabilities of the RSN in networks had to be able to work across various this involved a quick dash down the hatch On the bridge today are electronic charts the information domain have been made frequencies in the electronic spectrum given to the operations room and back again to the integrated with precision positioning systems, possible with the following system design that the RSAF, the RSN and the Singapore bridge. In a congested shipping environment radar and other sensor information, as well considerations and decisions. These Army operations had their own specific this could be a somewhat stressful experience as decision support capabilities to facilitate constitute the key building blocks. requirements. In addition, while it was (especially if the OOW was on the way up the maritime domain awareness. Electro- important to have a sophisticated, resilient and ladder and a watch keeper on the bridge was optic systems augment visual and radar • Precision location and time synchronisation protected indigenous information architecture, unwittingly standing on the hatch cover!). surveillance, tracking and identification across the entire network the requirement for interoperability with allied including weapon direction and control. • A common operational data dictionary forces was also a key design requirement. Watch-keeping in the engine room involved a Acoustic systems provide information about across services and the SAF While RSN ships and platforms had their continual circuit of monitoring, checking and the undersea environment. The status of all • An indigenous common information unique-to-SAF tactical networks, they were manually recording the status of the various important engine room equipment can be architecture across the SAF, yet open and also equipped to interoperate with ships and systems in the engine room to ensure that monitored and machinery control can be interoperable with allied forces platforms of other friendly navies. equipment was functioning within designed effected allowing effective firefighting and • The strategic decision to have an operating limits. Communication with the damage control functions from the bridge. indigenous capability in the information Operations and technology collaboration plus bridge team was essential especially during domain trust in our engineering capabilities have been operational manoeuvres as this required quick The engine room today is usually unmanned • Information R&D capabilities especially key enablers. The RSN recognised that critical responses to changes in the tactical situation. with automatic monitoring and control within DSO operating and warfighting doctrine had to functions in a separate compartment. A • Command, control, communications, be encapsulated in its command, control, In the operations room or combat information system-wide display of the status of all computers and intelligence (or ‘C4I’) communications, computers, intelligence, centre, equipment was largely standalone machinery on board is available. Remote development and integration capabilities surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems and important tactical information control of equipment and planning and in the DSTA and the defence industry systems, and this required close collaboration was manually transposed to a tactical plot decision support functions relating to ship • The operations – technology collaboration between operations and technology staff.

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These systems had to be both customised for taken during operational patrols and sorties I recall presenting our R&D work on When I think back of the Frigate the RSN and regularly and swiftly updated and often required digital image enhancement “Artificial Intelligence technique to COL programme,“ five 'C's come to my mind. modified to changing threat circumstances. by our scientists and engineers before useful Wellman Wan from the Navy, the operations These are not the usual five 'C's most This required a responsive indigenous information could be obtained. These were manager for the Frigate programme. DSO's people are thinking of. For me, the five 'C's capability. Trust and collaboration allowed the early days that required the development work had not been shown to work on actual are (1) Close Communications (2) 'Can Do' DTC engineers to apply their learning from of image processing capabilities in DSO. The platforms, only in simulation. But COL Wan Attitude (3) Commitment (4) 'Sea' Sickness various projects such as the MGB upgrade RSN was an early user of imaging equipment put his trust in the DSO group when he and (5) Contentment. We had a lot of 'Close and MCV programmes to design and develop using the 3 to 5 micrometer wavelengths engaged the group for the development of Communications' with the various 'C'olonels, C4ISR systems indigenously first for the PVs, as the 8 to 12 micrometer systems did not the IDENT and TEWA engines for the Frigate Squadron 'C'hiefs and our DSO/DSTA/ST then the Maritime Patrol Aircraft and LST. prove adequate. The requirement of a passive Programme. I am glad we did not disappoint 'C'olleagues throughout this programme, to infrared search and track system for the the Navy. bounce off ideas and experiences that had The close operations-technology RSN was also difficult to fulfil because of helped us to better understand the programme collaboration culminated in the indigenous environmental conditions. Dr How Khee” Yin, Director, Information and build closer ties along the way. Our 'Can design and development of the CMS for Systems Division, DSO Do' Attitude drove us towards a common goal. the Formidable-class frigates – a strong Sophisticated image processing for both We encountered challenges along the way but testimony that the RSN was prepared radar and electro-optical systems capabilities it was our 'Commitment' and determination to put its trust in the DTC to deliver a were borne out of the requirement to get I remember the team putting in many to build a successful IDENT Engine that kept key capability for its new principal strike every bit of useful information for tactical “hours, days and weeks vigorously testing the us going. When I got to set sail to test the platform. advantage. The synthetic aperture radar was engine in a testbed centre in DSTA. When the system, I encountered the next 'C'; or should one area that had promise. High frequency engine finally passed the test, I was thinking I say, 'Sea' Sickness. I really need to salute our DSO Develops Key Information radars and multi-static radar technologies we could finally see it operate on board the sailors who can tolerate those high sea states Systems for the RSN Frigate were also explored for information frigate. Never did I think we had to put in which threw me totally off course. Yes, it advantage. even more hours and days testing it during was tough. However, when I finally found DSO scientists and engineers have successfully sea trials and battling sea sickness, so much so the IDENT Engine useful and relevant to the developed the Identification (IDENT) and that COL Wan commented that I looked like RSN, I could not help but have a total sense Threat Evaluation and Weapons Assignment part of their ship crew. When we finally saw of 'Contentment'. (TEWA) engines for the frigate CMS. They the engine perform in the first live-firing, the have also played a key role in the design feeling was exhilarating. It was that moment Dr Foo Shou King, Project” Leader, and development of sophisticated tactical that I felt so proud and honoured to be part of IDENT Engine, DSO networking systems for the RSN. the team (RSN, DSTA, DSO and ST) that had contributed and played a part in the defence Mastery in the information domain is not of Singapore. confined to information networks and sense making capabilities. Using the information Valerie Leong ”Sok Kuen, Software Engineer, domain for competitive advantage requires TEWA Engine, DSO a deep understanding of the various sensor systems that collect such information.

