Fact Sheet: Exercise Wallaby 2025

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is conducting the 35th edition of Exercise Wallaby (XWB) from 7 September to 2 November 2025. Held annually since its inauguration in 1990, XWB is the SAF’s largest overseas unilateral exercise. It is held in Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) in Queensland, Australia, and is approximately five times the size of Singapore. SWBTA allows the SAF to exercise its full range of capabilities and cross-service integrated training that cannot be replicated in Singapore.

This year’s edition of XWB involves over 5,000 personnel and over 500 platforms from the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS). The exercise also involves engineers and technologists from the Defence Technology Community (DTC), including MINDEF’s Future Systems and Technology Directorate (FSTD), the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and DSO National Laboratories (DSO), underscoring the strong operations-technology partnership in trials and evaluations of advanced capabilities in the field. The exercise is conducted over three training frames:

1. Frame 1: 7 to 27 September 2025. Frame 1 involved the Singapore Army’s Armour, Combat Engineers, Signal and Army Intelligence units. RSAF assets included helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the Air-Land Tactical Control Centre (ALTaCC).

   1. The 40th Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment (40 SAR) validated its operational competencies in conducting mechanised manoeuvre and fire missions, supported by 11th Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence Battalion’s (11 C4I Bn) V-15 mini-UAV (mUAV) and RSAF assets in a Field Training Exercise (FTX). The exercise culminated in a manoeuvre live-firing exercise that tested the unit’s ability to coordinate firepower from the Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) and execute tactical scenarios under battlefield conditions. The AH-64D attack helicopters also conducted Close Air Support (CAS) missions, and the CH-47F heavy lift helicopters conducted troop lift and underslung missions in support of 40 SAR’s evaluation.

   2. The 30th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers (30 SCE) conducted a company-level mission exercise to validate competencies in mobility, counter-mobility and survivability tasks. The exercise leveraged SWBTA’s large and rugged terrain to replicate operational challenges in supporting manoeuvre forces across long distances.

   3. The 17 C4I Bn deployed their Trunk Communication Systems (TCS) assets, to exercise their ability to bridge communications across various forces in the vast terrain in the SWBTA.

   4. The RSAF utilised SWBTA’s large airspace to conduct realistic and complex training. The CH-47F heavy lift helicopters conducted Search and Rescue (SAR), aeromedical evacuation, underslung and troop lift training. The AH-64D attack helicopters conducted live-firing of their rockets and guns. The Orbiter 4 UAV also participated in Air Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (AISR) missions alongside other flying assets.

2. Frame 2: 28 September to 15 October 2025. Frame 2 involved the Singapore Army’s Infantry, Armour, Guards, Army Intelligence and Transport units, and the RSAF’s aircraft and Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) systems.

   1. The 4th Singapore Armoured Brigade (4 SAB) executed combined arms and multi-domain operations through dynamic and high-tempo battlefield exercise scenarios. Apart from the operational elements, the exercise also featured field trials with technologies through 10, 11 and 12 C4I battalions strengthening inter-unit coordination and providing a realistic environment for units to practise combined arms tactics.

   2. Guards Training Centre (GTC) utilised the vast cross-country terrain and airspace of SWBTA to strengthen the Army’s pathfinder training and fully exercise the manoeuvre capabilities of the Light Strike Vehicle Mark II, which included Anti-Tank Guided Missile live-firing and integrated training with the RSAF.

   3. The School of Infantry conducted Terrex Static Live Firing, which included the firing of 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL), for Infantry leaders to achieve competencies in platform gunnery. Other live-firing training included integrated Motorised Platoon Conventional Live Firing.

   4. The RSAF increased the complexity and scale of air operations in Frame 2 with the participation of additional air assets such as the C-130 transport aircraft. Together with the Singapore Army’s 3rd SAF Transport Battalion, the RSAF used SWBTA’s vast airspace to conduct airdrop operations training. GBAD systems such as the RBS 70 and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) provided air defence coverage for the Singapore Army’s area of operations.

3. Frame 3: 16 October to 2 November 2025. Frame 3 involves the Singapore Army’s Artillery, Army Intelligence, Transport and Commando units, and the RSAF’s fighter aircraft, helicopters and UAVs. Intelligence analysts from the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) will also participate in Frame 3.

   1. Integrated live firing between the Singapore Army and the RSAF, coordinated by the 6th Singapore Division / Headquarters Sense & Strike, will exercise the coordination between air and ground elements in delivering decisive firepower. It will also validate joint targeting processes and fire control procedures in a dynamic battlefield environment. The 23rd Battalion, Singapore Artillery will conduct their HIMARS Live Firing to validate its ability to deliver precision long-range strikes in support of land manoeuvres. The air-land integrated live firing is supported by 11 C4I Bn's V-15 mUAV as well as the RSAF’s F-16 fighter aircraft, AH-64D attack helicopters, and Orbiter 4 UAVs. The next generation Command and Control Information System will be deployed for battlefield coordination and decision-making in int integrated exercise.

   2. The RSAF continues to work closely with the Singapore Army with the conduct of CAS and air projection missions.  In addition, Frame 3 sees the participation of the RSAF’s Air Terminal Squadron, which is responsible for setting up the pick-up zone (PZ), ensuring the safe and effective execution of the SAF’s heliborne missions.

   3. The DIS will demonstrate how it sharpens intelligence operations through digital capabilities. These include (a) geospatial tools that enhance battlefield situational awareness and mission planning through terrain analysis and virtual simulations; (b) integration of computer vision models into unmanned platforms to detect and classify objects of interest; and (c) in-house software developers that work hand-in-hand with intelligence analysts to continuously enhance operational efficiency.

4. Ops-Tech Partnership. During Frames 2 and 3, FSTD, DSTA and DSO will partner with the SAF to evaluate novel concepts of operation and capabilities in the field to bridge the gap between emerging technologies and operational solutions. These include ops-tech evaluation of systems, technology adaptation and integration.

To enable agile technology adaptation at speed, DSTA partnered with the Singapore Army to form ops-tech teams, embedding engineers alongside soldiers during exercises to co-develop and iterate new technical solutions in the field. This close collaboration has since evolved into a long-term approach for rapid field trials and technology deployment, where DTC engineers and SAF users co-develop, test and iterate solutions directly in operational environments.

At this year's XWB, more than 20 new technology applications developed by DSTA were employed by the SAF, covering areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence, counter-unmanned aerial systems and next-generation connectivity. Collaborating with FSTD and DSO, DSTA played a central role in developing and integrating these technologies, working with international defence and emerging technology companies. It also enhanced mission planning and live video integration systems to provide a seamless integrated planning capability across the SAF.

Looking ahead, the DTC will continue to collaborate closely with the SAF to field and refine new technologies for SAF operations.

To support XWB across these three frames, the SAF deployed a Forward Support Group (FSG) in the SWBTA since Aug 25, to provide medical, logistical, maintenance, and transportation support to training units. They also serve as the primary custodians of the training area, ensuring that training resources are well-managed and remain operational, and for training to be conducted safely.

More Resources

Infographic: Highlights Of Exercise Wallaby

Infographic: Operational Field Trials of Emerging Warfighting Concepts and Technology at Exercise Wallaby 2025