SINGAPORE – Teh Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is enhancing its battlefield capabilities by integrating a diverse range of drones alongside manned platforms, leveraging the unique strengths of each asset. This “multi-tier concept” aims to improve mission success and resilience in challenging environments.
Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) Tay Cheng Chuan, commanding officer of the SAF’s new drone unit, Droid, highlighted the importance of this approach. Droid, which stands for Drone Rapid operationalisation, Integration and Deployment, was formed in July to research, experiment, and test small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems for SAF operations.
Droid is participating in Exercise Forging Sabre for the first time. The biennial exercise, held from Sept 6 to 21 at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, provides a training area more than 20 times the size of Singapore.
In the 2025 exercise, ten Ascent Spirit drones, four Skydio X10 drones, and four Neros Archer drones will be deployed, totaling 24 drones, a notable increase from the 11 drones used in the 2023 edition.
LTC Tay said: “by harnessing the strengths and capabilities of each asset, we are able to achieve mission success and be more resilient against things such as weather and attrition due to threats.” he noted that UAVs are essential for overcoming the limitations posed by enemy threats and tough conditions on the modern battlefield.
The Ascent Spirit drones have been adapted to operate in autonomous swarms, allowing multiple drones to work together in a designated area without human input. These drones use an algorithm developed by the Defense Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and are equipped wiht specialized hardware to run this algorithm.
The skydio X10 drones can autonomously avoid obstacles and navigate in environments without GPS signals, enabling operators to focus on the mission. these drones use vision-based navigation and offer up to 128 times zoom capability.
the Neros Archer drones are the fastest of the three, reaching speeds of over 100kmh, and are designed to operate in areas where communications or GPS might potentially be jammed.
LTC Tay emphasized the importance of a diverse drone toolkit: “Each asset has its own strengths and weaknesses. By building this toolkit, we are able to use drones appropriate for whichever situation.”
Exercise Forging Sabre provides Droid and DSTA with opportunities to trial these technologies in realistic scenarios and improve their performance. The exercise allows for testing and continuous enhancement of the Ascent Spirit’s algorithm.
“We get the data, validate it, and this can be used to further improve the advancement,” LTC Tay said, adding that the finalized algorithm can be scaled up to equip many drones with the same capability.
“Each asset has its own strengths and weaknesses. By building this toolkit, we are able to use drones appropriate for whichever situation.”
Mr. Jeremy Wong, head of unmanned aerial system innovation at DSTA’s Air Systems Programme Center, noted that the exercise allows engineers to test the integration of various drone platforms into the software used by command post staff on the battlefield.This integration enables them to leverage data and capabilities from all drones.
The Neros Archer is the fastest among the three drones,reaching speeds of more than 100kmh.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
“Out here in the field, we are able to refine the software and hardware in real time, based on feedback from operators and mission planners,” Mr. Wong said,adding that this enables them to deliver upgrades within days.
(Top, from left) The Skydio X10, Neros Archer and Ascent spirit. The other two are variants of the Ascent Spirit.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Mr. Wong said the exercise helps his team adapt quickly to new technologies and test the resilience of systems developed with industry and SAF partners in real-world conditions.”The insights gained will be used to validate these technologies’ practicality, effectiveness and suitability for our operations,” he said.
The expansive airspace at Mountain home Air force Base is invaluable for conducting comprehensive tests, Mr. Wong added. “To have the ability to fly the actual distances that systems need,and to test out even simple things like range,communications resilience,over here has been vrey beneficial to our systems and our engineers.”
Mr Jeremy Wong (left) and Lieutenant-Colonel Tay Cheng Chuan.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
More than 800 personnel from the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Singapore Army, and the Digital and Intelligence Service are participating in the 2025 exercise, integrating air and ground assets.