The high relative humidity, heavy rainfall and the atmospheric conditions in the tropics affect the performance of visual and electro-optic sensors differently from that of other operating areas. The first generation night vision devices did not work well in our operating environment. Patrolling ships had to proceed as close as half a cable1

from a darkened object before any useful 1 A cable is a unit of measurement in maritime use around the identification could be made. Photographs world, equivalent to one-tenth of a nautical mile, or 185.2m.

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Handle ambiguous and Multiple sources input Fusion Engines for Command and one command and control system, which conflicting evidences Control simplifies the decision-making process to fire the ship’s missiles and other weapons. Surface Surface Air Air Air and surface Domain Domain Domain Domain DSO has developed two key data fusion As such, less time is taken and a smaller targets Alerts Evidences Alerts Evidences engines, namely the IDENT and TEWA crew is required to man the combat systems. Real time dynamic engines. updating across time If the CMS is likened to the brains aboard Conflict and Belief Combination In order to determine the identity (friendly, the warships, then the IDENT and TEWA neutral or hostile) and platform type (e.g., engines that DSO has developed are the fighter or helicopter) of a target, the IDENT intelligence that enables the frigate to do Extensible engine takes in inputs from multiple sources more and respond in a much shorter time. software Target Classification Identifying and updates the data on incoming evidence. architecture the platform types At the same time, the TEWA engine IDENT Engine continuously evaluates which targets The TEWA engine gives our fighting forces a decisive edge. pose a threat to friendly forces and then The IDENT engine attempts to evaluate assigns the best weapon at the best time the identities and platforms of all air and to engage them. surface targets detected by the ship’s Medium Threat sensors such as radars and datalinks. On Stable automatic threat evaluation The IDENT and TEWA engines have been top of that, it also watches out for any implemented in the RSN Frigate CMS. suspicious behaviour, such as a neutral To explain the science and technology aircraft behaving like a hostile one. Optimised weapon assignment behind the IDENT and TEWA engines, the Frigate CMS application will be used To illustrate how the IDENT engine as an example. identifies the unknown air tracks around the air space, two sample sets of data Frigate CMS within a knowledge base are used as High Threat evidence: commercial flight routes and Assets Automatic kill assessment DSO was tasked to design, develop and IFF codes. To generate an overall confidence deploy the IDENT and TEWA fusion value of an air track’s identification, we use Target classification depends on several different input sources and algorithms. engines in the CMS on board the RSN’s the certainty factor (CF). CF measures the stealth frigates. degree of belief. The degree of belief to a hypothesis is computed via the supported the friendly ships she is protecting, and real-time weapon status information to These frigates are highly capable evidence. Using the CF, the belief of the recommends the best weapon to engage compute the effectiveness of its available warships. They are equipped with advanced unknown air track’s identification with the them. suite of weapons against them. Using state-of-the-art combat capabilities, evidences of the commercial flight routes the information computed for every allowing them to perform a wide spectrum and IFF codes, are computed. The higher the The TEWA engine quickly assesses all air threatening air track, the TEWA engine of missions and also deal with various belief, the more confidence that the tracks to sift out those that pose a threat then recommends a prioritised list of threats in all the three dimensions of naval unknown air track’s identification is a to the frigates. These detected threats target engagements to optimise the use warfare – surface, air and underwater. commercial aircraft. are then evaluated to determine their of weapons, while maximising the chances threat levels based on their kinematics, of survival of our own forces. The CMS is an advanced computer program TEWA Engine while taking into consideration other that is able to detect, track, identify and factors such as the presence, priorities The results from the TEWA engine, such prioritise contacts, and assign weapons While the IDENT engine continues and capabilities of our own forces. as the threat levels, are used to recommend to engage enemy targets which are facing to establish the identities of air tracks, target engagements. Associated details are the ships. The many sensors and weapons the TEWA engine evaluates those that With a prioritised list of threats, the then presented in a format that is intuitive aboard the frigates are integrated into this are threatening the frigates as well as TEWA engine uses weapon models and to the ship’s crew.

