The Pride Within: DSO National Laboratories 1972-2012

Summary

This commemorative book marks the 40th anniversary (1972–2012) of DSO National Laboratories, Singapore’s national defence research and development organisation. It documents four decades of technological milestones, key capabilities across systems delivery, operational support, capability enhancement, and emerging technologies, and features interviews and reflections from research scientists and engineers.

Front Cover & Imprint

THE PRIDE WITHIN DSO NATIONAL LABORATORIES 1972-2012

Published in 2012 by Q-Plus Design Pte Ltd for DSO National Laboratories, Singapore 20 Science Park Drive Singapore 118230 Copyright © 2012 DSO National Laboratories, Singapore

No parts of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the permission of the copyright owner. Design, Q-Plus Design Printed in Singapore

Contents

CONTENTS

The Pride Within 14 Chairman’s Message 16 Our Evolution in the First 30 Years 17 DSO in the New Millennium

Delivering Systems 20 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Development 22 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System Integration Reliability Laboratory 26 Two-Dimensional Braiding Technology 30 Interview – Taking Flight 32 Fusion Engines for Command and Control 36 Interview – Keeping Threats at Bay 38 Tactical Networking for the Republic of Singapore Navy 42 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology 46 Electronic Warfare

Supporting Operations 52 Chemical and Biological Defence Research 54 DSO: An OPCW Designated Laboratory 56 Development of a Universal Decontaminant 58 Clinical Diagnostic Services Laboratory 60 Interview – Defending Against Unseen Threats 62 Electromagnetic Interference and Compatibility 66 Computational Electromagnetic Modelling 70 Operations Research 74 Information Security 78 Interview – Securing Our Communications 80 Video Exploitation System for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Enhancing Capabilities 86 Aero-Mechanical Certification for Aircraft and Stores 90 Interview – The Pioneering Spirit 92 Track-Before-Detect 96 Human Factors Engineering 100 Anti-Jamming GPS Antennas and Signal Enhancement Technologies 104 Therapeutic Antibodies 108 Targeting the Innate Immune System 112 Heat Stress Mitigation for Enhanced Soldier Performance

Emerging Technologies 118 Hybrid Power Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 122 Tornado-Like Jets Technology for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Drag Reduction applications 126 Hyperspectral Technology for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 134 Laser Research 136 Femtosecond Lasers 140 Mid-Infrared Lasers 144 Fibre Lasers 148 Interview – Researching the Future 150 Drogue Chutes for Ship Deceleration 154 Graphene Research 158 Radio Frequency Electronics Miniaturisation 164 Interview – Smaller is Better 166 Software Defined Radios 172 SCENTMATE: A Portable Nerve Agent Diagnostic Kit 176 X-SAT - Singapore’s First Indigenously Built Microsatellite 184 Interview – The Final Frontier

186 DSO Big Ideas (dBi) 188 CEO’s Epilogue 190 DSO 40th Anniversary Centrepiece and Division Trees

Introduction Quotes

BURNING WITHIN US, QUIETLY, CONFIDENTLY.

UNIFYING US, IN OUR RELENTLESS PURSUIT.

INSPIRING US, TO PUSH FURTHER, THINK DEEPER.

CHALLENGING US, TO UNLOCK THE MAGIC OF SCIENCE, THE WONDERS OF ENGINEERING.

SERVING THE NATION FOR 4 DECADES, THE PRIDE WITHIN.

Chairman’s Message

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

One of Singapore’s forefathers, the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, was clear that a nation must be able to defend itself in order to protect its sovereignty and its people. He believed that a country could not prosper without a strong defence force.

As Singapore faced strategic vulnerabilities such as its small population and geographic size, Dr Goh also believed that the key to overcoming these vulnerabilities and building a formidable defence force was technology.

In 1972, he established DSO with only three young engineers, and gave them a critical mission – to research and develop technological surprises that would provide the Singapore Armed Forces with the critical edge in the battlefield.

Today, DSO has grown, but its mission remains clear and unchanged. Over 1,200 research scientists and engineers constantly strive to fulfil this mission by staying at the forefront of technology, and looking beyond the horizon to develop game-changing defence solutions.

To achieve something that is seemingly impossible requires more than just acquiring and applying knowledge. It takes passion, commitment and grit. It requires the hunger to explore the unknown and make the impossible of today, possible tomorrow.

This year, as DSO celebrates its 40th Anniversary, we are reminded of this unique DSO spirit that has been guiding us in our quest to achieve our mission and vision. Our quest has been helped by our partners in the Singapore Armed Forces, in academia and in industry, both local and global.

Looking to the future, DSO will continue to pursue its mission relentlessly as it continues to push the boundaries to reap the possibilities that technology can offer in furthering our defence capabilities.

Dr Tan Kim Siew Chairman DSO National Laboratories

Our Evolution in the First 30 Years (1972–1998)

OUR EVOLUTION IN THE FIRST 30 YEARS

1972: Dr Goh Keng Swee, then Minister for Defence, handpicks three newly graduated engineers to study Electronic Warfare (EW). The group calls themselves the Electronics Test Centre (ETC) and undertakes the critical mission of building up secret-edge defence technologies for Singapore.

1976: ETC grows to 20 staff and moves to new premises in Marina Hill.

1977: The Defence Science Organisation (DSO) is formally established with a staff size of 50 engineers.

1986: The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) forms the Defence Technology Group (DTG). The DTG unites the technology and logistics groups in MINDEF, and establishes DSO as the centre of R&D for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). DSO continues to focus on EW as well as Guided Systems and Cryptography as its key research thrusts.

1989: With the opening of its new building in Science Park, the existence of DSO and its work is publicly acknowledged for the first time. The organisation also bags the inaugural Defence Technology Prize in the individual and team categories.

