Page 22 - ADT JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2021 Online Magazine

which use highly concentrated radio
HIGH-POWER MICROWAVES energy to damage their targets’
electronics, are among the options
FOR LAYERED AIR DEFENCES that Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a
Raytheon Technologies business, is
off-the-shelf drones modified into partnering with the U.S. Department
cheap weapons.
of Defence to explore as part of a
layered approach to air defence.
Raytheon Missiles & Defence has
been focussing on one single emerg-
ing technology – the high-power High-power microwaves are much
microwave – that could play a huge faster than hypersonic weapons, as
role in defending against both. the former travels at the speed of
light – 300 million meters per second [ SINGAPORE AIRSHOW SHOW PREVIEW ]
“OUR ADVERSARIES as compared to hypersonic weapons
ARE COMING UP WITH which travel at more than five times
INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED the speed of sound – 343 meters per
Hypersonic missiles and Unmanned AND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO second or higher.
Aerial Vehicles (UAV) present a
contrasting and highly complex ATTACK US,” said Colin Whelan, The advantage with high-power
technological air defence problem Vice President of Advanced microwaves and other directed
and both are prohibitively expensive Technology for Raytheon Missiles energy weapons is that, once they’re
& Defense. “WE NEED LOWER
to defeat. While a hypersonic missile built, they’re inexpensive to fire – and
travels at more than five times the COST SOLUTIONS TO COUNTER their ammunition is limited only by
speed of sound and can strike tar- THEM.” the availability of power. That makes
gets at great distances, UAV’s being them well-suited to take on drones
used by non-state actors are usually High-power microwave systems, that attack by the dozen.

RSAF BOOSTS OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES WITH

STRENGTHENED AIR-LAND-SEA INTEGRATION

The Republic of Singapore Air Force’s are raised, trained, planned and responsibilities and air defence oper-
(RSAF) Participation Command (PC), deployed together in support of ations, as well as augment the SAF's
which came into being in 2008 has Singapore’s land and sea campaigns. Counter-Terrorism and Humanitarian
played a key role in strengthening the The Command is responsible for Assistance and Disaster Relief oper-
island nation’s air-land-sea integra- the training and development of ations.
tion and enhancing its helicopter and the RSAF's helicopter fleet, provid-
Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) ing GBAD for land operations, and Since PC's inauguration in 2008,
capabilities. ensuring integration between the the RSAF's helicopters and GBAD
The RSAF PC works closely with Singapore Armed Force’s (SAF) Air, systems have also participated in
the Singapore Army and Republic Land and Sea forces. This is ensured large-scale integrated exercises such
of Singapore Navy (RSN) to deliver by the PC maintaining a high level as Exercise Wallaby, and in homeland
effective air power to shape ground of operational readiness at all times security exercises such as Exercise
and maritime operations. Its assets to support round-the-clock SAR Highcrest.

22 | January/February 2022 WWW .GBP .COM.SG/ ADT