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EPILOGUE The opening address of Mr Peter Ho (then Tactical Networking for the RSN conventional TDMA protocol provided Permanent Secretary Defence) at the motivation to look for a better solution. Naval Platform Technology Seminar 2003 Technological advances in wireless illustrates the strategic thinking underpinning networking play a critical role in driving To better utilise the scarce radio bandwidth What insights can one obtain from this this approach – the commitment to invest this transformation. DSO’s research and resources, DSO designed a MAC protocol narrative of Engineering Our Navy? It in an ‘irreducible minimum’ in building development in the field of tactical Mobile that allows a node that is unable to fully appears that it is not just an issue of having capabilities in critical and strategic Ad hoc Networking (MANET) spans the utilise the allocated bandwidth in its more engineers and scientists. It is a whole technologies, the continual drive for design, development and validation of assigned time-slot to dynamically re- organisational mindset and approach as well transformation amid continual change its suite of tactical MANET protocols for allocate the unused time to a loaded as a shared belief and vision among all the and fostering an environment where the RSN. neighbour. In the event that the recipient various stakeholders. This is also a narrative experience is tapped and knowledge is shared of such priority given is unable to fully of the consistent and pervasive application of vertically and horizontally throughout the The design of the suite of tactical MANET utilise the extra time given in the same systems thinking and systems engineering organisation. protocols adopts a layered architecture time-slot, it can release it to another approaches. approach. By adopting this modular loaded neighbour. The scheme adapts approach, a complex networking problem well to varying levels of traffic at each is broken down into more manageable node and achieves better utilisation of the “On the evening of 21st October 1967, two the design of ships and their fighting modules, allowing each layer to be bandwidth than a conventional TDMA Egyptian missile boats off Port Said fired systems. independently designed, developed and scheme. four Russian-made Styx anti-ship missiles upgraded. Similar to the Transmission and sank the Israeli Navy destroyer, Eilat. After 1967, the anti-ship missile became part Control Protocol/Internet Protocol Routing is a key function of the network While this was a sideshow in the Six Day of the essential inventory of the modern (TCP/IP) model, this suite of tactical layer that allows data packets to be War, the sinking of the Eilat was a seismic warship, supplanting the gun as the main MANET protocols comprises four exchanged seamlessly between any two event in naval warfare. offensive weapon. layers: the link, network, transport and nodes in a multi-hop network. For tactical application layers. networking, proactive routing protocols are For the first time, a naval battle was decided In turn, the anti-ship missile threat preferred over their reactive counterparts not by guns or torpedoes or bombs, but compelled navies to develop a host Media Access Control (MAC) is a key due to their lower path set-up latencies. by a new weapon — the anti-ship missile. of missile warning systems and function of the link layer that allows Proactive routing protocols can be further electronic countermeasures to protect multiple nodes to share a common wireless classified into link-state (LS) and distance- The Israeli Navy learnt its lesson from the their ships. Indeed, the lack of up-to- transmission medium. The Time-Division vector (DV) routing protocols. LS routing sinking of the Eilat. Six years later, in the date countermeasures can be fatal. On Multiple Access (TDMA) protocol is a enjoys fast route convergence but suffers 1973 Yom Kippur War, its ships were armed 4th May 1982, two low-flying Argentinean natural choice for tactical networking from high routing overheads as LS updates with the new Gabriel surface-to-surface Super Etendards caught the Royal Navy as it is robust in the dynamic MANET are regularly flooded throughout the missile system. More than that, the Israeli destroyer, HMS Sheffield, unawares. One environment. However, it suffers from network. Conversely, the routing overheads Navy ships were equipped with electronic of the two AM39 Exocet missiles fired by poor bandwidth utilisation when the for DV routing are significantly lower warfare systems to defeat the Styx missile. these aircraft locked onto the Sheffield and network loading gets uneven due to its but route convergence is slower as nodes In the first surface-to-surface missile battle hit it square amidships. The damage was static bandwidth allocation. Bandwidth only exchange distance vectors with their in the history of naval warfare, the Israeli too great and a few days later, the Sheffield is wasted whenever a node is unable to immediate neighbours. Hence, both the Navy ships, protected by their EW systems, sank. Twenty men lost their lives. fully utilise the allocated bandwidth conventional LS and DV routing protocols successfully penetrated a curtain of Styx in its assigned time-slot, even though are unsuitable for tactical networking using missiles fired by the Syrian Navy. They As the designs of anti-ship missiles there are other loaded nodes in the narrowband radios. then launched their Gabriel missiles and improve, soft-kill anti-missile electronic network. Furthermore, in the event sank five Syrian ships. countermeasures may not be enough. After of a light network load, a node still Article credit: DSO the Yom Kippur War, the Israeli Navy began needs to wait for its assigned time-slot These naval battles have helped to shape preparing for the next war by developing before it can transmit data, resulting in modern naval warfare. The anti-ship the Barak anti-missile missile system. significant network access latencies. All missile has not only transformed naval these undesirable characteristics of the tactics, but also profoundly influenced It is never-ending. The combat effectiveness