1991: The Gulf War reinforces the role of superior technology as a game changer in the battlefield. In the same year, DSO becomes one of the first Executive Agencies in MINDEF, gaining partial financial and operational autonomy.

1997: DSO is corporatised and is renamed as DSO National Laboratories (DSO). The organisation begins a total revamp of its systems and procedures to embrace the best commercial practices to recruit and retain talented people, and set new levels of service for its customers.

1998: DSO expands its premises with a second building at Marina Hill containing state-of-the-art research facilities. In the same year, DSO organises its first international symposium - the Singapore International Symposium on Protection Against Toxic Chemicals (SISPAT).

DSO in the New Millennium (2002–2012)

DSO IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM

2002: As part of its 30th Anniversary celebrations, DSO releases its first commemorative book, unveiling a glimpse of its R&D in Electronic Warfare and Guided Weapons publicly for the first time. In response to asymmetric threats that could be conducted by non-state perpetrators and against targets that are not necessarily military or physical, DSO announces its new mission to include the protection of Singapore’s critical infrastructure and information network. Defence R&D will continue to remain as its primary focus.

2003: The integration of Defence Medical Research Institute into DSO to form the Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute expands DSO’s research to include human sciences. DSO achieves its first Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Designated Laboratory status, a reflection of DSO’s chemical verification capabilities being on par with some of the world’s best. During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis, DSO provides diagnostic support for clinical samples, and joins the Singapore Clinical SARS Consortium to jointly develop and validate a diagnostic kit to detect the virus.

2004: DSO’s TV-guided bomb is showcased to the public for the first time in the 3rd Gen SAF TechX exhibition, 20 years after its initial development as a technology demonstrator. DSO and other collaborative partners, namely, the National University of Singapore (NUS), Supelec and ONERA of France come together to form SONDRA, a joint research laboratory set up in France with a mission to conduct basic research in the areas of advanced electromagnetism, radar and signal processing.

2006: Leveraging on DSO’s and Singapore Technologies Kinetics’ (STK) expertise in advanced material, the Advanced Technology Research Centre (ATREC) is established to bring together R&D personnel from both entities, to further enhance the level of research, experimentation and technology development.

2009: DSO marks its 20 years of research in chemical defence, and publishes a commemorative book, “Unveiling the Face of Progress”, providing a rare insight into the programme’s capability built up over the past two decades.

2011: Singapore Technologies Engineering, DSO and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) establish ST Electronics (Satellite Systems) in a joint venture to develop advanced earth observations satellites. This comes after the successful launch of X-SAT, Singapore’s first indigenously built microsatellite by NTU and DSO.

2012: DSO is the oldest and largest local R&D institute with more than 1,200 research scientists and engineers. Its expertise spans across the spectrum of land, sea, air and cyberspace, and has won more than 70 Defence Technology Prize awards since its inception.

Delivering Systems - Overview

DELIVERING SYSTEMS

In support of the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) transformation into a 3rd Generation networked fighting force, DSO’s mission is to deliver systems and technologies that sharpen its edge in the battlefield, and makes potential threats irrelevant.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Development

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE DEVELOPMENT

The increasing use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for military applications has received much attention in recent years. As demonstrated during the Afghanistan and Iraq war, UAVs have proven to be a formidable asset for superior battlefield surveillance and comprehensive situation awareness.

In 2010, the SAF received its first fleet of indigenously built UAVs - the Skyblade III - which was developed by DSO, in collaboration with Singapore Technologies Aerospace (STA).

Since the successful transition of the Skyblade III into SAF operations, DSO and STA have moved on to jointly develop a bigger class of UAV, the Skyblade IV, with longer range and higher endurance capability.

In the following pages, two DSO-developed capabilities used to support advanced UAV development are highlighted: a UAV system integration and reliability testing methodology, and a special two-dimensional braiding machine to fabricate complex composite shapes.

Also highlighted in the section on Emerging Technologies are several technologies currently under development in DSO that could enhance the capabilities of UAVs. These include a Hybrid Power System (page 118), research on Tornado-Like Jets Technology (page 122), and Hyperspectral Technology for UAVs (page 126).

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System Integration Reliability Laboratory

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE SYSTEM INTEGRATION RELIABILITY LABORATORY

The continued increase of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) operating in civilian airspace for a broad range of civil and military applications has led to an increasing demand for high reliability in UAV system design. To ensure reliability, extensive UAV system flight testing has to be conducted during the system development phase.

However, with Singapore’s limited airspace and concerns regarding airspace safety, it is almost impossible to carry out local flight trials for UAV system development. As such, ensuring UAV system reliability requires an alternate innovative test approach. DSO’s UAV System Integration Reliability Laboratory (SIRL) facility has been set up to meet such a requirement, enabling UAV development teams to achieve a high level of reliability in their UAV system with a much reduced number of airborne flight trials.

The SIRL facility provides extensive UAV system testing on the ground in order to characterise and sieve out potential UAV system weaknesses prior to flight. This helps to mitigate flight test risk, shorten development cycles and improve system reliability. In the past, these could only be achieved by extensive flight test programmes.

The SIRL facility setup consists of a UAV simulator station integrated with a UAV Unit-Under-Test (UUT) housed in a custom-designed test jig. The UAV simulator station runs real-time UAV flight dynamics and environment simulation to emulate actual UAV mission flight profiles. The signal outputs from the UAV simulator station are sent to the UAV UUT on the test rig so that it will exhibit similar responses as if it were in flight. This enables the actual avionics hardware on the UAV UUT, as well as the software in its ground control station, to be tested realistically through various mission profiles.

