Singapore’s DSTA rolls out Gen AI tool, to ‘double down’ on drones, robotics and AI for defence

SINGAPORE – A new tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up work in the Defence Ministry and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has been developed by the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA).

Called Gaia, it can be used to help staff retrieve information, and generate reports and analysis – for example, helping them to quickly answer policy questions.

DSTA unveiled Gaia, short for Generative AI Assistant, at a Sept 16 media briefing, ahead of an event marking its 25th anniversary on Sept 19. 

The AI tool was conceived and developed in 2023, with the goal of accelerating operational and administrative workflows across Mindef and the SAF, said DSTA in response to queries.

“Built with flexibility and scalability in mind, Gaia allows us to swop between different LLMs (large language models) so that we can use the model that best suits each use case,” DSTA said.

LLMs are AI systems trained on massive amounts of text to understand and generate responses in plain language.

DSTA said Gaia will continue to be “tuned” with actual data so that it can serve as a smart assistant that supports day-to-day decision-making and operations.

At the briefing, DSTA chief executive Ng Chad-Son also announced that the agency will collaborate with gaming company Razer to experiment with using gaming controllers to operate machinery like drones.

“We will integrate our robotics command and control system with Razer gaming controllers... This will allow many young soldiers to have a familiar gaming interface.”

These updates are part of efforts by DSTA to keep pace with global changes.

Drones and robotics are now

common on battlefields, as seen in recent conflicts

such as the war in Ukraine, and tech development cycles have drastically shortened. 

DSTA deputy chief executive of information Gayle Chan said the agency has seen the rapid adoption of low-cost commercial tech for defence purposes.

“So DSTA is doubling down on drones, robotics, autonomy and counter-drone technology to complement our existing capabilities,” she said.

Even as DSTA focuses on new areas, its role remains the same 25 years on – to deliver technology for Singapore’s defence.

“We do this through design, acquisition, in-house development and integration of technology,” Mr Ng said.

DSTA was founded as a statutory board in 2000, but its roots stretch back much further to 1966, he noted, adding that the agency was formed by combining several organisations, including the Defence Technology Group from Mindef. 

The agency and its predecessors have contributed to every major technology delivery, he added. 

Early on, much of this comprised acquiring and testing equipment, but over time, the agency started doing more small-scale integration and its projects grew in quantity and complexity.

It has become known for its ability to integrate systems and to cost-effectively get capabilities to the SAF, Mr Ng said.

DSTA director of land systems Alex Lee highlighted some major projects that the agency has been involved in, such as the locally developed Hunter, an armoured fighting vehicle, and Singapore’s Invincible-class submarines, which were commissioned in 2024.

Those in the pipeline include the army’s new infantry fighting vehicle – the Titan – and a new multi-role combat vessel for the navy. 

Announced by then Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen in March, the Titan will have significantly enhanced firepower in the form of a 30mm cannon and counter-drone capabilities, compared with the Terrex, which is currently in use. 

The multi-role combat vessels will act as a mothership for unmanned systems like drones, and are meant to replace the older missile corvettes by 2030.

DSTA is also involved in the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets from the United States, and the upgrading of the F-16s and F-15s to keep those older jets current.

Mr Lee said: “The comprehensive and rigorous evaluation process of the F-15s back in the early 2000s reinforced our reputation as a ‘reference customer’ and for being known as a stringent, transparent and cost-effective agency.”

While a long and structured procurement process could persist for big-ticket defence equipment, DSTA is updating its procedures to acquire new tech faster. 

This includes new ways of financing projects and innovation, such as funding in blocks or over periods which will allow the agency to iterate and pivot faster, said Mr Ng. 

“If tech cycles are becoming faster, it can’t be that we take very long to procure something like drones, right? That’s really the motivation,” he said. 

The historically long and “onerous” process of procurement in the defence industry will not be “totally thrown out the window”, Mr Ng noted, as it could still be necessary for some larger items. 

“But for a set of systems like drones, robotics, I would posit that the way we acquire should be more akin to the way we acquire computers and digital hardware,” he said.  

He added that DSTA is also deepening its collaboration with the global defence industry, including with newer players like US autonomous systems specialist Anduril.

“We will collaborate a lot more widely and with new modalities. We want to scout for (the) most promising technologies, not just work only with ‘primes’, but also co-develop novel solutions to then integrate and deliver the capabilities to SAF,” he said.

“This will be key to accelerating our development cycles and deployment cycles.”

Defence primes is a term used for large companies that include well-established brands like Lockheed Martin, which traditionally hold and fulfil swathes of government defence contracts around the globe.

Another way that DSTA is working to deliver technology faster is by strengthening its relationship with the soldiers who operate its tech, Mr Ng said.

With tech cycles becoming shorter, DSTA is working closely with soldiers to pass on solutions to those in the field more quickly, he added.

This involves deploying engineers on the ground and in exercises, like the recent Exercise Forging Sabre in the US, where DSTA engineers worked alongside SAF soldiers to test and deploy drones.

The agency will also continue to invest in its people, said Mr Ng, who was Mindef deputy secretary before taking over as DSTA chief in May 2024. 

“They’re always very curious, and they want to know how tech is being deployed on the battlefield... We want to continue to nurture and empower these passionate people.”