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of a new design or fresh upgrade of an anti- painful lessons of the Eilat and the Sheffield. very advanced for their time. However, defeat the most advanced defences. Like ship missile is short-lived, as ever more Because the stakes are high, armed forces with rapid advances in naval technology, other navies, the RSN will have to look sophisticated electronic countermeasures have no choice but to invest time and obsolescence soon crept in. But by then, ahead to future anti-ship missile systems and anti-missile systems emerge. This resources in developing innovative new we had gained a lot of experience operating and one promising option is the supersonic imbalance is then redressed in the concepts and adopting new technologies this first generation of missile ships and anti-ship missile that I mentioned earlier. development of the next generation of in order to be ready for the next war. that experience gave us the confidence to But it will need an additional capability to anti-ship missiles. define a second generation of missile-armed discriminate legitimate targets against the I will explain this point by giving examples ships that became our MCVs of today. cluttered background of one of the busiest So today, the latest anti-ship missiles from the experience of the SAF. shipping lanes in the world. have electronic counter-countermeasures Whenever necessary, we improve and incorporated into their seekers in order The development of the SAF has been, upgrade the equipment to enhance their In Singapore, while we buy whatever to defeat the target ship’s electronic and will always be, constrained by limited performance to meet new operational and whenever we can, off-the-shelf, countermeasures and to defeat hard- resources of budget and manpower. While requirements. So rather than dispose of the there will always be an "irreducible" kill anti-missile systems, and the flight larger armed forces can develop their MGBs when they approached obsolescence, minimum of investment in strategically route can be timed so that two or more capabilities by growing and spending we upgraded them. We installed a suite critical technologies that Singapore needs missiles arrive simultaneously at one more, the only feasible approach for of electronic warfare systems to provide to commit to in order to stay ahead. That target, saturating and defeating the ship’s the SAF to maintain its strategic edge "soft-kill" protection against anti-ship "irreducible" minimum sometimes requires defences. lies in doing things smarter and in missile attacks, and we added longer-range MINDEF to invest in R&D technologies stretching the value of every defence Harpoon missiles to the existing battery and systems that we know could become If an anti-ship missile can reach supersonic dollar. of Gabriel missiles and the combination irrelevant, redundant, or even obsolete in speeds, reaction times would be sharply of the Harpoon and Gabriel missiles the future, either because they become reduced, and current anti-missile systems Among other things, this means keeping improved the MGBs’ attack and penetration available on the open market, or because would be rendered impotent and this abreast, and sometimes running a bit ahead, capability. new operating concepts make them would allow the supersonic missile to of evolving trends in modern warfare and unnecessary. But it is a price that we have penetrate the ship’s defences. This is not technology. This also means acquiring Meanwhile, more capable electronic to pay in order to develop and sustain our a theoretical construct. The technology capabilities in critical technologies, so that countermeasures and the Barak anti- defence technology capability. is available. France and Germany teamed we can either be a smart buyer of state-of- missile missile system were acquired for up to develop the ram-jet ANF supersonic the-art weapons systems, or develop the MCVs, giving the RSN’s main strike There are some critical technologies that anti-ship missile. While this project fell specialised systems to meet our unique force a stronger defensive shield against will feature in the development of the third through, there are already a couple of such operational needs. anti-ship missiles. generation Navy. These include stealth, missiles under development. The most electronic warfare, guided weapons, and prominent one is the Brahmos, which is In certain strategic areas, like naval fighting From 2007 onwards, the Navy’s stealth unmanned systems. Because of their a joint project between India and Russia. platforms, we buy advanced systems in frigates will enter service. These third importance, an "irreducible" minimum The Brahmos will be deployed on Indian order to obtain an early advantage and generation platforms will be equipped with of R&D must be invested in these critical Navy ships. Russia is also adapting its this advantage is not just obtained by a robust hard-kill anti-missile capability in technologies. Kh-31P anti-radar missile to produce an the hardware acquired, but also by the the form of the new Aster missile system air-launched supersonic anti-ship missile experience gained in operating these that has been designed to deal with future Stealth protects by reducing the signature code-named Krypton. Maybe MBDA will systems, as this enables us to rapidly move generation of anti-ship missile threats. of platforms and thus the likelihood of be prompted to revive the ANF supersonic up the learning curve. detection. It confers the ability to surprise missile programme. Our frigates will initially be equipped in operations because the stealthy platform The RSN’s acquisition of the Lurssen- with the Harpoon anti-ship missile is detected much later than an unstealthy Advances in technology mean that there is Werft 45-metre MGBs in the 1970s is a system. But going forward, like the first one. The ships of the third generation constant churn in modern naval warfare. good illustration of this approach. Armed generation Gabriel-armed MGBs, these Navy must be stealthy. So we consider If we fail to stay ahead of the curve, then with the Gabriel anti-ship missiles that third-generation platforms must eventually stealth a critical technology that we we will be condemned to repeating the the Israeli Navy used to good effect in the be upgraded and armed with a new must develop capabilities in and our mistakes of the last war, relearning the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the MGBs were generation of anti-ship missiles that can collaboration with France in development

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of our new stealth frigates is a vital step just out of university. It was not rocket investment in the development of a target In conclusion, a long-term view is necessary in this direction. science. But while the outcome was only drone, not unlike the ubiquitous Chukar. to meet the multi-faceted challenges facing an engineering field prototype, it gave our Again, the outcome was a field prototype. today’s modern navies. Investments in time The ability to dominate the electromagnetic engineers and scientists in DSO an excellent But the real gain was in expertise build-up. and resources have to be made now to seek spectrum through electronic warfare learning opportunity in design, testing and That expertise was leveraged in a recently innovative responses, in order to be ready provides a critical operational advantage evaluation and this was the foundation concluded long-term study for a High to respond effectively to future challenges that is both highly prized and jealously upon which they built up expertise in Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAV and changes that may come our way. guarded. While EW systems can easily technologies such as aerodynamics, flight with an integrated airborne surveillance be bought from the open market, they are control, navigation and guidance and such and communications system and such a And on that note, I wish you all a fruitful mostly just black boxes. The advantage technologies overlap into another strategic HALE UAV would provide continuous and enjoyable seminar.” goes to the armed forces that can tailor area for the SAF, namely, unmanned temporal coverage over a very large area, specialised techniques and develop systems. and could potentially replace our E2Cs in customised systems more advanced than the long term. those available off-the-shelf and this is As a result, the SAF today has access to why electronic warfare has been one of the expert advice for the evaluation not just In describing our experiences with guided most important and long-standing R&D of guided weapons, but also of unmanned weapons and UAVs, I am making a couple programmes of DSO, and perhaps its most vehicles which share with precision of points. Let me summarise. secretive. weapons the need for good guidance, navigation and control systems. My first point is that there has to be a The dominance of the anti-ship missile willingness to commit investments in in modern naval warfare reflects a wider Going forward, the demand for guided building up capabilities in critical and military trend of the increasing importance weapons and for unmanned systems can strategic technologies. While these of stand-off precision weapons. This trend only increase. Indeed, the use of UAVs for investments may not result in any weapon clearly emerged in Operation Desert Storm, surveillance and strike has already begun or system that can be deployed, this gathered momentum in Kosovo and during to change the rules of warfare, especially "irreducible minimum" is necessary to stay Operation Enduring Freedom. But the use since Kosovo. Just a year ago, a Predator ahead not just of the technology curve, of precision guided weapons reached a UAV in Yemen launched a missile accurate but also of the strategic curve. peak in Operation Iraqi Freedom in which enough to hit terrorists in a car. almost 70% of all ordnance were precision My second point is that there is no end to weapons, compared to just 8% in the first By enabling an armed forces to act on change and transformation. This means Gulf War. intelligence rapidly, in minutes instead that we must always be thinking about of hours or even days, UAVs are likely to how to fight the next war, not the last, For an armed forces like the SAF, with prove to be a significant force multiplier and preparing and equipping ourselves limited resources and manpower, the in the long run and it is an area where accordingly. force multiplication effects of guided the SAF must gain an early advantage. weapons constitute an important strategic In addition, UAVs have the potential of My third and last point is that the advantage. This was something we overcoming the problem, perhaps unique exploitation of technology for strategic recognised early on with the acquisition in Singapore, of the limited number of advantage is best achieved in an of the Gabriel missile system for our MGBs. pilots we can generate due to our small environment where experience is tapped, But to better understand guided weapons, population base and we have already and knowledge is shared vertically and it was not enough just to buy such systems gained substantial experience through horizontally throughout the organisation. off-the-shelf, as we did with the Gabriel years of operating the short range Pioneer To do the long-term study of the HALE missile system. So in the early 1980s, RPV, and the medium range Searcher UAV in Singapore depended on mining DSO embarked on the development of UAV. To understand the technologies the accumulation of operational experience a TV-guided bomb as a learning project of unmanned systems more deeply, we and technical expertise throughout the for its young engineers and scientists even made an "irreducible minimum" defence establishments in Singapore.

