Homeland security is about protecting
the most important things in life. It is about enabling our
children to play in the park without fear. It is about allowing
enterprises to create value and conduct trade with confidence.
It is about providing governments, private enterprises and
communities with state-of-the-art technology solutions to
protect themselves and their people from harm.
Living in a state of heightened security is a sign of the
times. Recent global events such as 9/11 have marked an era
where violence has been thrust upon countries which are not
at war and on people who are not soldiers. This violence
has no pattern and can come from external elements or within
a country’s own borders.
ST Engg believes that it can help address these threats
and create a safer world. Its existing capabilities and technologies
in aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine can provide
the basic building blocks for the delivery of comprehensive
integrated homeland security solutions.
(I) Approaching Homeland Security
When the target and the perpetrators can be anything or
anyone, the comprehensive 24x7 protection of multiple locations
and individuals can be a serious challenge. Traditional ways
of protecting assets through sheer manpower deployment alone
will not be effective in shutting out the threats. Advanced
technology solutions must fill in the gaps and complement
human efforts.
ST Engg’s extensive suite of proven technologies
and capabilities in both defence and commercial applications
puts
the Group in a strong position to develop and offer comprehensive
homeland security solutions.
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Developing a comprehensive awareness of the environment
is the first area of focus. The Group’s proven
expertise and track record in command and control solutions,
sensors and communication systems in both the defence
and commercial arenas enable it to provide organisations
with the ability to sense, monitor and control everything
within a specific environment or map. The integration
of radio frequency identification (RFID), electro-optic
imaging and sensing, GPS and biometric technologies
can also further enhance the solutions.
The second area of focus is in direct action. These
capabilities allow homeland security agencies to follow
up on their detection of threats and to confront and
negate these directly, using defence technologies such
as aerial, land and sea unmanned systems, non lethal
ammunition and precise weapon systems, among others.
The ability to discriminately take out perpetrators
taking refuge in crowded civilian areas with minimal
casualties and collateral damage, will be increasingly
important in homeland security.
The third area of focus is in emergency management
and disaster recovery. Using a comprehensive decision
planning and emergency management system, ST Engg can
assist government agencies and organisations to better
prepare and equip themselves for any emergency, mitigate
risks and develop contingency plans, and respond and
recover in the event of any unfortunate breaches. The
Group’s well established capabilities in computer-based
training, modelling and simulation can help train personnel
in a wide scope of activities, both as individuals
and in teams.
The Group also actively seeks out partnerships
with companies and research laboratories in complementary
technologies such
as biometrics, robotics, artificial intelligence and explosive
detection. This enables the Group to continually enhance and
upgrade its own range and depth of product offerings in homeland
security.
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(II) Solutions in Action
The innovative application of existing solutions and the
development of new capabilities mark ST Engg’s entry
into the homeland security arena.
One exciting example is FanTail, a light weight mini Vertical
Take-off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) currently
under development by ST Aero. The vehicle can be specially
adapted for homeland security applications, including in urban
built up areas and in dangerous situations. In these situations,
FanTail can be used to conduct aerial surveillance for high
quality intelligence without putting any human agents at risk.
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Spartan, one of ST
Engg’s unmanned ground vehicles unveiled in 2003,
has also applications in homeland security. It can be
remotely controlled to carry appropriate weapons and
ammunition, including non lethal ones, at speeds of up
to 25 km per hour. In addition, Spartan can be fitted
with long range sensors and cameras for deployment right
in the midst of high tension homeland situations, without
subjecting any human agents to undue risks. |
Another groundbreaking solution from ST Engg is its Mobile
Track & Trace (m-T&T) System, which combines a management
information system, automated RFID technologies, locating and
mapping technologies and mobile computing technologies. With
m-T&T, dangerous mobile assets such as vehicles carrying
hazardous materials can be tracked to ensure they follow prescribed
routes. Another application of m-T&T is in Contact Track & Trace,
a system that helps track and trace personnel in various settings
and defined areas. The Contact Track & Trace System was
used in the recent SARS crisis to help keep track of patients
within the hospital.
(III) Securing the Future
ST Engg is committed to creating a safer world for
families and communities. The Group will leverage
its knowledge base and expertise across its four
sectors to deliver advanced integrated homeland security
solutions for a more secure future.
