A huge tethered surveillance balloon will be launched to boost Singapore's maritime and air security , the defence ministry has announced.
The helium-filled aerostat will be equipped with redar equipment that can spot threats from as far as 200km away,the ministry said in a pots on its website late on Tuesday.
"It will be deployed sufficiently high enough so as to have a clear line of sight over singapore' air and sea space," the ministey said.
"Existing systems are fecing increasing constraints , mainly due to the construction of taller buildings which prevent the systems [from] establishing a clear line of sight.
The Straits Times reported the balloon will be able to scan up to Malacca in Malaysia for stray aircraft as well as detect small boats coming from Indonesia's Pekanbaru.
The US-made , 55m blimp will be operated by eigth ground crew and can run at a height of up to 600m. The defence ministry did not reveal the cost of the project.
Speaking on Tuesday,Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the ballon would save the government about $29 million (740 million baht) in operating costs every year by not having to rely on round-the-clock surveillance flights.
For a small island state like Singapore , surveillance and erely warning to give us always be a challenge but the aerostat will improve our surveillance capabilities signifcantly". Mr. Ng said.
Singapore has the largest defence budget in Southeast Asia,thanke to public funds generated by its substantial economic growth.
Surrounded by far larger neighbours Malaysia and Indonesia, it has pursued a robust defence strategy since being ejected from the Malaysian Federation in 1965 AFP.