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SINGAPORE: The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) could deploy four unmanned surface vessels (USV) for maritime security by the end of this year, depending on the progress of final tests at sea.
Once operational, the USVs will conduct 24-hour patrols, investigate and intercept suspicious vessels in Singapore waters. They are equipped with long-range megaphones, strobe and search lights, as well as a 12.7mm cannon.
They also come with advanced navigation and anti-collision systems to avoid obstacles and move with full autonomy in the congested waters of the Singapore Strait. The USV is not limited by a range of communications, which means that it can technically be operated from anywhere.
USV maritime safety specifications.
The Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) said in a newsletter on Monday (March 1) that two crew members will operate a USV from shore, with a “user-centric” mission control system to plan and execute quickly. patrol profiles, track vessels of interest. and warn or question vessels.
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This comes as the RSN seeks to address evolving threats such as maritime terrorism and piracy, and operate with fewer human resources amid a shrinking pool of national military personnel. Unmanned vessels also allow potentially dangerous missions at sea to be carried out more safely.
MINDEF first announced the new USVs in 2018, later stating that they would allow larger manned warships such as Littoral Mission Vessels (LMVs) to deploy more strategically for other missions and at wider ranges from Singapore.
The RSN already operates several unmanned vessels, including a similarly designed USV to clear mines and a smaller USV for maritime surveillance and to protect larger warships. This latest USV is not completely autonomous as it is controlled remotely.
The maritime security unmanned surface ship docked at the Changi Naval Base. (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)
The RSN has acquired four of the new USVs for sea trials that are expected to be completed by the end of this year, USV Squadron Commander Lt. Col. (LTC) Desmond Ng said at a press display at the Base. Changi Navy on February 24.
The commanding officer of the USV Squadron, Lt. Col. Desmond Ng. (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)
These unmanned tests will involve systems integration and testing of operational concepts, such as how USVs will investigate or pursue suspicious vessels. If things go according to plan, they could be rolled out into actual operations by the end of the year or early next, LTC Ng said.
As for whether the RSN could get more USV in the future, LTC Ng declined to comment, saying: “We are still in the process of operationalization.”
HOW WILL USV BE USED?
The USVs are expected to work alongside manned vessels to “enhance the RSN’s ability to monitor and respond to situations at sea,” MINDEF said. They could also be deployed with the RSN’s newly inaugurated maritime security and response vessels.
LTC Ng said there will always be a USV on patrol rotation, as each vessel can stay at sea for up to 36 hours. “I will always have a USV in the Strait, compared to an LMV that will not always be there 24/7,” he said.
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When it comes to operations, LTC Ng said USVs can act as first responders in security incidents at sea, such as when a ship is hijacked by thieves, and reduce the number of manned ships needed to go to the scene.
The crew members operating the USV will conduct surveillance and detection visually, using electro-optical cameras on board the ship.
One crew member will focus on mission planning, such as laying out patrol routes, while the other will monitor the USV’s payloads, such as its cameras and weapon. Moving the USV is as easy as clicking on a screen.
MINDEF said future USV teams, consisting of operators and maintenance personnel, will be made up primarily of full-time, ready-to-operate national military personnel, with a “small complement” of regulars. RSN’s unmanned systems are typically operated by regular customers.
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USV personnel will be trained similarly to their manned ship counterparts and learn basic nautical, but without certain manned aspects such as firefighting and resupply operations, LTC Ng said.
Radars, sensors and cameras on the USV that help you navigate and avoid collisions autonomously. (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)
This means that it will take 20 percent less time to train a full-time National Service USV (NSF) operator, compared to an NSF working on a manned ship.
“For the operation of the USV ship … it is relatively smaller and easier to control,” he added. “The main thing is to make them understand how the algorithm is designed (for autonomous operations) and how it will react in different scenarios. So if there are any abnormalities, they can catch it early. “
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ANTI-COLLISION SYSTEM
This algorithm, used in the USV Collision Detection and Collision Prevention (CDCA) system, is perhaps what makes the boat quite special.
Developed over a decade by the Defense Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and the DSO National Laboratories, the CDCA system enables the ship to safely navigate the busy Straits of Singapore, where 1,000 ships pass each day.
The Navy could operationally deploy four USVs by the end of 2021 (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos).
The system uses onboard cameras and radars to ensure that the USV automatically detects and avoids obstacles at sea, such as buoys, beacons, and other vessels. The USV will then correct your trajectory to resume your planned route.
The system is also programmed to obey “traffic laws” at sea, such as which direction to turn to avoid obstacles, and integrates maritime navigation tools such as charts, automatic identification systems and a differential global positioning system.
Given how crucial and complex the system is, DSTA and DSO made sure it could work.
The researchers spent nine months running millions of kilometers of laboratory simulations using real data from Singapore’s maritime traffic to ensure the USV can operate without collisions, and another nine months testing it at sea with security personnel on board.
DSO Defense Principal Investigator Bay Zi Jing. (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)
DSO Defense Principal Investigator Bay Zi Jing said USV algorithms are generally tested in less congested waters and have not been validated in Singapore waters.
“The uniqueness is that we actually fine-tune the algorithm until it can work in the Straits of Singapore,” he said. “So this is something we can’t just take off the shelf.”
Tan Shu, DSTA Jun Senior Engineer (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)
As with anything remotely controlled, the USV could be susceptible to cyber threats, and a DSTA official said an “extra effort” was made to bolster its cybersecurity.
“We equip the USV with advanced cybersecurity protection measures, such as encryption and other things we cannot share, configured based on our operational mission,” said DSTA Senior Engineer Tan Shu Jun.
