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02 Oct 2024
At DSTA, our engineers play a vital role in equipping the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) with cutting-edge tech capabilities, and Exercise Wallaby 2024 (XWB24) is a prime example of our close collaboration with the SAF.
Held from September to November in Shoalwater Bay, Australia — an area nearly four times the size of Singapore — Exercise Wallaby is the SAF’s largest overseas exercise. XWB24 provides an operational environment for our engineers to partner the SAF to deploy new tech capabilities and gain valuable insights for further technical enhancements, through realistic and large-scale training.
A multi-disciplinary team of DSTA engineers was deployed to XWB24.
Our engineers from different programme centres were embedded with the SAF personnel during the exercise. This allowed us to work closely with the operators and glean operational insights, that will inform our continuous enhancements to the systems. The collaboration has strengthened our partnership with the SAF, enabling us to continuously deliver transformative tech capabilities to the SAF.
DSTA engineers at the Army Command Post during XWB24.
Notably, our engineers deployed and fielded new features for the Army Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) systems comprising the Army Tactical Engagement Information System (ARTEMIS), the Next Generation Army Command and Control Information System (CCIS), and Soldier C3. The scale of XWB24 and the vast Shoalwater Bay Training Area allows the deployed Army C4 systems to be utilised to their fullest operational potential, ensuring that they continue to meet the Army’s evolving operational requirements.
Seated inside the Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV), Army personnel learnt more about the ARTEMIS from our DSTA engineer.
The ARTEMIS is a centralised suite of Command and Control (C2) applications, that serves as the “brain” of the Hunter AFV. It allows the Army operators to plan their missions digitally and provides timely battlefield updates, amongst many other operational features. The ARTEMIS increases operational efficiency, allowing the operators to achieve a synchronised and effective battlefield outcome. XWB24 also marks the first-time deployment of the Hunter AFVs in Australia, providing our engineers with a valuable opportunity to validate the system performance, to its full potential over the vast and varied terrains.
DSTA engineers sharing about the Next Generation Army CCIS with the Army personnel.
The Next Generation Army CCIS enhances battle planning by simplifying complex processes and significantly improving mission efficiency. Through the usage of commercial technologies and algorithms, it strengthens the coordination among the planners, allowing them to plan efficiently with streamlined processes. The software for the Next Generation Army CCIS is developed indigenously by DSTA, where our engineers utilised design innovation principles to create systems that are intuitive and effective to use.
A DSTA engineer gathering feedback about the Soldier C3 from his Army counterpart.
The Soldier C3 allows our soldiers to quickly exchange key battlefield information, providing them with a comprehensive situational awareness of their surroundings. This allows them to better coordinate their tactical movements, through better decision-making in the field.
DSTA staff with their fond memories of XWB24!
Through XWB24, we have deepened our Ops-Tech partnership with the SAF. The insights gained will drive further innovation as our engineers continue to refine and enhance the systems, to meet the SAF’s evolving operational needs and strengthen its defence capabilities.