97 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 98 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS RADM (Ret) James Leo graduated Lands and Estates Organisation in 1991, and with an honours degree in assumed the position of Director (Building and ENGINEERING OUR NAVY would not Mechanical Engineering from Infrastructure) and Director (Procurement) have been possible without the hard work, the then University of Malaya after the formation of DSTA. support and encouragement of many people. in 1969. Upon graduation, he General thanks are also due to the teams at was enlisted first as a logistician and then In over three decades of service in DSO National Laboratories, Naval Operations as a general line officer. He was Head Naval MINDEF, RADM (Ret) Richard Department, Navy Information Centre, Logistics from 1978 to 1980, Commander Lim has had roles in all phases MINDEF Communications Organisation, from 1985 to 1990, and Chief of Navy from of the systems development Defence Science and Technology Agency, 1990 to 1991 before he retired from the Navy. life cycle of large scale defence Defence Industry and Systems Office and James was seconded to the Port of Singapore systems. He has held the positions of Deputy many others – too numerous to name – who Authority as its CEO before retiring in 1995. Secretary (Technology), Chief Executive have assisted us in one way or another, in the James is also a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow DSTA, Chief of Navy, and Director Joint production of this book. of the Institution of Engineers (Singapore) and Operations and Planning. He continues his a Member of the Institution of Mechanical professional interest in systems engineering, Authors Engineers (UK). and serves in advisory and board positions in both the private and public sectors. He is Mr Goh Yong Han graduated Dr Koh Wee Jin obtained his Chairman of ST Logistics, a board member of from NUS in 1997 with a BEng in BSc from the University of ST Marine and the National University Health Electrical Engineering (1st Class Manchester, Institute of Science System, and Deputy Chairman of Land Honours), and obtained his and Technology, UK in 1979, Transport Authority. He is also Chairman MEng in Electrical Engineering MSc from NPS, USA in 1987 of the governing board of St. John’s Island from NUS in 1998 under the NUS Research and PhD from Ohio State University, USA Marine Laboratory and Chairman of the Scholarship, as well as MSc in Electrical and in 1995. He has worked in DSO since 1981, National Maritime Safety at Sea Council. Computer Engineering from the University specialising in EMI/EMC. He has held various of California, San Diego, in 2007, under appointments including Head of Research in Mr Yeo Kee Kong obtained his the DSTA Postgraduate Scholarship. He is Electromagnetics, Head of Electromagnetic BEng and MEng in Electrical currently a Senior Principal Engineer with System Lab and Head of Centre of Excellence Engineering from NUS in 1982 DSTA’s Naval Systems Programme Centre, in Electromagnetics. In 2007, he was appointed and 1985, respectively. He joined focusing on underwater and unmanned Distinguished Member of Technical Staff in DSO as an R&D engineer in systems. He has worked on the Challenger- DSO. He is an adjunct associate professor 1982 and was posted to DMO from 1987 to class submarine upgrade, undertaken defence in the School of Electrical and Electronic 1994. While in DMO, he oversaw the build- research and development at DSO, managed Engineering in NTU, and the co-director for up of EW system capability for the RSN research and technology projects at MINDEF, Electromagnetic Effects Research Laboratory. and RSAF. He contributed to major RSN and led the Mine Countermeasure Vessel platform programmes including leading the upgrade programme. Mr Quek Pin Hou graduated Patrol Vessel programme. When he returned from the University of to DSO in 1994, he led the Radar Research Mr Ho Jin Yong graduated from Western Australia in Electrical Division. Since DSO’s corporatisation in 1997, the University of Newcastle, Engineering in 1969 under a he has held several appointments including Australia, in 1972 with a degree Colombo Plan Scholarship. He Director (Advanced Development) focussing in Electrical Engineering. He joined MINDEF in September 1970 to work on delivering systems to the SAF, and Director joined the then Maritime on the Missile Gun Boat project and was the for Information Division and Network Command as a civilian engineer responsible Project Director for the RSN Missile Corvette Division. He is currently the Director of for the maintenance of weapon systems Project from 1983 to 1991. Pin Hou was one Quality Division. before moving on to serve in SPO and DMO. of the principal members of the founding He retired from DSO in 2005. team for DSO in 1977, before joining the SPO as Deputy Director, and later as Deputy Director of DMO. He became Director of

99 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 100 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Contributors

Mr Chian Teck Keong COL (Ret) Choo Ah Choon Mr Chung Kam Sam Ms Hong Peixiang Mr Kelvin Lin Mr Loke Mun Kwong Dr Ng Gee Wah Mr Philip Chan Mr Sim See Sin COL (Ret) Siow Chee Khiang Ms Tessa Gan