Several challenges were presented in the development of the simulator station. A high fidelity UAV flight dynamics model was essential for the UAV simulator station to simulate and predict UAV flight motions within the simulator flight environment. As such, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis, wind tunnel experiments and flight test system identification works were carried out to support the flight dynamics model development.

In addition, sensors data from actual physical sensors used during airborne flight had to be emulated accurately by the simulator station. The physical sensors to be emulated included inertial measurement sensors, air data sensors and Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors. To achieve this, detailed sensor dynamics modelling and signal interface emulation to the UAV UUT were carried out during the simulator station development. The ability to simulate and emulate each sensor in the simulator station environment provides the ability to simulate or inject different critical failures modes during SIRL testing such as the loss of GPS signal conditions or airspeed sensor failure.

The test jig that houses the UAV UUT is designed to support different sizes of UAVs for reliability programme testing. Instead of hard-mounting the UAV UUT to the test jig, the UAV UUT is suspended using multiple bungee slings in order to create free suspended flight conditions. This helps to damp UUT airframe vibration propagated by the UUT propulsion system, creating an almost similar isolated vibration damping condition experienced during actual airborne flight. Each bungee sling is suitably sized to withstand UUT testing and provides adequate safety from breaking, while still providing good damping of free flight conditions. To ensure the overall stability of the test jig during SIRL testing, a high safety margin using maximum thrust conditions as a base has been designed into the test jig.

Other features of the test jig include airflow blowers to provide cooling based on flight airspeed, as well as to support continuous engine propulsion on the ground. The airflow blowers also help to create a realistic thermal environment that enables the testing of the UUT thermal management system.

In order to support reliability test plans for the UUT servo actuators, load profiles representative of the actual aerodynamics forces acting on the UAV control surfaces (aileron, elevator and rudder) during flight can be applied on the UUT servo actuators that drive the control surfaces.

As a unique design feature, multiple water nozzles have been integrated on the sides and top of the test jig. This enables environment qualification testing for rainy weather conditions - especially prevalent in the local operating environment. The intensity of water sprayed on the UAV UUT is determined in accordance with military standard rain test specifications. Such testing enables the validation of the UAV UUT design for water tightness and can be used to identify potential weaknesses in the UAV airframe design and fabrication.

To date, DSO and Singapore Technologies Aerospace have worked together to undertake SIRL testing of the Skyblade UAV. Through extensive SIRL testing, many safety-critical bugs were discovered and rectified even before actual flight testing, giving the development team greater confidence in the functional reliability of the platform.

DSO is currently working on enhancements to the SIRL facility ground testing technologies in order to expand its capability beyond reliability testing. One area of enhancement is the use of virtual flight testing on the ground to augment actual flight testing. This represents a great payoff for UAV development programmes as it will reduce the need for actual flight testing and alleviate the constraints of Singapore’s limited airspace.

Two-Dimensional Braiding Technology

TWO-DIMENSIONAL BRAIDING TECHNOLOGY

Braiding is a simple interlocking of two or more fibres or fibre bundles to produce a near net-shape fibrous preform.

With an integrated network of structural cells in bi-axial or tri-axial configurations, the braids or textile structures provide a mechanism for structural toughening of composites. The fully integrated preform structure facilitates the processing of composites into near net-shape structural parts, thus simplifying the processing steps and bridging the gap between the material and the final product. Virtually any fibre with a reasonable degree of flexibility and surface lubricity can be braided over a shape-forming mandrel in a controlled manner to create a fibrous preform. Typical engineering fibres include aramid, carbon, ceramics, fibreglass and quartz.

Realising the potential of two-dimensional (2D) braiding technology, DSO collaborated with an overseas company to conceptualise the design of a multi-axis braiding machine capable of handling complex shapes with asymmetrical braiding. Based on a three-dimensional (3D) model creation of the perceived machine, DSO engineers worked closely with six local companies to assemble, test and commission the machine. These companies specialised in areas such as precision machining, mechanical assembly and electrical harnessing, drive-&-control technologies, and machine automation.

The assembled seven-axis 2D braiding machine was finally integrated with an in-house developed proprietary Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software to control complex-shape braiding.

DSO’s unique braiding machine is capable of continuous symmetrical and asymmetrical braiding over a wide variety of mandrel shapes and sizes. It has the ability to produce braids in single or multiple layers with tremendous hoop strength, as well as longitudinal strength and rigidity. Material in their raw fibre form can be readily turned into near net-shape braids. Using standard composites fabrication techniques, these braids can then be turned into structural composites. By virtue of its ability to conform to complex shapes, braids can be used in producing components such as fuselages, wings and frames for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

By using carbon in its raw form, a braiding solution can significantly minimise wing fabrication cost. The seamless wing structure produced has also been found to possess superior bending strength and stiffness when compared to composite wings assembled by the traditional method using two half-woven skins.

In addition, fibrous preforms created using the braiding machine can readily be turned into composites by combining it with liquid infusion processes. A Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) process is used to produce typical structural composite parts (Braiding on mandrel -> Closed-mould RTM process -> Release of moulded part -> Final composite structure).

DSO’s 2D braiding machine opens up new R&D capabilities in the design, development and fabrication of multi-functional and smart composites through the utilisation of functional yarns in braid production. One such possibility is to embed optical fibres, conducting wires and coils, thermo-chromic fibres, and photovoltaic wires to produce smart composites with sensing, adaptive self-healing, structural health monitoring and temperature monitoring functionalities.

Interview – Taking Flight

INTERVIEW – TAKING FLIGHT Featured: Dr Justin Teo (Senior Member of Technical Staff, Guided Systems Division, 13 years in DSO), Paw Yew Chai (Senior Member of Technical Staff, Guided Systems Division, 12 years in DSO), Edward Pang (Senior Member of Technical Staff, Guided Systems Division, 7 years in DSO).

