Fly a drone within 5km of an airbase, and you could find it taken down by one of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) latest weapons.
The Jammer Gun, when fired, emits a signal to jam the control signals of the drone, which will then be unable to survey the premises of the base. The RSAF also has the Drone Catcher system, which uses a net to snare errant drones. The two weapons will be in action this weekend at the open field next to Jurong East MRT station. The demonstration is part of RSAF's celebrations to mark its golden jubilee this year.
Exhibitions were held in other housing estates to help the public understand RSAF operations. One highlight was a Super Puma helicopter landing in a field in the Sembawang residential area. The public also got to participate in security demonstrations.
During the simulation in Jurong East, the public will get to alert RSAF when they spot an errant drone entering restricted premises. They can then watch, for the first time, how RSAF personnel respond.
The Jammer Gun consists of a rifle with two large barrels and weighs 5kg. The gun is attached to a 20kg bag that the user carries.
The gun and drone catcher were developed by the RSAF and Defence Technology Community - a 5,000-strong community of scientists and engineers working to upgrade the capabilities of the Singapore Armed Forces.
Lieutenant-Colonel Wesley Ho Lek Hun, team leader of the demonstration, said: "These technologies ensure that (operations) are less complicated and less reliant on manpower." The 40-year-old added that it takes only one week for an operator to be trained to use the Jammer Gun.
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CATCH IT
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WHERE: Open field next to Jurong East MRT station
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WHEN: May 26 and 27, 11.30am to 2pm
Third Sergeant Hu Tian Yi, a 20-year-old full-time national serviceman, will be operating the Jammer Gun and the Drone Catcher at the exhibition.
The public can catch the action from 11.30am to 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Other RSAF weapons and systems will also be on display at the exhibition, which is free and open from 10am to 9pm.
The events to mark RSAF50 had kicked off with an airshow in February and the celebrations will culminate in the RSAF50 Parade on Sept 1, to be attended by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