Editor

RADM (Ret) Richard Lim

Editorial Support Team

Mr Matthew Yong Sitting (left to right) Ms Pearly Chua Ms Tessa Gan, RADM (Ret) Richard Lim Cherng Yih, Mr Ho Jin Yong, Dr Koh Wee Jin Mr Tan Beng Hock Standing (left to right) Mr Tan Huang Hong Mr Philip Chan, Mr Tan Yang How, RADM (Ret) James Leo, Dr Ng Gee Wah, Mr Matthew Yong Kai Ming, Mr Tan Beng Hock, Mr Quek Pin Hou, Mr Goh Yong Han, Mr Yeo Kee Kong Not in picture Mr Chian Teck Keong, COL (Ret) Choo Ah Choon, Mr Chung Kam Sam, Ms Hong Peixiang, Mr Kelvin Lim, Mr Loke Mun Kwong, COL (Ret) Siow Chee Khiang, Mr Tan Huang Hong

101 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 102 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT GLOSSARY

Photo/Chart/Diagram Credit: GLOSSARY

1. InfoComm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA): page 76 Acronym Description 2. Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA): Cover picture, Preface, page 19 (right), ACTD Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration 28, 32 (top and middle right), 33, 37 (middle), 38, 50 (middle and bottom right), 53 (top), AIS Action Information System 65 (top), 82 (left and right) ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations 3. DSO National Laboratories: page 66 (top), 71, 72, 92 (top and middle) ASIST Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and Traverse 4. Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN): page 4-9, 19 (left), 21, 27, 31, 32 (top left), 36, 37 ASW Anti-submarine warfare (bottom), 39-44, 46 (left), 46 (right), 47 (top), 47 (bottom), 50 (top), 51-53 (middle), 54 (top, C2 Command and control middle and bottom), 64 (left and right), 66 (top right), 75 (top), 79, 80, 83, 84 (left and C3 Command, control, and communicatios right), 86 C4 Command, control, communications and computers C4I Command, control, communications, computers and information C4ISR Command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance CF Certainty Factor CIC Combat Information Centre CMS Combat Management System CO Commanding Officer COL Colonel COTS Commercial off-the-shelf DGPS Differential Global Positioning System DMO Defence Materials Organisation DSC Digital scan converter DSO Defence Science Organisation DSTA Defence Science and Technology Agency DTC Defence Technology Community DTP Defence Technology Prize DV Distance Vector ECDIS Electronic Chart Display and Information System ECM Electronic countermeasures EGT Exhaust Gas Temperature EM Electromagnetic EMC Electromagnetic compatibility EMCAB Electromagnetic Control Advisory Board EMDS Expendable Mine Disposal System EMI Electromagnetic interference ESM Electronic support measures ETC Electronics Test Centre ETO Electronics Technical Officer EW Electronic warfare FMS Foreign Military Sales FOV Field of view GPS Global Positioning System HADR Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief HSA Hollandse Signaalapparaten IAI Israeli Aerospace Industries ICIT Installation, check-out, integration, and testing ICU Instrumentation Control Unit

103 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 104 GLOSSARY GLOSSARY

IDENT Identification ROV Remotely Operated Vehicle IFC Information Fusion Centre RSAF Republic of Singapore Air Force IFF Identification Friend or Foe RSN Republic of Singapore Navy ILO International Liaison Officer RSS Republic of Singapore ship IP Internet Protocol RTN Royal Thai Navy ISR Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance RTS Radio and Television Singapore LARS Launch and recovery system SACU Standalone communication unit LEP Life Extension Programme SAF Singapore Armed Forces LG Lieutenant General SAL Search and locate LMV Littoral Mission Vessel SCSC Singapore Command and Staff College LOS Line-of-sight SEEL Singapore Electronics Engineering Limited LS Link-state SI Systems integrator LST Landing ship tank SIMT System Integration Management Team MAC Media Access Control SLOC Sea lanes of communication MAJ Major SMCC Singapore Maritime Crisis Centre MANET Mobile Ad-hoc Networking SMS Short message sending MARSEC Maritime Security SMSP Submarine Maintenance and Safety Programme MC Maritime Command Sonar Sound navigation and ranging MCM Mine countermeasures SoS System-of-systems MCMV Mine Countermeasure Vessel SSE Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering MCV Missile corvette SSM Surface-to-surface missile MDS Mine Disposal Vehicle SSRV Submarine Support and Rescue Vessel MGB Missile gunboat TACOMINT Tactical communications intelligence MHS Minehunting sonar TCP Transmission Control Protocol MINDEF Ministry of Defense TDMA Time-Division Multiple Access MOEC Multinational Operations and Exercise Control TEWA Threat Evaluation and Weapon Assessment NIC Navy Information Centre TSAS Towed synthetic aperture sonar NLD Naval Logistics Department TUP Transfer-Under-Pressure NOD Naval Operations Department UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle NPS Naval Postgraduate School UNDEX Underwater explosion O&S Operations and Support USG United States government OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer USV Unmanned surface vessel OJT On-the-job training WEO Weapons Electronics Officer ORBAT Order of Battle WOSE Warrant Officers, Specialists, and Enlisted OT&E Operational Training and Evaluation PC Patrol craft PCA Pre-condition assessments PCG Police Coast Guard PMT Project Management Team PPI Plan position indicator PV Patrol vessel R&D Research and Development Radar Radio detection and ranging RADM Rear Admiral RCS Radar cross section REDCON Readiness condition RF Radiofrequency RHIB Rigid hull inflatable boat

