Singapore Army introduces Vesper tactical drone to use 3D view of battlefield.

The Singapore Army, in collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), has recently introduced a new tactical drone, the Vesper, developed by Vantage Robotics. This advanced quadcopter is designed to enhance the situational awareness of soldiers on the battlefield, marking a significant turn in tactical military operations.
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Vesper  UAV in service alongside 5th Bataillon of Singapore infantry Regiment (Picture source: Singapore Army )

During the recent Panther Strike exercise, troops from the 5th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (5 SIR) were the first to deploy the Vesper, highlighting its effectiveness and ease of use. Capable of flying in free or tethered mode for persistent surveillance operations, the Vesper is equipped with two low-light cameras and an infrared (IR) sensor with 4K resolution and 48x zoom, allowing for target detection even in low-light conditions.

Thanks to a three-axis stabilized gimbal, the Vesper can transmit live Full HD (1080p) video streams to the Ground Control Station (GCS), ensuring high-quality image transmission even under challenging conditions. During the operation, this drone proved its worth by providing aerial surveillance just before the arrival of infantry forces, enabling commanders to modify their operational plans in real-time to maximize mission success.

The drone can be deployed in less than 90 seconds from its carrying case and can fly at a maximum speed of 20 m/s (72 km/h) with an extremely low noise signature, comparable to a whisper (<32 dBA at 25m), and a flight time of 50 minutes.

Soldiers using the Vesper have been trained through the Basic Vertical Take-Off and Landing UAV Operator Course (BVOC), which has allowed them to quickly master the drone's intuitive controls. This ease of use, combined with magnetic snap-on components that facilitate quick replacement of parts in the field, makes the Vesper particularly suited to the evolving dynamics of the modern battlefield, especially in urban environments.

The adoption of the Vesper underscores the Singapore Army's ongoing commitment to integrating the most advanced technologies to strengthen its operational capabilities. Particularly by bringing 3D vision into operational capabilities for detection and recognition, the Vesper incorporates identification technology that allows for the advanced detection and classification of personnel as friend or foe, providing a real advantage in reconnaissance, tailored for an army sized for local interventions.

The Singapore Army is sized by the geographical and social conditions of the country, which today is an enclave close to Malaysia and Indonesia. Its army is not designed for interventionist operations but to maintain the nation's foothold in its maritime and terrestrial zones of influence. The Vesper drone thus fits into this logic as well.