SINGAPORE - Before the eight armed police officers entered the shopping mall, with the bodies of dead shoppers lying across the premises, a drone glided in.

No bigger than a shoebox, it hovered and hummed loudly about 3m off the ground, hunting a lone gunman.

Flying ahead of the officers, who had split into two groups of four, the drone located the gunman hiding in a corner.

The drone operators, who belong to the Singapore Police Force’s Special Operations Command (SOC), then relayed the information to Police Tactical Unit (PTU) officers from the Armed Strike Teams (AST). The officers moved in, and after a brief gunfight, killed the gunman.

This was part of a police demonstration at the Home Team Tactical Centre in Mandai on March 25, to show how drones provide real-time clear images to officers dealing with terror situations.

A police spokesman said AST officers are PTU officers who have undergone an extensive training regime, and are equipped with more firepower and skills to deal with public security incidents.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been operationalised by the SOC – the police’s elite force – since 2023, and the media were invited to experience what it would be like to view images captured by a UAV, via a pair of goggles.

This reporter could easily spot people or objects in nearly 4K resolution footage, delivered in real time.

The PTU deals with public order incidents like civilian disturbances and riots. It also handles security-related operations, including searching for armed criminals and responding to terror attacks.

Two recent events reminded the public that terror can strike anywhere.

On March 22, four gunmen launched a coordinated attack on a concert hall in Moscow that left more than 140 people dead.

On Oct 3, 2023, two people were killed and five others injured after a 14-year-old boy shot shoppers at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mall.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Eugene Ooi, company commander of the PTU, said the use of technology comes as a response to emerging threats.

He said the use of UAVs also reduces the risks posed to officers.

There are five drones in the SOC’s suite, with sizes ranging from 350g to 7kg. The PTU is able to deploy the drones in tight or inaccessible areas to help the team get a better understanding of the incident or to help in decision-making processes.