105 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 106 INDEX INDEX

INDEX D F K-STER Expendable Mine Disposal Deep Search and Rescue Six Falklands war 7, 29, 79 System (EMDS) 52, 54, 56 (DSAR6) 84, 85 Foo Shou King 90 A Defence Materials Organisation Frederick Chew Chih Chiang 53 L A4 Skyhawk 57 (DMO) 24-27 Frigate, Aquitaine-class 49 Laju incident 16 Action Information System (AIS) 33-35 Defence Materiel Organisation 3 Frigate, Formidable-class 3, 17, 49, 50, 71, Lam Khin Yong 80 Advanced Concept Technology Defence Science and Technology Agency 89-92, 96 Landing ship tank, County-class 47, 57 Demonstration (ACTD) 51 (DSTA) 49, 50, 52-54, 57, 65, 74, 81, 82, Landing ship tank, Endurance-class Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) 88, 90 G (LST) 3, 45, 46, 47, 49, 51, 52, 74, 87, 89 system 64, 65 Defence Science Organisation 3, 7 Goh Keng Swee 9, 16, 66 Lee Boon Yang 80 Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and Defence Technology Community (DTC) Goh Yong Han 54 Leopard 2 tank 58 Traverse (ASIST) system 46, 48 51, 52, 81, 89 Lim Ming Seong 13 Alan Bragassam 23 Defence Technology Prize (DTP) 3, 33, 80 H Lim Siong Guan 9, 80 AMX-13 light tank 57 Dick King 13 High precision digital calculator Littons 10-15 Ang Boon Hwee 81 Digital scan converter (DSC) 34 (HP35) 14, 15 Lui Pao Chuen 10 Anti-air missile, Aster 96 Don White 29 HMS Sheffield 94 Lui Tuck Yew 17 Anti-air missile, Barak 19, 20, 71, 74, 94, DSO National Laboratories 3, 7, 29, 30, Ho Jin Yong 4, 23 96 52, 54, 66-74, 80, 81, 88-91, 93, 97 Hollandse Signaalapparaten (HSA) 10-12 M Anti-air missile, Mistral 8, 17, 20, 44-46 Honeywell International 30 Malacca Strait 39, 75 Anti-ship missile, ANF 95 E Horsburgh Lighthouse 44 Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Anti-ship missile, Brahmos 95 E2-C Hawkeye 19, 98 How Khee Yin 90 52 Anti-ship missile, Exocet 6, 94 Ed Clifford 10 Howe Yoon Chong 18, 43 Maritime Command (MC) 1, 14 Anti-ship missile, Gabriel 4, 6, 10-12, 14-18, Elbit 45 Maritime Information Sharing Exercise 23, 67, 94-97 Electromagnetic compatibility I (MARISX) 39 Anti-ship missile, Harpoon 17-20, 24, 25, (EMC) 29, 61, 70 Identification Friend or Foe McDonnell Douglas 24, 25 27, 29, 96 Electromagnetic Control Advisory Board (IFF) 12, 13, 15, 91 Meulaboh, Aceh 48 Anti-ship missile, Krypton 95 (EMCAB) 30 Immigration and Checkpoints Authority Mine countermeasure vessel, Bedok-class Anti-ship missile, Styx 94 Electromagnetic interference (EMI) 7, 22, 52 (MCMV) 54-56, 79, 80 Arab-Israeli War 4 29, 32, 70 Indian Ocean 39, 45 Mine Disposal System (MDS) 56 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Electronic Chart Display and Information Information Fusion Centre (IFC) 38, 39 Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) 1 (ASEAN) 39 System (ECDIS) 48 Installation, check-out, integration and Missile corvette, Victory-class (MCV) Audrey Lam Su Ying 54 Electronic countermeasures 6, 7, 20, 29, testing (ICIT) 13-16, 24, 27 6, 18-28, 30-34, 44, 69, 70, 71, 74, 68, 94-96 Institute of High Performance Computing 89, 96 C Electronics Test Centre 66 (IHPC) 3, 81 Missile gunboat, Sea Wolf-class (MGB) CH-47 Chinook 45 Elta Electronics Industries 45 Instrumentation Control Unit (ICU) 15 1, 4, 6-11, 13-17, 21, 23-25, 27, 29, 30, Chan Chee Hon 13 EMC Test Centre 29 Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) 11, 12 33-35, 44, 49, 67-69, 89, 95-97 Chartered Industries of Singapore Engineering Resource Lab 53 Israel Aircraft Industries 11 Multinational Operations and Exercises (CIS) 45, 46 Ericsson 27 Israeli Navy 11, 94, 95 Centre (MOEC) 38 Cheah Yew Jin 57 Exercise Bersama Padu 17 MV Swift Rescue 84, 85 Cheong Quee Wah 10, 13 Exercise Carat 17 J MV Zafirah 39 Chew Bak Koon 10 Exercise Eagle 17 James Aeria 10 Choo Ah Choon 34 Exercise Flying Fish 17 James Leo 4, 5, 22 N Combat Information Centre 4, 28, 33, Exercise Malapura 17 Jeremy Han 81 National University of Singapore (NUS) 34, 87 Exercise Pelican 17 JYM Pillay 9, 10 80, 81 Combat Management System 28, 31, Exercise Singaroo 17 Naval Logistics Department (NLD) 80, 81 89, 91 Exercise Singsiam 17 K Naval Postgraduate School 29, 66 Cossor Electronics 15 Exercise Starfish 17 KaMeWa 45 Ng Jui Ping 80 Koh Wee Jin 29 North Vietnamese Communist group 16