DSO’s build up of indigenous UAV development expertise over the years has enabled the launch of the Skyblade III Mini-UAV, a crucial platform in the 3rd Gen SAF’s network of sensors that help it see further, more clearly and in real time. Dr Justin Teo, Paw Yew Chai and Edward Pang share their journey:

• How did you get started?

  • Yew Chai (YC): Final Year Project in university on modeling and simulation for a small remote controlled helicopter.
  • Justin Teo (JT): Built a micromouse robot in polytechnic for a competition, designing path controllers.
  • Edward Pang (EP): Childhood fascination with LEGO blocks and keen interest in aircraft led to mechanical engineering.

• What work do you do?

  • YC: Flight dynamics modeling and autonomous flight algorithms.
  • JT: Physical controls, actuators, sensors, and verification.
  • EP: Mechanical design, fabrication, testing, and flight qualification.

• The most painful part?

  • All: Flight trials! Long logistics preparation, long hours in the field sweating it out, and troubleshooting crashes under high pressure.

• What keeps you going?

  • Turning ‘science fiction’ into reality, working in dynamic R&D with great colleagues who share unconventional ideas.

Fusion Engines for Command and Control

FUSION ENGINES FOR COMMAND AND CONTROL

Real-time data fusion engines are important to the SAF as commanders need to make sense of a given situation through inputs from sensors, and make accurate time-critical decisions in the Command & Control (C2) systems.

DSO has developed two key data fusion engines, namely the Identification (IDENT) and the Threat Evaluation and Weapon Assignment (TEWA) engines. In order to determine the identity (friendly, neutral or hostile) and platform type (e.g. fighter or helicopter) of a target, the IDENT engine takes in multiple sources of input and updates the data on incoming evidence. At the same time, the TEWA engine continuously evaluates which targets pose a threat to friendly forces and then assigns the best weapon at the best time to engage them.

Frigate CMS: DSO was tasked to design, develop and deploy the IDENT and TEWA fusion engines in the Combat Management System (CMS) onboard the Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN) stealth frigates.

IDENT Engine: The IDENT engine evaluates identities and platforms of air and surface targets detected by sensors (radars, datalinks). Kinematics (flight path conformance) are checked against flight routes data. Combined confidence values are calculated using the Certainty Factors model: Combined confidence value B = C1 + C2 - C1*C2 where C1 is flight plan conformance and C2 is IFF-mode-3 conformance.

TEWA Engine: The TEWA engine assesses threatening air tracks using a rule-based system, evaluating kinematics, own forces capabilities, weapon models, and weapon status to output a prioritised list of target engagements, maximising survival chances and weapon effectiveness.

Interview – Keeping Threats at Bay

INTERVIEW – KEEPING THREATS AT BAY Featured: John Sng (Senior Member of Technical Staff, Information Division, 10 years in DSO) and Dr Foo Shou King (Principal Member of Technical Staff, Information Division, 15 years in DSO).

Key takeaways:

• Responsible for developing the IDENT and TEWA data fusion engines for the RSN’s stealth frigates, winning the 2007 Defence Technology Prize Team (Engineering) Award.
• Shou King started in Natural Language Processing before moving to Fusion Systems; John Sng focuses on large system integration.
• Highlighted sea trials challenges, including overcoming sea sickness and long hours out at sea.
• Job satisfaction comes from seeing fusion engines work reliably in operations (e.g., commanders having to deliberately turn off the automated engine during training so operators practice manual tasks).
• Future aspirations include building next-generation decision support systems that infer new trends and process vast amounts of streaming data.

Tactical Networking for the Republic of Singapore Navy

TACTICAL NETWORKING FOR THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE NAVY

Integrated Knowledge-based Command and Control (IKC2) is vital in the Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN) transformation into a networked 3rd Gen fighting force. It is a force multiplier that enables more to be achieved with less through the networking of naval assets both at sea and on shore.

DSO developed a suite of tactical Mobile Ad-hoc Networking (MANET) protocols adopting a layered architecture (Link, Network, Transport, Application):

1. Media Access Control (MAC) Layer: To overcome static TDMA bandwidth wastage, DSO designed a dynamic token-passing MAC protocol allowing nodes to pass unused bandwidth in their time-slot to loaded neighbours.

2. Network (Routing) Layer: Developed a hybrid Link-State (LS) and Distance-Vector (DV) routing protocol inspired by the fish-eye lens concept (high resolution for 2-hop neighbourhood, compressed updates further away), achieving fast route convergence with low overheads.

3. Transport Layer: Designed an intelligent hop-by-hop caching and retransmission protocol across intermediate nodes (store-and-forward) instead of pure source retransmission, drastically increasing message completion rates over lossy 3-hop topologies from 0.25 to high reliability while conserving bandwidth.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology

AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

AUVs serve as cost-effective, safe alternatives to manned Mine Counter Measure Vessels (MCMVs) and Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) for seabed surveying and obstacle detection.

MEREDITH 250 (M250) AUV System:

• Modules: HOST module (mission sequencing), Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) module (mobility controller, trajectory tracking in sea currents), navigation sensors, and battery modules.
• Payloads: Side Scan Sonar (SSS) for sea-bottom imaging/wreck search, and Forward-Looking Sonar (FLS) for real-time obstacle avoidance (OA).

Obstacle Avoidance & Representation:

• Employs spatial filtering (median filtering, morphology, adaptive thresholding) and temporal filtering (Kalman tracker).
• Implements a Local Grid Map (LGM) with “short-term memory” to remember obstacles outside the narrow 45° horizontal Field of View (FOV) during avoidance maneuvers, preventing erratic paths.

Electronic Warfare

ELECTRONIC WARFARE

Electronic Warfare (EW) protects high-value military platforms against missile threats, particularly Infrared (IR) heat-seeking missiles.

