Meet the Navy's new "mother ship" fighting with drones and unmanned spaceships

SINGAPORE: It was not so long ago, the superiority of a warship was defined by the power of guns on its deck. Then, as the weapons evolved, how far his missiles could go.

Now, with wars increasingly fought hundreds of miles away, it has become a case of spotting the enemy before he finds you

We are coming to a stage where the the fastest-seeing leader wins, "said Cheong Kwok Chien, chief of naval operations of the Singapore Navy (RSN), in an exclusive interview Saturday, June 30. the RSN has therefore seen an opportunity for change

The Victory-class missile corvettes, for more than two decades, the backbone of the striking capabilities of the RSN, are entering their twilight years. They will reach the end of their operational life in 2025.

Enter the multi-purpose combat craft (MRCV), a type of mothership that will work in tandem with unmanned machines to see farther and respond faster. These mission-configurable warships will be introduced after 2020.

"If we have certain areas that we want to monitor closely, we can be triggered very early to react," Admiral-Rear ( RADM) Cheong said. "These ships allow us to look forward."

These "eyes" are actually a network of drones and unmanned vessels carrying cameras and weapons respectively.

"The suite of weapons and sensors that can spill over on a" Cheong RADM added

A typical attack package may include a pair of MRCVs that each carry three air vehicles unmanned (UAV), so there is one in the air at all times, and two uninhabited surface vessels

But the RSN has not defined specific configurations.There are physical limits to what the MRCV can carry, and then there is the cost factor of buying too many unmanned systems.

"Technology allows unmanned systems to decrease and that helps," said RADM Cheong. "But there are physical limitations to size because there down the wind is strong enough, so you can not fly a typical amateur drone. "

However, he added the MRCV enable the RSN "d & # 39; bring a sea CCTV". "If you have an entire network of eyes and shooters, you really develop the effective influence of the ship."

PANORAMIC VIEW

While current drones can extend the field of vision of a 100km vessel due to their range, RADM Cheong said that it is likely that those on the MRCV can go further. "In the future, this range will increase because control capabilities will improve," he added. "It's not an exaggeration to say that the ship will easily be aware of about 150 km around it."

The high definition capability of the UAV camera adds a whole new dimension to surveillance, far beyond traditional beeps. radars. "You can see the hair color of the guy you are looking at 150 km, it's possible," said Cheong RADM

That does not stop there. The RSN wants to hear and recognize it too.

"The other breakthrough we are going to make is to be able to see different dimensions," he added. "If you combine facial recognition, speech recognition and sense recognition, not many people can escape."

With information from several UAVs and cameras, as well as information from other resources, the RSN intends to set everything up on one screen.

"More than just flying cameras, it's very important for us to assemble the image and understand it quickly," said RADM Cheong. "There is no point in contemplating beautiful landscapes without knowing what you are looking for."

"This technology is not revolutionary," he continued. "It just takes a deliberate effort to make it happen."

Beyond its superior strike and surveillance capabilities, the MRCV is also more versatile and can go further than the missile corvette specifically designed for combat capabilities. For example, the MRCV may conduct counterterrorism missions as well as Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions, as it may carry mission-specific goods such as counter-terrorism forces and medical relief. .

SHIP

But the ship of choice of the RSN with respect to HADR is the Landing Tank (LST), which was deployed during several humanitarian assistance operations, including the Aceh tsunami in 2004.

The 141-meter, 6,000-tonne long LST is the largest vessel of the RSN, with a carrying capacity of 18 tanks, 20 vehicles and bulk cargoes. It also has two 25-foot deck cranes for loading and unloading the cargo.

But the RSN wants to go further.

"What we learned from many rescue missions is that our first wave of help and refueling the difference," said RADM Cheong. "It's not a matter of building a treadmill , the first guy who arrives there, the first box you open must save lives. That's why we have to carry more. "

With this, the RSN will replace the LST with a larger multi-mission ship (JMMS) that can carry twice as much cargo and better unload it.JMMS will also be introduced after 2020.

" When you will reach the area, you must always remember that there is no beautiful harbor so you can come and set the stairs up, "he added." So the design the ship is also how you can bring it to an area without access. "

This additional space and accessibility are also important in anti-piracy operations, and in the Gulf of Aden, Singapore regularly deploys the LST for international patrols against piracy.

To this end, the JMMS will be able to carry more boats x and larger to carry boarding teams that repel pirates and ensure the safety of merchant ships. 19659002] "When the sea is rough, and the boat you are carrying is so small, you can not launch your children and say" keep going, "said Cheong RADM, who conducted counter-piracy operations in the country. Gulf of Aden 19659002] "Even for a large ship that can carry three to four boats, it is never enough. It's always the feeling that you want to do more than what you have brought. "

In addition to the boats, the JMMS can also carry larger UAVs and unmanned vessels to monitor and repel pirates, and its longer flight deck allows it to carry several helicopters, unlike to the LST which could only carry two.

As concluded the RADM Cheong: "It's more than a simple pick-up."

BETTER AND SHARPER

With the Type 218SG submarine, the Cheong RADM stated that the three new vessels of the RSN are auspicious for the future of Singapore