Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering) returns to this year’s iteration of the Singapore Airshow with a showcase of new products across its three business divisions.
Occupying a pavilion of some 2,000 square metres (sq m) or 21,527.82 sq ft, the group is debuting three solutions in its commercial aerospace (CA) arm.
The first is the DrN-600 aircraft, ST Engineering’s largest unmanned cargo drone to-date. The unmanned aircraft system (UAS) builds on experience since 2018 through previous, smaller UAS models. The aircraft is engineered for medium-lift air cargo delivery, with a wingspan of around eight metres, a maximum take-off weight of 600 kilogrammes (kg) and a range of 70 to 100 kilometres (km).
A co-development between the group and US-based electric aircraft producer AIR Inc, certification of the DrN-600 is aimed to be completed by 2028, with operational trials of prototypes conducted in tandem to gather input from customers.
Another unveiling is the Business Aviation Thrust Reverser, which helps aircraft decelerate and reduce brake wear during landing through the use of hinged or pivoting doors to redirect exhaust airflow forward. The technology utilises ST Engineering’s latest innovation in next-generation nacelle systems, the Thrust Reverser Unit (TRU) demonstrator.
Developed for Long Duct Mixed Flow (LDMF) configurations on business jet-sized aircraft, the design demonstrates the group's expertise in advanced composites, with a completely electric actuation system and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)- optimised aerodynamics.
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The group says the TRU demonstrator has validated its capabilities of improved aerodynamic efficiency, acoustic performance and structural integrity under high-temperature conditions through ground testing.
The third unveiling in ST Engineering’s CA sector is GEMINI-X. This is a tactical datalink system which links multiple air-borne and ground platforms to deliver seamless communication and enhance coordination as well as real-time situational awareness.
The system also integrates with command and control (C2) networks, enabling multidomain operations with minimal modifications for rapid deployment. To this end, the group notes integration costs will be reduced and operational capability can be increased.
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Also showcased at the Airshow will be the group’s latest developments in its Defence and Public Security (DPS) and smart city businesses.
Under DPS, ST Engineering is launching its Manned-Unmanned Teaming Operating System (MUMTOS), a next-generation open architecture for manned-unmanned teaming. The system links unmanned platforms from micro drones to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and humanoids through an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Command, Control and Communications (C3) system.
MUMTOS is designed to enable swarm tactics and integrate existing unmanned capabilities, ensuring more effective operations
Next up is the AI Cockpit, an agentic AI-enabled platform for combat land vehicles. The system is able to receive verbal commands from operators, which then interprets and carries out tasks which results in a significantly reduced cognitive load.
Enabled by a software‑defined vehicle architecture, the AI Cockpit supports rapid insertion, updates and scaling of AI capabilities without hardware changes. It also provides unified control of heterogeneous unmanned vehicles (UxVs), including commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) platforms and delivers what the group calls a ‘holistic manned-unmanned teaming solution’ by enabling combat and combat support platforms to deploy UxVs as motherships.
The final new product showcase under the DPS umbrella is EagleStrike, a next-generation loitering munition or unmanned warhead with a dual-mode advanced payload. ST Engineering notes that the vehicle-launched munition offers increased standoff flexibility with advanced targeting capabilities for more coordinated and precise needs.
Other highlights include next-generation soldier systems and AI-powered extended reality (XR) training simulations.
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Finally, the group’s Smart City showcase at this year’s pavilion will spotlight its new AGIL Secure FastPass suite of solutions, which are aimed at enabling a fully integrated and contactless traveller experience from check-in to boarding.
This includes the FastPass Mobile App, a secure digital identity wallet for traveller authentication, the FastPass Biometric e-Gate for passport-free and contactless immigration clearance, the FastPass AI Scanning System which expedites pre-boarding security screening and accurately detects aviation-restricted items in luggage and lastly, the FastPass Boarding Kiosk, for secure, contactless and automated boarding clearance.
Also present at this year’s Airshow will be the group’s Innovation showcase, which will include the HubGen 1-MW Hydrogen Electrolyser- a containerised, cyber-secure system designed to bridge energy gaps. Another solution displayed is the I Additive Manufacturing Factory, a mobile platform which uses generative AI to construct complex, high-precision components for onsite fabrication though powder bed fusion technology.
ST Engineering Group Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mervyn Tan says: “This year, we are highlighting AI, autonomous technologies and secure digital platforms that are already in service of our customers – accelerating decision-making and strengthening operational resilience across various domains.”
“Above all, we want our customers to be supported by solutions that are dependable, secure and ready, so that they can operate with confidence in demanding and complex environments,” adds Tan.
As at 11.36 am, shares in ST Engineering are trading at $9.77, down 0.31%.
