Singapore Showcases Autonomy and Joint-Fires Power at Exercise Wallaby 2025

Singapore Advances Joint Fires and Autonomous Warfare Capabilities at Exercise Wallaby 2025

Mohd Hanif Ismail - : Nov 1, 2025 - : 1:36 pm

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The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has significantly expanded the scale and sophistication of its annual Exercise Wallaby in Queensland, Australia, demonstrating next-generation artillery, integrated air-land operations, and autonomous systems designed for high-tempo future conflict scenarios. The most recent edition included the first live-firing of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) by newly enlisted National Servicemen (NSFs), coordinated strikes involving fighter aircraft and helicopters, and field-tested drone swarms supporting battlefield reconnaissance and targeting.

Held at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area since the 1990s, Exercise Wallaby is the SAF’s largest overseas drill, leveraging expansive manoeuvre terrain unavailable in land-scarce Singapore. The scale of recent deployments and technological experimentation underscores Singapore’s long-term transformation strategy — integrating sensors, shooters, and digital intelligence to “see better and strike faster” within contested air and information environments.

According to PIONEER, the official publication of the Singapore Ministry of Defence, this year’s iteration marked one of the most complex operations yet, involving The Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and the Digital and Intelligence Service conducting tightly coordinated joint fires and battlefield digitisation trials.

Largest Drone Swarm Deployment in SAF History

Reportings on the event highlighted the deployment of over 100 autonomous drones — the SAF’s largest-ever coordinated swarm — achieving more than 560 cumulative flight hours throughout the exercise. The swarm’s mission roles included persistent surveillance, automated target detection, and enhanced situational awareness feeding directly into command decision systems.

These trials form part of a broader push toward robotics and AI on the battlefield. The Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) confirmed it partnered with the Army to test advanced connectivity, edge computing and human-machine teaming solutions under live-fire and electronic interference conditions.

With 17 separate field technology trials executed — including counter-drone concepts, logistics robotics and command-and-control modernisation — Singapore continues to position itself as a leading adopter of defence autonomy within Southeast Asia.

Strengthening Asia-Pacific Joint Preparedness

Exercise Wallaby also enhances Singapore-Australia defence ties under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, through which Singapore contributes significant investment to expand Queensland military training facilities. The expanded Shoalwater Bay Training Area, projected to cost more than A$2 billion (approximately US$1.31 billion), supports long-term SAF mechanised and air-land training throughput.

In the region’s evolving security context — including escalating missile posturing in Northeast Asia and intensifying maritime competition in the South China Sea — Singapore’s modernised joint-fires capabilities and automation-driven efficiency align closely with the operational demands of coalition interoperability.

Outlook

As the SAF transitions toward a fully networked next-generation force by the 2030s, Exercise Wallaby remains its most critical proving ground for digitally empowered combat formations. From HIMARS precision artillery and integrated aviation strikes to AI-enabled drone swarms, Singapore’s demonstrated capabilities reflect an Asia-Pacific military increasingly defined by autonomy, data fusion and rapid decision dominance.