Free exhibition gives rare glimpse into defence tech
An artist's impression of what the components at the SGDefence exhibition will look like. Photo: Ministry of Defence.
SINGAPORE – For the first time in its 50-year history, Singapore’s defence technology community is giving the public a glimpse into its work in a five-day free exhibition to mark its jubilee.
From next Friday (Nov 4), visitors can get behind the controls of a littoral mission vessel – the Republic of Singapore Navy’s newest ship – and even experience “hostile targets” while trying their hand at the simulator.
They can also glean insights into the workings of a bio safety Level 3 laboratory, where hazardous bio samples are tested during national health crises, such as the one caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
Along with experiential elements, the video exhibit will take visitors through the different stages of how scientists deal with such samples, from neutralising to extracting elements from the samples for analysis.
The defence technology community in Singapore comprises the Defence Science and Technology Agency, the DSO National Laboratories and departments in the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) that are responsible for acquiring, developing and sustaining defence capabilities.
From its modest beginnings in 1966 as a three-man team, the 5,000-strong community now shapes the Republic’s defence technologies and innovations, and its responsibilities include buying cost-effective weapon systems and developing defence systems locally.
It also contributes to areas beyond defence, such as playing a supporting role during national health crises and improving the readiness of first responders.
The exhibition will showcase the highways and byways of the community’s innovations that originated here and ground-up initiatives from Mindef’s internal productivity and innovation initiative.
Among the exhibits will be an area where visitors will get to experience how soldiers undergo marksmanship training. Donning virtual-reality goggles, they will be transported to a multi-mission range complex, where they can choose from three training scenarios.
Elsewhere, visitors can peer at models of two made-in-Singapore earth observation satellites – X-SAT and TeLEOS-1 – and view images snapped by the orbiting objects for purposes such as homeland security and environmental monitoring.
The SGDefence exhibition will be held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre’s Hall A from next Friday (Nov 4) to Nov 8.
Admission is free and it will open from 12.30pm to 8pm on Nov 4, and 11am to 8pm for the rest of its run.
