Singapore is proposing regular deployment of tactical unmanned air vehicles over international waters in the South China Sea to assist familiarising air traffic controllers with UAV operations in non-segregated airspace. It may also attempt to set up a regional dialogue on standardised arrangements for UAV access to civil airspace access in South-East Asia.
Lt Col Keith Rodriguez, from the Singapore ministry of defence's Joint Operations and Planning Directorate, says the transit flights to the South China Sea would occur "not necessarily only during contingencies, but regularly".
Singapore rarely deploys its UAVs into its declared South China Sea training areas. Where deployments have occurred, the aircraft have transited around southern Singapore. The proposed new transit corridor would follow the Malaysia-Singapore border, passing through airspace controlled by Changi International airport, before entering international airspace.
The bulk of Singapore's existing UAV training sorties are conducted over small ranges in the country's west and south, which do not require interaction with civil air traffic authorities. The South China Sea flights would require civil air traffic controllers to "work with military controllers, getting them to understand UAV operations and in so doing, boost their confidence in the reliability and capability of UAVs", says Rodriguez.
Engagement of other South-East Asian nations in dialogue on UAV access to civil airspace may not be possible on a pan-Asian basis. But a reasonable target would be to get "the countries of ASEAN or within the immediate far east to propose an initiative", he says.
Transit of military UAVs through civil airspace in Singapore requires fitting of transponders and additional steps such as restricting transit flights to low-traffic periods.
Source: Flight International