DSO developed an operational EW simulation software tool for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to model and evaluate flare countermeasures against incoming missiles.

Key Simulation Models:

1. Missile Model: Kinematics, thrust, proportional navigation guidance, gimbal seeker response to IR scene/flares.
2. Countermeasure Model: Flare spectral signature (intensity vs. time), ejection velocity, aerodynamic deceleration, and trajectory.
3. Aircraft Model: Aircraft kinematics, 3D trajectory, IR signature (operating power, Exhaust Gas Temperature, aspect angle).
4. Atmospheric Propagation Model: MODTRAN-based attenuation across wavebands and slant ranges.
5. 3D Graphic Presentation: Visualisation of missile-target-flare interactions and LOS shifts.

Operational support includes validating EW tactics in Operational Training and Evaluation (OT&E) trials, such as supporting UN peace missions in Iraq.

Supporting Operations - Overview

SUPPORTING OPERATIONS

Beyond the battlefield, DSO’s buildup of indigenous expertise has enabled the development of technologies that support the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) peacetime operations and systems acquisition processes. DSO’s expertise and technologies have also played critical roles in supporting other agencies to solve national level issues.

Chemical and Biological Defence Research

CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL DEFENCE RESEARCH

From countering chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and terrorist threats (such as the 1995 Tokyo sarin attack) to addressing biological threats (malaria, melioidosis, pandemic influenza, SARS, anthrax, ricin, botulinum toxin), DSO has built indigenous CTRN capabilities over two decades.

DSO: An OPCW Designated Laboratory

DSO: AN OPCW DESIGNATED LABORATORY

Following Singapore’s 1997 ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), DSO achieved OPCW Designated Laboratory status in March 2003. DSO is the only designated laboratory in Southeast Asia and Oceania, and one of only 21 worldwide, maintaining operational readiness to verify chemical agents and biomedical samples with high precision.

Development of a Universal Decontaminant

DEVELOPMENT OF A UNIVERSAL DECONTAMINANT

DSO developed universal, non-aggressive decontaminants effective against both Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) and Biological Warfare Agents (BWAs):

• Demul-X (2003): 1st-generation water-in-oil macroemulsion (~10 μm droplet).
• ME21 (2011): 2nd-generation oil-in-water microemulsion (<0.1 μm droplet), thermodynamically stable, degrades >99% of Tabun (GA), Soman (GD), HD (Sulphur Mustard), and VX within 30 minutes, and achieves a 9-log kill against Bacillus anthracis while being gentle on vehicle paints and materials.

Clinical Diagnostic Services Laboratory

CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES LABORATORY

• Pioneered real-time PCR diagnostics for rapid detection of infectious disease pathogens, shortening identification time from 2–5 days down to 3–5 hours.
• Holds ISO 15189 accreditation.
• National responses include: 2001 Anthrax hoax letter testing (SPF), 2003 SARS crisis support (MOH), H5N1 avian flu preparedness (AVA), 2009 H1N1 pandemic testing, and PCR malaria screening for Pulau Tekong military recruits.

Interview – Defending Against Unseen Threats

INTERVIEW – DEFENDING AGAINST UNSEEN THREATS Featured: Dr Loke Weng Keong (Programme Director, DMERI@DSO, 15 years in DSO), Andrew Chia (Member of Technical Staff, DMERI@DSO, 1 year in DSO), Dr Ma Yifei (Programme Manager, DMERI@DSO, 10 years in DSO).

Highlights:

• Focus areas: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) evaluation, threat analysis, Scentmate nerve agent detection kit.
• Challenges: Interdisciplinary collaboration across biology, chemistry, and engineering; transitioning lab inventions to practical field kits.
• Vision: Establishing DSO as a respected national authority in CTRN defence (Communication, Trust, Respect, Nurture).

Electromagnetic Interference and Compatibility

ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE AND COMPATIBILITY (EMI/EMC)

History: The 1982 sinking of HMS Sheffield highlighted the danger of EMI (satellite communication interfered with onboard ESM). DSO established an EMC Test Centre 30 years ago to certify military electronics to Mil-Std 461C.

EMC Design: Applied to congested naval platforms and communications systems using antenna pattern shaping, RF limiters/filters, and shielding.

Research Collaboration (EMERL with NTU):

• Semi-anechoic Chamber (SAC): Shielded enclosure (>100 dB shielding up to 40 GHz), 18m x 12.5m x 7.5m, with 4m turntable (20-tonne dynamic load).
• Reverberation Chamber (RC): 12.5m x 8.5m x 6m, metallic stirrers for uniform multi-mode testing.
• Multiple Antenna Stirring (MAS): Developed with Supelec (France) to lower the Lowest Useable Frequency (LUF) from 80 MHz down to 20 MHz without increasing chamber volume.

Computational Electromagnetic Modelling

COMPUTATIONAL ELECTROMAGNETIC MODELLING

To solve large-scale complex electromagnetic problems (radomes, cavity resonance, platform installed antennas), DSO adopted the Domain Decomposition Method (DDM).

Applications:

1. Finite Vivaldi antenna array behind dielectric radomes.
2. Deep resonating cavities (~1,000 wavelengths deep).
3. Monopole antenna installed performance on large aircraft/vehicle structures.

Operations Research

OPERATIONS RESEARCH (OR)

Uses Modelling, Simulation and Analysis (MSA), Design of Experiments (DOE), and Evolutionary Algorithms (EA) to evaluate force sizing, tactics, and procurement.

