Fact Sheet: The Defence Technology Prize Enters its 25th Year

Since its inception, the DTP has been awarded to 32 individuals and 81 project teams. Over the years, the Prize has seen its recipients rise through the ranks and become prominent leaders in Singapore's defence technology community. Among them is Chief Defence Scientist Mr Quek Tong Boon, who led the guided weapons team to clinch the inaugural DTP team award in 1989.

In a span of nearly two and a half decades, the DTP winning projects have (i) developed warfighting systems and platforms that are key to the SAF's 3rd Generation transformation, (ii) enhanced Singapore's ability to work with other countries to tackle common security challenges, and (iii) pioneered new approaches to overcome the nation's land constraint. Examples include the Gulfstream 550 Airborne Early Warning Aircraft, the Pegasus Light Weight Howitzer and the Victory-class Missile Corvette, the Comprehensive Maritime Awareness System and the Underground Ammunition Facility. 

(i) Developing SAF's warfighting systems and platforms

G550 Airborne Early Warning Aircraft (AEW). The G550-AEW, which operationalised in 2012, significantly enhances the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) early warning and air defence capabilities through its better endurance and longer detection range. The team, consisting of members from DSTA, DSO National Laboratories (DSO), RSAF, Singapore Technologies (ST) Aerospace and ST Electronics, won the DTP Team (Engineering) Award in 2010 for its involvement in developing the aircraft's combat systems which enhanced its capabilities.
    
Pegasus Light Weight Howitzer. Commissioned in 2005 and developed by DSTA and ST Kinetics, the Pegasus is the world’s first heli-transportable and self-propelled lightweight howitzer which is capable of delivering the same lethality at less than half the weight of similar class of howitzers. The team won the DTP Team (R&D) Award in 2006.

Victory-class Missile Corvette (MCV). The Victory-class Missile Corvettes, which were commissioned in the early 1990s and developed by Defence Materiel Organisation, DSO and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), form the backbone of the RSN's strike capability and provide seaward defence. It first won the DTP (Engineering) Award in 1990, and was progressively equipped with a state-of-the-art Combat Management System as well as advanced communications and sensor systems that network with the other weapon systems. The MCVs can now see further and have better situation awareness to deal with the ever-evolving security threats at sea. 

(ii) Enhancing cooperation with other countries

 Comprehensive Maritime Awareness (CMA) System. The CMA system, developed by DSTA, RSN, DSO, Singapore Technologies Electronics (InfoSoft), was the region's first integrated information-sharing and sense-making system which allows the RSN to fuse and share information from maritime partners from over twenty countries. This helps provide early warning of sea-borne threats for timely response. The team won the DTP (Engineering) Award in 2010.

(iii) Overcoming land constraint

Underground Ammunition Facility (UAF). The ground-breaking UAF opened up new possibilities in the use of underground space and allowed the Singapore Armed Forces to free up about 300 hectares of valuable land. It also raised the bar of international safety standards for the development and operation of underground cavern for ammunition storage, as the safety codes developed by the team were adopted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The team, comprising members from DSTA, Joint Staff and SembCorp Design & Construction, won the DTP (Engineering) Award in 2007.