At the Productivity and Innovation in Daily Efforts (PRIDE) Day award ceremony held at Nanyang Polytechnic today, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen announced the upcoming launch of a new surveillance programme – the Aerostat System – that will help counter aerial and maritime threats.
The 55m-tethered balloon utilises low-level radar to measure threats up to 200km away. A group of eight ground crew members will be required to operate the system, which rises as high as 600 metres.
The 24/7 airborne machine, which complements the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) existing line of in-flight and ground-based radars, will save almost $30 million in operating costs a year.
“For a small island-state like Singapore, surveillance and early warning to give us sufficient reaction time to respond will always be a challenge but the Aerostat will improve our surveillance capabilities significantly,” he said to Channel NewsAsia.
The Aerostat System will be deployed early next year.
Photo: Ng Eng Hen’s Facebook page
Read Also:
TNI chief clarifies ‘apology’, Singapore defence minister urge all to move on