Key Projects:

• Next Fighter Replacement Programme (NFRP): Technical and operational analysis from 2001 to 2005 evaluating 6 aircraft candidates, leading to the selection of the F-15SG.
• Critical Infocomm Infrastructure - Surety Assessment (CII-SA): Interdependency and vulnerability analysis across Singapore’s seven critical infrastructure sectors for IDA and MHA.

Information Security

INFORMATION SECURITY

Focuses on high-assurance security architectures, lightweight ciphers, and high-speed encryption:

• Modular Encryptor Security Architecture: Three-block partition (RED plain processing, BLACK cipher processing, Cryptographic engine).
• Lightweight Cryptography: PRESENT-derived EPCBC cipher and SPN-hash function for RFID/smart cards.
• High-Speed Encryption: n-cell GF-NLFSR unbalanced Feistel structures, Four-Cell+, and parallelised variants (p-Camellia, p-SMS4) achieving >10 Gbps encryption throughput.

Interview – Securing Our Communications

INTERVIEW – SECURING OUR COMMUNICATIONS Featured: Henry Yip (Senior Member of Technical Staff, Networks Division, 2.5 years in DSO) and Dr Paul Khoo (Principal Member of Technical Staff, Networks Division, 17 years in DSO).

Highlights:

• Collaboration between mathematical cryptographers and hardware security engineers.
• Balancing strong security controls with high-throughput system performance.
• The thrill of developing custom encryption hardware from initial designs to verified operation.

Video Exploitation System for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

VIDEO EXPLOITATION SYSTEM FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

Developed in 5 months for the Searcher UAV Task Group deployed to Afghanistan in August 2010.

Key Capabilities:

• Integrated into UAV Ground Control Station (GCS) for real-time video exploitation, archiving, and time-shifting.
• Real-time Video Mosaicking: Harris Corner Detector, Lucas-Kanade optical flow, RANSAC outlier removal, and image blending to create continuous panoramic views of routes and targets.
• Image Super-Resolution: Reconstruction of high-resolution still images from video frame sequences.

Enhancing Capabilities - Overview

ENHANCING CAPABILITIES

Through its research, DSO develops technologies that enhance the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) existing system capabilities to adapt to new warfighting concepts, and increases its soldiers’ performance and survivability in the battlefield.

Aero-Mechanical Certification for Aircraft and Stores

AERO-MECHANICAL CERTIFICATION FOR AIRCRAFT AND STORES

DSO is the engineering authority for carriage and separation certification of under-wing stores (bombs, missiles, fuel tanks) on RSAF F-16 and F-15SG aircraft.

Technical Disciplines:

• Flutter & Limit Cycle Oscillation (LCO) prediction.
• Store separation trajectory and 6-DOF simulation for safe release.
• Flight load and wing structural deformation analysis.
• CFD aerodynamic drag/stability modeling.
• Ground Vibration Testing (GVT) to measure vibration modes.

Interview – The Pioneering Spirit

INTERVIEW – THE PIONEERING SPIRIT Featured: Johnson Tang (Principal Member of Technical Staff, Guided Systems Division, 16 years in DSO) and Dr Chew Siou Chye (Laboratory Head, Guided Systems Division, 17 years in DSO).

Highlights:

• Pioneers in establishing indigenous aero-mechanical flight certification for RSAF F-16 fighters.
• Conducted rigorous flight test campaigns and earned the 2007 Defence Technology Prize.
• Highlighted the transition of aircraft aerodynamic knowledge into advanced UAV development.

Track-Before-Detect

TRACK-BEFORE-DETECT (TBD)

Overcomes conventional radar threshold limitations when detecting small, slow-moving targets with low Radar Cross-Section (RCS) in heavy ground clutter.

Methodology:

• Dynamic Programming Approach (DPA) that integrates un-thresholded raw signal intensities over multiple scans along probable target trajectories.
• Uses piecewise linear score functions and omni-directional cell transition probabilities.
• Equation: S_(i,j)(n) = (1 - alpha)*CS_(i,j)(n) + alpha * max [ beta_(i’,j’) + S_(i’,j’)(n-1) ].
• Demonstrated significant improvements in track detection time and track duration on ground-based air surveillance radars.

Human Factors Engineering

HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING (HFE)

Applies Cognitive Ergonomics to military command consoles and vehicle crew stations:

• Information Stitching Dashboard (ISD): Uses Edward Tufte’s ‘data-ink ratio’ to create transparent, decluttered tactical overlays on closed-hatch driving video feeds.
• Multi-Modality Crew Console (MMCC): Utilises 3D psychoacoustic auditory cues and System Grouping Based Approaches (SGBA) to alert vehicle operators across multiple Multi-Function Displays (MFDs), reducing cognitive workload and reaction times.

Anti-Jamming GPS Antennas and Signal Enhancement Technologies

ANTI-JAMMING GPS ANTENNAS AND SIGNAL ENHANCEMENT TECHNOLOGIES

GPS satellite signals are weak (~ -160 dBW) and vulnerable to RF jamming. DSO and TL@NUS developed compact Controlled Radiation Pattern Antenna (CRPA) arrays for small UAVs:

• Utilises high-dielectric ceramic substrates (Arlon AD1000) to shrink individual microstrip patch antennas from 90mm x 90mm down to 11mm x 11mm with Right Hand Circular Polarisation (RHCP).
• Developed a 5-element circular CRPA array incorporating shorting vias to suppress mutual coupling and form adaptive spatial nulls toward jamming sources.

Therapeutic Antibodies

THERAPEUTIC ANTIBODIES

• Developed human monoclonal antibodies against H5N1 avian influenza, H1N1 pandemic flu, and dengue serotype 1 virus.
• Identified broad-neutralising antibodies protecting across all 16 haemagglutinin subtypes.
• Split-Intein Protein Engineering: Inverted antibody manufacturing by pre-producing constant antibody regions in slow animal cell lines, then rapidly expressing variable binding domains via microbial fermentation and splicing them together using split inteins for emergency response.