107 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 108 INDEX INDEX

O RSS Endurance 45-48 Siow Chee Khiang 47 Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), Ong Kah Kok 10 RSS Formidable 50 Six Day War 94 Protector 51-53 Ong Li Koon 57 RSS Jupiter 79 South China Sea 15, 20, 39, 47 Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), Spartan Operation Blue Orchid 51, 52 RSS Kallang 54, 80 Standalone communication unit Scout 51 Operation Thunderstorm 5, 16 RSS Katong 80 (SACU) 34, 35 Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), Venus 16 Order of Battle (ORBAT) 9 RSS Mercury 79 Steven Chen 13 52, 53 Oto Melara 19, 20, 45, 46 RSS Panglima 14 Submarine Maintenance and Safety Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), Venus 9 RSS Punggol 54, 80 Programme (SMSP) 57 52 P RSS Resolution 47, 52 Submarine Rescue Vessel (SRV) 84, 85 USS Princeton 79 Panama canal 48 RSS Sea Dragon 4, 16 Submarine Support and Rescue Vessel USS Thrasher 79 Patrol craft, PT-class (PC) 1, 5, 11 RSS Sea Hawk 16 (SSRV) 84 USS Tripoli 79 Patrol vessel, Fearless-class (PV) 43-45, RSS Sea Lion 16 Submarine, Archer-class 64, 65 USS Whippoorwill 79 74, 89 RSS Sea Scorpion 16 Submarine, Challenger-class 57, 58, 64, Paya Lebar Air Base 29 RSS Sea Tiger 16 83, 84 V Pedra Branca 44 RSS Sea Wolf 6, 14-16 Submarine, Sjöormen-class 57 Valerie Leong Sok Keun 90 Permanent Secretary 4, 9, 10, 94 RSS Steadfast 51 Submarine, Västergötland-class 64, 65 Vietnam 1, 16, 39 Philip Yeo 4, 10 RSS Swordsman 65 SUBSAFE 57 Vietnam Coast Guard 39 Phillips 11 RSS Valour 20, 28 Suez canal 48 Vietnam Marine Police 39 Phillips Channel 75 System Integration Management Team Vietnam People’s Navy 39 Project Magpie 66 S (SIMT) 13 Vietnam War 79 Pulau Blakang Mati 5 SH 7 Skyvan 4, 18, 19 System-of-Systems 18, 21, 33, 40 Voith-Schneider Propellers (VSP) 80 Pulau Brani Naval Base 5, 18, 43 Signaal WM22 fire control radar system 10, 11 T W Q Signaal WM26 surface gun fire control Tactical Training Centre 8, 67 Wayne Hughes 66 Quek Pin Hou 3, 9, 23 radar 10, 11 Tan Beng Hock 57 Whitehead Alenia Systemi Subaquei Signaal WM28 fire control radar system Tang C. C. 9 (WASS) 44 R 10-12, 14 Teo Chee Hean 17, 51 Whitehead anti-submarine torpedo 20, 44 Radio and Television Singapore 9 Simbad missile defence system 8, 44, 46 Teo Kim Siak 13 Whole Ship Shock Analysis Rafael 27, 51 SIMBEX 17 Tessa Gan 81 (WSSA) 80, 81 Red Morrow 10 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) 1 Thales Surveillance Systems 49 Winston Choo 10 Regional Maritime Information eXchange Singapore Civil Defence Force 52 Thales Underwater Systems 45 Wong Kok Seng 13 (ReMIX) 39 Singapore Command and Staff College 11 Topham 10 Work Improvement Team Scheme Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Singapore Customs 52 Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar (TSAS) (WITS) 5 1, 2, 18, 19, 21, 49, 72, 74, 88 Singapore Electronics Engineering Ltd 52, 54-56 Republic of Singapore Army 2, 49, 88 (SEEL) 25, 29 Y Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) 1, 2, 4, Singapore Institute of Standards and U Yeo Ning Hong 80 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18-21, 23, 24, 28, 29, Industrial Research 5 Underwater explosion (UNDEX) 81, 82 Yom Kippur War 94, 95 33, 34, 38, 40-45, 47-52, 54-57, 64-70, 74, Singapore Maritime Crisis Centre United States Navy 28 79, 80, 81, 83-85, 87-91, 93, 96 (SMCC) 38 University of Western Australia 9 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) 51, 85 Singapore Police Force 52 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Royal Corp of Transport 5 Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering Scaneagle 19, 20, 28, 31, 32 Royal Malaysian Naval Volunteer Force 1 (SSE) 13, 23, 25, 26, 80 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Royal Swedish Navy 57, 83 Singapore Straits 36, 44, 53 High Altitude Long Endurance 98 Royal Thai Navy (RTN) 23, 46 Singapore Technologies (ST) Electronics Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), RSS Archer 65 3, 25, 52 Predator 97 RSS Bedok 80 Singapore Technologies (ST) Marine Ltd Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), RSS Daring 44 3, 13, 44, 46, 47, 49, 80 Searcher 97 RSS Endeavour 48 Singapore Territorial Waters 44 Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) 51-53

109 ENGINEERING OUR NAVY ENGINEERING OUR NAVY 110 DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

“ENGINEERING SINGAPORE’S DEFENCE – THE EARLY YEARS” Book Series

Editorial Panel Co-Chief Editors of Series : Prof Quek Tong Boon Prof Lui Pao Chuen

Editor, Engineering Land Systems : Prof Lui Pao Chuen Editor, Aviation Engineering : Mr Tay Kok Khiang Editor, Engineering Our Navy : RADM (Ret) Richard Lim Cherng Yih Editor, Engineering Systems-of-Systems : RADM (Ret) Richard Lim Cherng Yih

Panel Members : Prof Su Guaning RADM (Ret) James Leo Er. BG (Ret) Wesley D’aranjo Mr Quek Gim Pew Mr Tan Yang How Mr Chua Poh Kian Ms Surine Ng Pei Gek

Unless otherwise stated, all pictures, tables, graphs and charts are the property of the Ministry of Defence, Singapore.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission of the copyright owner.

© 2016, Ministry of Defence, Singapore Published by Ministry of Defence, Singapore 303, Gombak Drive Singapore 669645

Designed by Advalanche Integrated Advertising Pte Ltd 114 Lavender Street #03-64 Sitting left to right: Mr Tan Yang How, Prof Su Guaning, Singapore 338729 Prof Quek Tong Boon, Prof Lui Pao Chuen, Mr Quek Gim Pew ISBN 978-981-11-1492-2

Standing left to right: RADM (Ret) James Leo, Printed by RADM (Ret) Richard Lim Cherng Yih, Ms Surine Ng Pei Gek, Mr Tay Kok Khiang, First Printers Pte Ltd 203 Henderson Industrial Park Er.BG (Ret) Wesley D’aranjo, Mr Chua Poh Kian #07-09 Singapore 159546