Targeting the Innate Immune System

TARGETING THE INNATE IMMUNE SYSTEM

• ‘One-Drug, Multi-Bugs’ paradigm: PIKA (a double-stranded RNA Toll-like Receptor 3 ligand) stimulates immediate innate antiviral pathways against H1N1, H5N1, and resistant viral strains.
• Melioidosis Research: Investigated Burkholderia pseudomallei lipid A evasion of TLR-4 in BSL-3 facilities, developing host-directed immune modulators for broad-spectrum bacterial treatment.

Heat Stress Mitigation for Enhanced Soldier Performance

HEAT STRESS MITIGATION FOR ENHANCED SOLDIER PERFORMANCE

• DMERI evaluated the physiological burden of the Integrated Body Armour Vest (iBAV) in tropical climates, formulating a 10-day Heat Acclimatisation (HA) programme that increased work tolerance by 21%.
• Established Work Rest Cycles (WRC) for chemical/biological/EOD defence personnel.
• Researched the dual-pathway model of heat stroke (heat strain combined with gut endotoxemia/systemic inflammation).

Emerging Technologies - Overview

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

As Singapore’s national defence R&D organisation, DSO looks beyond the horizon to exploit advances in modern technology, and innovate new systems and capabilities that will continue to give the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) the critical edge.

Hybrid Power Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

HYBRID POWER UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

• Integrated a Hydrogen Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell with a LiPo battery pack and a smart Power Manager (delivering >800W at >95% efficiency, 75g weight).
• Achieved >450 Wh/kg system energy density (2.5x higher than LiPo batteries) and sustained >4 hours flight endurance on a technology demonstrator mini-UAV.

Tornado-Like Jets Technology for UAV Drag Reduction

TORNADO-LIKE JETS TECHNOLOGY FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE DRAG REDUCTION APPLICATIONS

• Explored passive boundary-layer flow control using dimpled surfaces that generate miniature Tornado-Like Jets (TLJs), sucking turbulent slow-moving boundary layers into the main flow.
• Wind tunnel testing of large-scale UAV wings and fuselages demonstrated 6% to 8% total drag reduction at high angles of attack (8–10 degrees).

Hyperspectral Technology for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

HYPERSPECTRAL TECHNOLOGY FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

• PolarFour Camera: Compact birefringent crystal polarisation-based Fourier transform spectrometer designed for airborne UAV platforms.
• Atmospheric & 3D shadow correction algorithms developed in collaboration with ONERA.
• Target detection via Spectral Matching and Adaptive Coherence Estimator (ACE) match filtering, anomaly detection via Mahalanobis distance Gaussian modeling, and remote gas plume detection.

Laser Research Overview & Laser Types

LASER RESEARCH

1. Femtosecond Lasers: Collaboration with Vienna University of Technology (VUT) developed a Yb-based cryogenic-cooled fs laser (1030nm, 200fs pulse width, >6mJ energy at 1kHz, >30GW peak power) compact enough for a 120cm x 60cm breadboard; enables white-light filamentation in air.
2. Mid-Infrared Lasers: Optical Parametric Oscillation (OPO) in Zinc Germanium Diphosphide (ZGP) crystals pumped by 2.09 μm Ho:YAG/Tm fibre lasers for 3–5 μm atmospheric window transmission.
3. Fibre Lasers: Record-setting 13W cascaded Raman fibre laser at 1.54 μm, and 7.4W Thulium-doped fibre laser at 1.9 μm for eye-safe remote sensing; 47nm wideband tuning (1924–1972nm).

Interview – Researching the Future

INTERVIEW – RESEARCHING THE FUTURE Featured: Dr Teo Kien Boon (Programme Director, Emerging Systems Division, 16 years in DSO) and Wu Rui Fen (Principal Member of Technical Staff, Emerging Systems Division, 16 years in DSO).

Highlights:

• Fostering multidisciplinary physical science research in lasers, optics, and quantum technologies.
• Overcoming setbacks, such as fixing microscopic fiber defects using 250°C heat-resistant conductive tape to restore high-power laser records.

Drogue Chutes for Ship Deceleration

DROGUE CHUTES FOR SHIP DECELERATION

• Explored cluster deployment of underwater ribbon drogue chutes entangled across the bow/stern of rogue or hostile large merchant ships to arrest momentum.
• 1/8th scale testing verified hydrodynamic drag coefficients, wake interactions, and packed deployment feasibility.

Graphene Research

GRAPHENE RESEARCH

• Investigated chemically derived functionalised sub-graphene oxide (sub-GOx) in collaboration with NUS (ONDL) and Cambridge University.
• Discovered strong nonlinear optical limiting behavior in heavy-atom solvent dispersions (5–10x lower fluence threshold than C60 and carbon nanotubes) for laser protection, published in Nature Photonics.

Radio Frequency Electronics Miniaturisation

RADIO FREQUENCY ELECTRONICS MINIATURISATION

• Designed custom Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMIC), including a 5-bit Digital Controlled Attenuator (DCA) measuring 5.6mm x 1.2mm operating stably from 25°C to 95°C across wide bandwidths.
• 3D multilayer RF packaging: Custom Switched Filter Bank (SFB) embedding vertically stacked PCB filters and high-isolation VIAs.

Interview – Smaller is Better

INTERVIEW – SMALLER IS BETTER Featured: Dr Vincent Leong (Laboratory Head, Electronic Systems Division, 21 years in DSO).

Highlights:

• MMIC and RF miniaturisation guru; recipient of the 2007 Defence Technology Prize Team (R&D) Award for custom transistor modeling and MMIC design.

Software Defined Radios

SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIOS (SDR)

• Compliant with Software Communications Architecture (SCA) across GPP, DSP, and FPGA.
• Adaptive Coding & Modulation: Reconfigurable Product Accumulate (PA) error correction codec using Quadratic Permutation Polynomial (QPP) interleavers.
• OFDM Enhancements: Peak-to-Average-Power-Ratio (PAPR) reduction using Tone Reservation and Clipping; Doppler spread pilot symbol equalisation.
• Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) / Cognitive Radio in UHF bands to utilise spectrum white spaces.

SCENTMATE: A Portable Nerve Agent Diagnostic Kit

SCENTMATE: A PORTABLE NERVE AGENT DIAGNOSTIC KIT

• World’s first field diagnostic device capable of detecting mild and asymptomatic nerve gas exposure (Sarin, VX) from a single blood drop without requiring baseline pre-exposure biomarker levels.
• Releases nerve agent bound to blood cholinesterase in-situ to rebind onto assay sensors, screening 96 patients per hour.

X-SAT - Singapore’s First Indigenously Built Microsatellite

X-SAT - SINGAPORE’S FIRST INDIGENOUSLY BUILT MICROSATELLITE

• 105 kg experimental Earth observation microsatellite built by CREST (NTU and DSO), launched on 20 April 2011 on ISRO PSLV.
• Payloads: IRIS 3-band multispectral camera (12m GSD), NTU PPU parallel processing unit, DLR space GPS receiver.
• Subsystems: Star tracker, reaction wheels, magnetic torque rods for de-tumbling, SINDA/G thermal modeling, RTEMS real-time operating system on OBC, ANTLR-based command language, and 2D Engineering Test Bed (ETB) flat satellite testing.

Interview – The Final Frontier

INTERVIEW – THE FINAL FRONTIER Featured: Philip Teng (Principal Member of Technical Staff, Networks Division, 14 years in DSO) and Chantiraa Segaran (Member of Technical Staff, Quality Division, 5 years in DSO).

Highlights:

• Flight software architecture, reliability engineering, and component screening for the space environment.
• The suspense of launch and the elation of capturing the first telemetry signal and Singapore satellite image at the NTU ground station.

DSO Big Ideas (dBi)

DSO BIG IDEAS (dBi)

Launched in 2005 to foster bottom-up staff innovation. To date, 17 of 41 winning ideas have transited into SAF operations. Winning ideas highlighted:

• TSI TDOA Geo-location Method: High-precision geolocation without strict sensor time synchronisation.
• Shared Aperture Broadband Antenna Array: Stacked dual-polarised dual-broadband arrays.
• Crypto Guardians and Unity in Diversity: Guardian logic security architecture.
• TRUE RANGER: Quantum randomness physical random number generator.
• PolarFour: Compact polarimetric and hyperspectral camera.
• Source-Channel Coding for Video Data Links: Robust video transmission over noisy fading wireless channels.
• CLRTECH (Lectin Mediated Destruction): Engineered generic antibody regions activating innate lectin destruction pathways.

CEO’s Epilogue

CEO’S EPILOGUE

The logic of the late Dr Goh Keng Swee was irrefutable. Given Singapore’s small geographic size and population, there is no way we can outnumber, out buy or outrun any potential adversaries. The conclusion from this was a powerful one. The only way to defend against any aggressor is to surprise and defeat them with our own unique capabilities.

From our early days 40 years ago, DSO has steadily built up capabilities in all domains of importance to the SAF. Today, innovations from DSO are slowly but surely transforming the island into the ‘lethal’ red dot.

Over a short span of 40 years, a small group of Singaporeans have come together to create the technological edge for the SAF… This commemorative book is dedicated to the staff of DSO, past and present, who have chosen to serve the country with us. Indeed, it is the nation’s needs that brought us here, and the Pride Within that keeps us going.

Mr Quek Gim Pew Chief Executive Officer DSO National Laboratories (Celebrating “Forty Years of Serious Fun”)

DSO 40th Anniversary Centrepiece and Division Trees

DSO 40TH ANNIVERSARY CENTREPIECE AND DIVISION TREES

• The DSO Centrepiece (“Growing Our Own Timber”): A 1.3m x 1.6m hand-painted artwork symbolising 40 years of growth and collective creativity, featuring 40 flourishing leaves.

Division Trees Created by Staff:

1. Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute (DMERI@DSO): Tree trunk formed by staff names, leaves depicting chem-bio defence, combat care, and biotechnology (“…question with imagination, answer with science…”).
2. Emerging Systems (EG) Division: Light bulb base sprouting stems and leaves representing lasers, advanced materials, and electromagnetics.
3. Electronic Systems (ES) Division: Tree of Life depicting 40 years of electronic defence capabilities.
4. Finance and Administration (F&A) Division: Hand-shaped trunk and 40 heart leaves representing corporate support with passion.
5. Guided Systems (GS) Division: Deeply rooted tree with acorns and aerial vehicles symbolising guided missile and UAV breakthroughs.
6. Information (INFO) Division: Tree showing information exploitation roots, security bark, and HFE fruits.
7. Networks (NW) Division: Tree on solid ground with diamonds and arrows depicting tactical communication networks.
8. Organisation Development (OD) Division: Lego brick tree symbolising IT infrastructure, compass/rings, safety helmets, and shields.
9. People Division: Flourishing tree inscribed with ‘PEOPLE’ celebrating talent development.
10. Quality Division: Tree cared for by a woodpecker diligently removing bugs to yield high-quality fruits.
11. Sensors (SR) Division: Multi-coloured tree with birds representing day/night radar, optical, and space surveillance across land, air, sea, and space.

Dedication: This book is dedicated to all DSO staff, past and present, who have chosen to serve the country with us.